My perception of what I once called e-Newspeak is changing somewhat, though I think we should still be cautious. I have always believed educators (read: not JUST English teachers like me) should teach students to communicate in a variety of forms and contexts. Visual literacy and “Instant Language” are no different, and I think each can help to promote the all-encompassing umbrella that is “literacy.”

I haven’t read any literature about the subect, but it seems to me that increases in communication abilities have opened the English language up to more scrutiny. When communication was more localized, dialects flourished and the language changed, gradually, over time. Now, with so many communication outlets and so many people communicating with so many others, language can literally change or be influenced with the click of a button, as in the “@Dave” example Jeff provided.

In some sense I think that the hesitation to develop/use new language is a good thing. New language will be developed but hesitation slows the development. Without this hesitation language might change too quickly and it would lose its power as a commonly understood set of symbols.

Andrew Pass
http://www.pass-ed.com/blogger.html

But I think also that we don’t have to teach the IL writing because that kind of learning happens more spontaneously in the way a trend catches on. It was not long ago that the @ symbol had almost disappeared from understanding fading out of collective memory like the typewriter. Then e-mail came along and it’s become a word on it’s own, one that everyone recognizes.

Learning to write in new forms comes from the experience of doing. Those 3 out of 5 people are learning SMS talk or IM talk or whatever through the attempts of others to get a “shortening” to catch on. No one taught us “lol” or “cya” or “l8er”…they just hit their respective tipping points through shared use and hit the mainstream and we learned what they meant through experience.

I don’t think anyone wants to teach the new language (see English departments worldwide for confirmation on this) and more importantly, no kids want to be taught it. They want to just do it and find the ways that catch on and work for them.

It’s really not that different than when teenage-me learned the many ways to use the word “dude” depending on context.

Side note: you’ve hit the nail on the head with how blogging is too formal for many kids…I could see podcasting becoming the blogosphere of their generation.

As always, great post…I love when you get me thinking and articulating (or at least trying to).

Is it Spring Break yet??

I wanted to add what I think formal writing will be expected of all kids as they grow up, get jobs, and are required to communicate with other adults – perhaps even their supervisors. Maybe they won’t be writing formal essays, but right or wrong, judgments are made about us all based on the way we use words to convey a meaning.

I haven’t read too many cover letters that start with, “Sup?” or make use of the word, “w00t!” Not that it wouldn’t be interesting to see….

I have a few thoughts on your question: “What skills should we be teaching our students in Language Arts?”

I’m one of those Language Arts teachers. The most important skill we can teach our students is “keeping the audience in mind.” Using IM language in a resume is a sure way not to get a job. Using informal, blog language in a college application essay is sure-fire way not to get into the college-of-choice.

You also ask, “…who is going to teach them to write in this new way?” The answer is THEM.

We don’t need to teach them; they are creating a new, succinct, efficient language. Which leaves us out of the picture, unless we consider ourselves (the teachers) as the learners and the students as the teachers. It’s a role reversal. I’m constantly learning new IM lingo from my students.

Language evolves over time. Compare the English language of “Beowulf” to that of “Lord of the Flies.” I suspect that it won’t be long until it will be perfectly acceptable to use “u” for “you”. Plus, the IM language of today will probably be obsolete within a decade or two. Until then, we need to assist students in being articulate in multiple settings, whether it be in cyberspace, on paper, or in a podcast.

As for me, I’m still teaching my kids to write formally, because they will need to communicate in formal language when they attend today’s universities.