David Crystal - The Effect of New Technologies on English

Summary

This video script explores how new technologies have historically influenced language, using examples from printing, telephones, broadcasting, and the internet. It highlights how these innovations introduced new communication styles, such as sports commentary, texting, and tweeting. The speaker notes that while some feared these changes would harm language, they instead created unique linguistic expressions. Despite concerns over abbreviations like 'LOL,' most language use remains unchanged. The video underscores that technology shapes how we communicate, but its long-term impact on language is still evolving.

Takeaways

• 📚 New technology has always influenced language significantly, such as the impact of the printing press in the 15th century.
• 📰 Innovations like newspapers, telephones, and broadcasting introduced new varieties of English and communication styles.
• 📞 Early reactions to the telephone were negative, with people fearing it would harm social interaction, but it adapted into everyday life.
• 📻 Broadcasting created new linguistic formats such as sports commentary, news reading, and weather forecasting.
• 🌐 The internet has introduced new language styles, such as text messaging, blogging, and tweeting, each with its own distinctive features.
• 📝 Technologies like Twitter initially focused on self-reflection ('What are you doing?') but later shifted towards broader perspectives ('What's happening?').
• 💬 Text messaging and tweeting are shaped by character limits, but the linguistic changes are subtle, with only minor abbreviations like 'LOL'.
• ⏳ While the internet has influenced language, the core structure of English remains largely unchanged over the past 20 years.
• 📖 Predictions about technology ruining language are common, but the actual impact on linguistic fundamentals is minimal.
• 🔤 Linguists show that text messaging contains only about 10% abbreviations, debunking the myth that it significantly degrades language.

Q & A

How has technology influenced language in the past?

Technology has dramatically influenced language over time. The introduction of printing in the 15th century led to new varieties of English, and subsequent technologies like the telephone, broadcasting, and the internet have similarly shaped language usage.

What concerns were raised about the telephone when it was first introduced?

When the telephone was introduced, people feared it would cause a societal disaster, as they believed it would discourage people from leaving their homes to talk to each other. However, these fears did not materialize.

How did broadcasting influence language in the 20th century?

Broadcasting introduced new varieties of language through media forms like sports commentary, news reading, weather forecasting, and chat shows, which didn't exist before radio and television became widespread.

What changes in language style did the internet bring?

The internet introduced distinct styles of language in various domains, such as texting, blogging, and tweeting. Each platform has developed its own language style influenced by character limits and the format in which information is shared.

Why was Twitter's prompt change in 2009 significant for language use?

Twitter's shift from the prompt 'What are you doing?' to 'What's happening?' altered how people used language on the platform, moving from introspective, first-person pronouns to more descriptive, outward-focused language involving third-person pronouns and different tenses.

What are the main differences between texting and tweeting?

Text messaging allows up to 160 characters, typically sent to one person, while tweeting has a 140-character limit (now extended) due to the inclusion of a user ID, and tweets are broadcast to a wider audience. The styles of language used in both are distinct.

How does the current influence of the internet on language compare to past technological innovations?

While the internet has introduced new language styles, the speaker argues that the vast majority of the English language remains unchanged. Unlike major shifts caused by past technologies like printing, the internet's long-term effects on language are still uncertain.

Why do some commentators view texting and social media as a threat to language?

Commentators like John Humphries have argued that young people are damaging the English language with abbreviations in texting and social media, likening it to historical acts of vandalism. However, the speaker refutes this, noting that only a small fraction of text messages use abbreviations.

What is the proportion of abbreviations in typical text messages according to linguists?

Linguists have found that only about 10% of the language in text messages consists of abbreviations, while the remaining 90% is standard English or the user's local dialect.

What generalization does the speaker make about how technology affects language?

The speaker generalizes that every new internet domain influences language in specific ways. However, the long-term impact of the internet on language is still uncertain, as it is too recent to fully assess its effects.