Letter to the Editor

To the editor,

It is no doubt that texting has been a huge influence in the language of the youngsters in this time and period. “Text speak” has definitely spread around the entire world and the more teens text and the more abbreviations they use in text messages, the more likely they are to using that register in formal writing. Although teens have been being affect negatively with this technical language, there are some positives as well. In the article “Twtr? It's majorly bad! Leading headteacher condemns 'text speak' for eroding schoolchildren's language skills” the author argues that this is completely impacting in the vocabulary of youngsters and that it is limiting their language and also their brains. In the article it is discussed that young teens are forgetting how to distinct formal writing from texting and including abbreviations and “text speak” in school essays. Furthermore it has being said that technology and social media is the reason while all of this is happening “Youngsters are also in danger of growing up with limited vocabularies

because they spend so much of their free time on sites such as Twitter and Facebook instead of reading.”. But is it fair to apply this assumption to all teenagers and generalise the cause of poor vocabulary? 

Social media may be encouraging “text speak” but there are a lot of relevant information in social media. For example while an adult may read the news in the newspaper, a teenager that has twitter can follow the news channel and have just as much or even more access to the information as an adult. Furthermore everything that we used to do without technology can be done with it, reading the news, reading books, communicating and expressing opinions and etc. Media is an amazing platform which eases our communication and acquiring of information. I personally believe that the social media can and is affecting children but not all in a negative way. Most teenagers are smart and they use “text speak” and abbreviations during conversations to sound cool. It is possible that some mistakes might be made but overall they are aware of what they are writing tor saying. Additionally I do not think that social media is limiting vocabulary because personally I have learned new words in places such as Facebook and Twitter as I have learned reading books. It is true that books are richer in grammar and vocabulary and they also explore words that are more insightful but technology has its own dialect too. Perhaps teachers should be more open minded and less strict to “text speak” in conversations but they should keep reinforcing the importance of proper register in formal writing. 

The original article is somewhat correct but it is not fair to apply that assumption to all teenagers in the world. Moreover "text speak" in a way is another dialect and therefore it differentiates teenagers vocabularry. Teenagers are only affected by this if they let it affect them, because in order for someone to leave a word out or abbreviate it, they must first know the original word and know that the word is there. 


Luiza Helena Ferreira.

Source: hfile:///Users/luizahelena/Downloads/Twtr__It_s_majorly_bad__Leading_headteacher_condemns__text_speak__for_eroding_schoolchildren_s_language_skills___Daily_Mail_Online%20(1).pdf

Interview - Stromae

Stromae is a talented French rapper who was born in Belgium. He has struggled a lot in life and he used those experiences to express himself through the creative outlet of music. Stromae does not necessarily reflect on a struggle related to race or culture, it is based in personal experiences that he has suffered through life. Today we will be discussing the meaning and the message through one of his most famous song, “Papaoutai”. Furthermore we will be discussing how his music has impacted society as a whole and the communities around him. 

• Stromae, what is the song that you have composed that you can say that was purely based in a past experience that has marked your life?
• From all the songs I have written the most personal one that I can related to a marking past experience is “Papaoutai”. That song goes all the way back to when I was 1. I lost my father due to the Rwandan Genocide. In the song I explain how all fathers will eventually go but I lost mine really early and growing up without one was pretty hard. In the beginning I didn't know the concept of death and that meant I did not know that my father was gone forever, I always wondered where he was and I was constantly asking myself and my mom where could he be hiding. This songs even though reflects on the aspects of life loss it could relate to other people whose fathers have abandoned them or simply work all day and don’t have time for their children. I comment on how many people know how to make babies but not all know to to act as proper dads and take care of their children, which unfortunately is a sad truth of our society because this type of things happens quite ofter.

• Why did you choose to portray your feelings and experiences through music?
• I chose to portray my ideas and feelings through music because I believe that it is a way of communication and a platform that nowadays it is more efficient than anything. Furthermore I also believe that through music not only you can convey ideas and experiences but you can make the listener feel something. One of the most fascinating things about music is that you can portray the feeling you are feeling to other people through lyrics and sound. I find that music has helped me a lot in my life and with music you can be free, because there is no defined structure which you have to follow. Another aspect of music is the style of rap. I love to rap in my songs because in my perspective I can demonstrate more feelings and expressions in a more detailed way.

• Why did you choose the French language in order to express yourself even though you know German and English?
• I personally chose French because in French I believe that one can be more expressive and the words are more meaningful but another reason is that I grew up with French therefore I feel more comfortable sinning in French than in another language. Furthermore The type of music that I created which was hip hop mixed with tapping was new in France and I was one of the artists that created an impact with the format. Additionally even though I sing only in French my music has spread all around the globe and I am very thankful for that. 

• How do you think that your music has somehow impact the society in which you live in and other societies around the world?
• I’d like to believe that all the music I have written so far has somehow inspired people or helped them through rough times, because most of the music I have written is based on a personal experience which I hope that people can relate to and empathise with the situation. The purpose of my songs are purely to express my ideas and share painful experiences (mostly) which perhaps could be something people can relate to and connect to the songs. 

Stromae thank you so much for your time and for sharing your perception and views on how music can impact the way we communicate. 

Practical

October 1st, 2106

Dear George, 

My name is Luiza and  I am a student in Raha International School. I am writing you this letter to tell you about some of the adversities you might face when coming from Ashford, Kent to Abu Dhabi. First of all what will be a big change for you will be the weather here. It is fairly hot all the time and it barely rains. Not quite the same thing as the UK. Honestly telling from experience coming here abroad and studying in a new place, with a new culture and different languages and religions might be a shock for you, but you will adjust with time, just like I did. 

I am sure that you are used to your culture there, celebrating all the events and the food you eat and even how you dress. Everyone in your city being more or less the same like you. Well George, when you come to Abu Dhabi to attend Raha International School you will see so much diversity. It will overwhelming at first but you will learn to appreciate and learn from each and every culture. Here in the UAE we celebrate all the holidays you probably celebrate plus the Muslim ones. The people here really like to party, no wonder there is so many festive events. They are also very connected to their roots and culture and are very religious and spiritual. Something you need to keep in mind is that because there is so much diversity there are different religions and different beliefs but you have to respect them just like they will repeat you. Although the culture and religions you face here will be different, everyone speaks English which is an advantage for you but the locals’ mother tongue is Arabic therefore you will hear a lot of that.

In Raha there are more or less 74 different nationalities. There is a gigantic range of diversity in this school and you can learn something from each friend or teacher. When you arrive here you will have friends from all around the world. They will speak the same language as you but they might speak different languages with other people or at home. The good thing about the school is that they teach French, Spanish and Arabic if you are interested in learning a new language.

Furthermore the purpose of this letter is to inform and explain to you that when you come here you will be surrounded by different language and cultures. You need to be open minded about it and explore through the diversities. I am not advising you to forget about you culture and language but instead to try and learn new ones and find out the things you like and don’t like. Language plays a very important role in our lives, because it lets us communicate with one another. In Ashford, Kent you have been probably only exposed to English while here in Abu Dhabi people come from all around the world meaning that there will be many different languages within your surroundings. Being able to speak more than one language not only widens the vocabulary of a person but also it gives us the opportunity to express ourselves differently and to see through a different perspective. Knowing only English as a language will only give you one view on certain topics and issues. George once you come here in some way you will be deprived of many conversations and it will affect you in some ways because language is the main pillar in which our communication depends on. Furthermore to prevent this as soon as you get here, you could start taking a second language class in order to acquire a second point of view within languages and also to expand your ideas and vocabulary. 

 Your identity is a big part of this as well, because eventually you will not be the same George that lived in Ashford, Kent. In the contrary you will explore the world more and see different things therefore gaining a different perspective of life. Although I encourage you to be open minded and an explorer when you come here, I also believe that it is important to remember your roots and where you come from. Coincidentally enough, the majority of the Muslims here believe and perch that as well.