I’m old. I’m 27 going on 28, and I feel old. Especially in
conversation. I can’t keep up with the way (the English) language is evolving. I
live in Malta, where English is an official language. I was raised speaking
English and Italian at home, and Dutch at school. I can get by with my basic
Maltese. Language is supposed to be easy for me – it’s my passion, it’s what (I
think) I’m good at. So why on earth do I find myself questioning my skills over
and over again?
I’m a translator, proofreader and copywriter. Needless to
say, I know that language is dynamic. I’m an advocate of progressive
vocabulary. I welcome new words and expressions. And yet I can’t keep up with
the way teenagers and twenty-somethings speak. Not only that, I also find it utterly
ridiculous.
Apparently when something is funny, you no longer laugh or
smile. Nowadays, you say LOL. Come on, LOL?! And something extremely funny has now earned its very own abbreviation: ROFL.
When I first heard it, I had to google it (yes – Google has become a verb, are
you supposed to capitalise it when it’s used as a verb?).
I can understand you might want to use abbreviations while
chatting, in writing I mean – I’m not a fan, but I do see the logic behind it: a fast-paced life
calls for quick and easy communication methods. Capital letters have been
banned. Punctuation is a thing of the past. But why, oh why can’t we take the
time to pronounce words in full? And
what happened to the good old smile or laugh? Isn’t that enough to show
appreciation for a humorous remark? Do we need to add foolish internet slang to
our spoken interactions?
Naturally, when you work from your sofa/bed/kitchen stool,
your circle of friends and acquaintances is more limited than that of say, a
marketing manager who attends networking events. The scope of your spoken
communication is also more focused – you speak only when and if necessary, and
it’s mostly about work. Could that be the reason why I’m not on trend? Or is it
really an age thing? I’m starting to doubt myself…
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