Its tops, it's the queens square, it's fabulous, it's cool, it's off the hook. All of these phrases mean the same thing, "It's great". This is one of many phrases that have taken the twists and turns of the ages through our youth. Throughout history human language continues to evolve and change becoming more or sometimes even less, descript along the way. Our form of communication here in the United States has gone from defining a basic form for communicating with each other to a way to define who or what a person is or has become as a factor of his/her environment, status in society, degree of education and now days even his/her affiliation with other social groups such as gangs. Language has become fluid in its evolution, ever changing with the tides of change within our world. Due to the fact that language has become ever changing it has also become a barrier of sorts between classes in society, age groups and even within the family unit. Parents often struggle to keep up with the latest slang in order to keep abreast of what their children's interests are or to ward off potential problems. There are a number of factors that come into play such as culture, society changes and even, to some degree gender. The question now becomes, that though our language is becoming more heavily laden with description for what can be perceived as better communication, it is also becoming a barrier to communication at the same time. This could be seen as the ultimate case of two ideas canceling each other out. Are we better or worse off in the case of this development as a society? The answer is yes and no as one might expect.
[...] The problem with this type of thought pattern is that with the invention of a language all their own, the youth of today are also driving a wedge between themselves and their parents in the way of communication. Yes they have developed their own way of communicating however they, the youth, are not teaching this new form of communication to their parents thus opening a wide space of non-communication between themselves and their parents. In the interest of showing the wide changes in communication within the age differences, we sent a researcher to the Alderwood Mall food court to spend several hours on a Sunday afternoon. [...]
[...] Seemed to attempt to use language older woman did not understand friends of slang, obvious friends understood what was being said stand teens in line being loud and using only slang of teens by loud teens, ignored them completely Female Pre-teen With older group of Laughed at by teens, trying to older teens for speak the way they obvious wrong use were to slang. Teen laughed with them but corrected her language. Appendix 2 Interview Table 1 Becky yr old woman: Question Does it bother you to hear slang being used? [...]
[...] George Boeree in his paper, Language Change and Evolution (2003) languages are often changed as a result of one sector of people over powering another. For instance Boeree uses as an example native tribes. He points out that, one tribe of people trades with another, they will pick up specific words and phrases for trade objects”. Boeree states that if there is a smaller tribe that is perceived as more powerful the verbiage the powerful tribe chooses wins out. Boeree also points out that English is an example of this, in that the Anglo-Saxon dialect was eventually influenced by French which changed the way English was spoken. [...]
[...] My little brother has a new word every day.” Question Some people feel that younger people create a language of their own in order to fit in, what do you think for that idea? Answer think that's true. No one wants to feel like an outsider and these are their friends. It's hard enough to be a teenager.” Robert yr old man: Question Does it bother you to hear slang being used? Answer - don't pay these kids no mind.” Question Do you understand what they (the nearby teens) are saying? [...]
[...] (Language Evolution-Studies in the Evolution of Language, 2003) The beginning of the evolution of language in America continued from that first effort to communicate between people who do not speak the same languages across America as the settlers spread. In The Ecology of Language Evolution (2001, Chpts & author Salikoko Mufwene states that many changes take place because the speakers are attempting to make communication easier by adapting to each others from of language. Some times because of this, speakers also tend to develop ways to communicate that the speaker feels will make communication easier. [...]
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