Significance declined use of the English language in society

Significance declined use of the English language in society

Although the United has never had a formal language, English is the most widely spoken language. According to Gupta (185), language helps shape our identities, describe and restrain the world around us. Nothing brings people closer than sharing a common language. Recently, there has been a dilemma in the public social situation where the elderly members of the society are claiming that the youths, especially teenagers, are misusing language. Language is a valuable tool that enables civilization to take place. The particular ability to communicate enabled the society to form bonds, communicate effectively, and ensured crucial information for development was well communicated. Therefore, communication formed an essential element that enabled the continuity of generations. Thus, it is justified that the declined use of the English language in society is a significant consideration for the effectiveness of future societies and their generations.

Slang is speech expressions utilized by a specific speech community, particularly youths, teenagers, criminals, and so on, that desires to demonstrate its attachment to a preferred social identity. It is a usage style that is not tolerable outside the situations of the group and remains unfavorable to the overall society. Slang begins as a cunning technique of expressing things that would alternatively be expressed politely (Gupta 185). The politeness of the language is married to the place, time, and context. Slang is the constantly changing informal words as well as phrases that are utilized by speakers to strengthen their social identity within the group or in alignment with a trend as it prevails in the larger society. The presence of vocabularies within this language is potentially as old as the language itself. Slang is a language that is used in normal conversations and interactions by a community that is large enough to create its own identity. Slang is therefore utilized to demonstrate one’s friendliness to another or to demonstrate the belonging of an individual to a specific group.

According to Tagliamonte (292), organizations such as the Queen’s English Society have argued that language cannot basically remain unchanged no matter how well it is preserved. Therefore, the change is basically not in the near future, but in essence, communication might be at risk of becoming ineffective if the direction of language decline is not changed. However, the optimistic people have argued that the change in language is further down the priority list with regard to the current social trends (Tagliamonte 293). Therefore, there are the societal members who mostly believe that the teens changing the language in accordance with their specifically agreeable slang as used does not in any way offer for a reason for worry as pertains to the evident decline in the use of English language.

Martínez (34) believes that the supporters of the tradition of the English language and how it is delivered argue that there is danger of the delivered messages if they do not follow the guided use of language. The argument is that the ability to effectively communicate is lost if the people involved are not in the same room, and if the grammatical standards as agreed upon are not followed. However, there should be the realization of the prevalent change as observed via the current trends among the youths, especially teenagers. Practically, social media has essentially changed the norms with regard to the use of language in the society (Martínez 36). Basically, there have been new terms of English that have evidently been acquired that have greatly changed the traditional English language significance. Therefore, the youths have grown up in the social media era and thus will practically model their language towards an easier understanding with regard to the modern practices (Durham 294). Hence, they are able to effectively bring an understanding among themselves through avoidance of the traditional uses of the English language.

Based on Reed, Bradfield, and McAllister (208), basically, youths and teenagers have simplified and effectively enhanced understanding among their social groups as influenced by the modern changes as pertains to the social usage of the English language. Therefore, this identification of the teenage change of the common use of English does not negatively affect the language but is a probable change in the way English is used in the society. There is, however, the need to ensure a guided change of language through adequate research and academic implementation (Dean 326). Through this, the inevitable youth dialogue and change of the language will be positively integrated into the general modernization of the language as all aspects of the society are changing.

With reference to Alexis (1), there are arguments that the imprecision and laziness are the precise factors that are causing the bloating of the English language. However, this is not the fact as teens are actually a super-active group that essentially cannot misuse language based on the aspect of laziness. Practically, teenagers are making use of invented junk words to make up for the traditional use of trying words that, in essence, have the same meaning to offer. Thus, these teens are basically improving the change of language to be effective and in accordance with modern needs. Therefore, it should be realized that youths are essentially initiating a foundation for the English language as the future will need.

Dean (326) asserts that the public, as well as a majority of the individuals, will argue that the worry about teen use of the English language is a minority issue in comparison to the prevalent social issues. For instance, there are numerous issues affecting the society that is supposed to be dealt with first other than putting on emphasizes on the misuse of language among the teens. For example, the drug and substance abuse situation among teenagers is increasingly getting out of hand. Thus, the issue of worrying about language use is a much less issue. There are also other social problems such as crime, human trafficking, gender equality, and global warming that are predominantly more important for the social situation in comparison to the issue of teens misusing language (Alexis 1). Thus, the worry of misuses of language among the youths should not be at the forefront of social issues to deal with but should practically least worry the society.

Scientifically, the idea of language going to the dogs is, in essence, impractical and basically nonsensical. Practically, this cannot happen as for ages; the negative effects of the English language being misused have not been substantiated. Therefore, it is justified to claim that there is no need for worry that the teens are encouraging the decline of the English language (Gupta 186). Thus it will be like the proverbial boy who cried wolf, and there was no wolf that came forth. However, when the social problems that are major in the current social-structure are resolved fully, there will be enough time and resources to worry about how the teenagers are encouraging the decline of the English language (Gupta 186).

Most teens tend to use slangs from music that they listen to, which mostly consist of pop music. For instance, the phrase “YOLO,” which stands for “You Only Live Once,” was a famous phrase that was used on one of Drake’s (one of the most known rapper) song. This is one of the notorious slangs that is used by teens. According to BBC (1), Drake named one of his mixtapes, YOLO, spraying the term liberally throughout his music. Since then, the phrase “YOLO” was widely used among teens. Over the years, slang from music, particularly pop music, has found its way into the dictionary, which is a huge way, is quickly evolving the English language. Some people disagree with these new slangs that are being added to the dictionary. Based on BBC (1), pop music and language have often had a stormy relationship. People have wrung their hands at the terrible damage that the music slang must be doing to the English language. This proves some points. However, there is no real evidence showing that pop music is indeed sabotaging the English language.

Another form of slang that artists commonly use is a cap. The word cap originated from Atlanta, Georgia. In slang terminology, it defines as being a liar. It was founded by musician Jose Guapo, and Musicians seems to have a lot of influence on how teens talk on a day to day basis (BBC 1). Cap essentially means a hat or a visor. Rappers like Da Baby, Honcho, and Quavo are notorious for using a cap (BBC 1). Another artist that plays a huge role in influencing teen slang is the Future, in the majority of his songs, the rapper uses a lot of words and phrases, some which are in the uber dictionary, and others are completely made up (BBC 1). In one of his songs Future uses the phrase “lets F up some commas meaning he’s just getting his money up way up, then blowing it (BBC 1).” As more rappers or musicians are on the come up, you can expect new slangs that might find their way into the dictionary (Alexis 1).

Despite the much focus of the negative slang impact on the youths’ understanding and use of the English language, there is also its positive side. For instance, the language helps one to stay current and understandably be able to hold fluent conversations with other people (Rue 8). Therefore, understanding slang enables one to be able to understand varying language dialects from different regions of the nation and from different people as well. Being currently aware of the new slang English terms also helps not to misuse words when they do not particularly understand their current meanings (Martínez 34).

Another vital input of slang in the world is its utility in creating a sense of belonging whereby a particular region or group identifies with a specific dialect. Hence, it is quite hard for the modern, youthful generations to avoid its use as they have it as their identity (Reed, Bradfield, and McAllister 208). Through slang, despite its misuse of the conventional English words, the history and background of its users are determined. An older adult will not, in particular, be able to speak with the same words, sentence structures of pronunciations like the teenagers. Therefore, the historical backgrounds of the teens or the older adult are identifiable through the particular dialect they utilize. Emotions are also evoked and enhanced when an individual applies a specific dialect that they identify with or practically use more comfortably (Rue 8).

Regardless of the positive aspects of using slang in their conversations, the teenagers should be taught of the foundations of English and how to maintain its social stature. Accordingly, it is extremely vital for the youths to learn of the decline in the generally accepted English usage. The society in conjunction with the various organizations that promote language, the youths should be guided on a possible path that particularly maintains their particular dialect but observes the rules of grammar. By working on the way to integrate the teenage language changes with the rules of grammar, the English language will essentially maintain it’s magnificent in society.

In conclusion, slang is a language on its own that influences an individual’s identity, perception thoughts, and how they relate with their surrounding world. In today’s rapidly changing world, youth rely on slang to express themselves and connect with others. It is through language that the youth identified as a community based not on their common language that a sense of belonging and togetherness is achieved. The formal language might seem rather inappropriate to use in the interactions within informal settings and situations. Slang does not affect languages because it is a language on its own. However, extensive use might affect the connection between the young and older generations.