AM 130

How does technology influence language?  Many people feel that our adoption of texting, Facebook, and Twitter as popular means of communication has negative effects on language, particularly on our ability to write.  How much or little do you agree/disagree with this statement?

Watch the video and take notes.  Answer the following questions:

1.  How is speaking different from writing?  Give at least two differences.

2.  Why does McWhorter call texting “fingered speech”?

3.  How have “lol” and “slash” evolved?

4.  In the talk, he calls texting “miraculous”? What does he mean by this?  What is the point of his hypothetical situation involving people of the 70’s, 90’s, and present day?