The British Council?s language clinic with ?Dr Danny?

hi n WB 2 d brit counsl en lang clinc dis wk Iv bn askD 2 discus d ishu of txtN lang DY tnk dat itz a gud ting? S dis d fucha of ritN en?

Let me start again? Hello and welcome back to the British Council?s English Language Clinic. This week I?ve been asked to discuss the issue of texting language; do you think it is a good thing? Is this the future of written English?

?Texting language?, also known as ?txtspk?, ?txt talk? and ?chatspeak? is a highly abbreviated form of English used on mobile/cell phones when using text/SMS (Short Message Service) to communicate. The objective when using ?texting language? is to use the least possible number of characters; this is achieved in a number of ways. Most obviously, ?texting language? uses what is known as The Rebus Principle: using symbols (such as alphabetical and numerical characters) based on their sound, rather than their meaning. For example, the word ?are? is represented by the symbol ?R?, the word ?to? by the symbol ?2?. Another way in which the number of characters is decreased is through the removal of unstressed vowels, silent and repeated letters. For example, the word ?written??can be changed to ?ritN?, saving a valuable three characters! Other ways in which texting language minimises the number of characters include the use of abbreviations, such as ?wdyt? (what do you think?), the removal of nearly all punctuation and an almost complete disregard for grammar.

So, ?wdyt of txt lang?? To some, it graphically represents a decline in the use of ?correct? English. To others, it is a highly creative and functional form of English, an interesting evolution of the written form in reaction to technology. Most see it as a useful tool, if used in the correct context. I was very surprised to learn that the abbreviation ?WYMM? is widely used and understood. This is a message that I think uses ?texting language? in the wrong context!

Please send your comments, queries and questions to ?Dr Danny? at the British Council Language Clinic by emailing the following address [email protected]

To find out more about different forms of English or to register for our new Business English course, please contact the British Council by phoning 403-0200. ?WYMM? is an abbreviation of the question ?Will you marry me??... how romantic!