iGCSE SLANG

Dear Elizabeth ,

In todays world, the use of slangs i dominant, whether that be when texting or talking between old and predominantly young people. Is the slang used by young people of today such a bad thing? I will highlight both sides to this argument.

Some people fear that slang is a preventative in our world of today and that because someone uses it they are not as smart as someone who does not. This is not necessarily true. Using slang is not always rude words like ‘cool’ or ‘nice’ used by the older generations as well as the young are not rude, or do not make some appear less smart. It is better to use formal language in an interview for example but it should be able to change depending on the situation. As long as people are able to separate social life with business life through adapting and restricting the use of slang in a professional situation there is no harm. I would like to believe that everyone have their own way of talking to their friends and families, and that they use slang as and when.

People have the right to be unique and this should also come own to the idiolect too. We all strive to be unique and this should be no different in the way we speak or choice of words, much like our appearance.

A lot of people use slang without knowing and this is no different to William Shakespeare. William Shakespeare was a man that used a lot of slang in his plays, words such as nervy, puke and assassination were included, nevertheless he was not seen as a man that could not communicate, but a man that had a talent for it. It is used in everyday life and we cannot escape from it as we have been brought up around it, it is a part of us that is inevitable.

Others disagree as they think that it can impair peoples lives greatly like when getting a job. People want to hire potential employers that are able to communicate unmistakably. How is that going to be possible when slang only prevents young people from conversing clearly and making them ill-equipped for the future? It is going to be hard for young adults that use slang to face the real world, because slang is not prohibited in today’s work setting. It is the contrary, it is obligatory to speak in correct grammar in order to keep a job. The understandings of slang words are so different in every city that it is going to be impossible for them to take care of themselves, unless they decide to stay where they are forever.

Some think it affects childrens schooling too they think students perform poorly in formal language tests because they’re out of practice when it comes to using. Saying ‘yeah’ in lieu of ‘yes’ is a common problem and one which is never tolerated in the classroom or in tests/exams. Some slang words are new and older persons may not know them. Using these words can inhibit conversation greatly. Sometimes a language gap resulting from slang usage can manifest a language block between people of different generations.

I think that slang is appropriate in certain informal circumstances but it is not only you idiolect that changes, it is your appearance, facial expressions, it all does. This is when I think slang that has been built into your accent and idiolect is appropriate.