Other Fan Fiction ❯ Project II ❯ Letter To Parents ( Chapter 2 )

Elliott M. Barnett

English II -World Lit.

9.3.2013

 

World Literature: The Impacts of Technology on Language

 

 

Dear Parents,

 

Welcome to English II, World Literature. This standard course will teach students ages fifteen to seventeen the importance of global literature, language, writing, and the subsequent effects on culture pertaining to America. Students will be exploring the expressive, informational, and critical impacts of communication as per North Carolina's standard course of study. The project students will participate in will provide and encourage the development of critical thinking skills, evaluation, and analysis of language, and the impact today's English has on the importance of world languages.

The world of language is an immense and complex system that humans innately develop. Across different countries, hundreds of languages prevail and flourish; and English especially is most prevalent across the world. The importance of language serves to establish an intelligent form of communication, and more precisely, to demonstrate and understand the meaning of our fellow neighbors and friends.

 

“Because language is the means by which we construe and communicate most of what is significant in our lives, the curriculum encourages study of language itself as it functions in the communicative environments. Students need to learn about and develop increasing control of their language and its conventions as they read, write, speak, and listen; they need to become aware of how different language conventions are used in different contexts.”

-NCDPI Standard Course of English 9-12

 

As speech evolves, so does the understanding of language. However, technology impacts daily language, especially the development and understanding of growing children. Using examples from other complex language systems such as Latin, Japanese, German, and Chinese, students will foster an appreciation for the intricacies language provides in order to convey direct understanding. Students will compare the differences not only between conventional language structure but also the impacts on historical culture and the effects on the evolution of each country's language systems. This project will beg awareness to the impact technology has on our language today, weighing both the benefits and the counter benefits.

 

Students will begin by engaging in an activity already prevalent to their class by documenting a text based conversation, either on instant messaging, cell phone texting, or an online chat room. This will allow the students to observe their natural speaking habits and document verbatim what transpires, in order to later analyze their speech and the effects language tendencies have on their developing language. Students will then diagram their speech and determine the structural differences between technological language patterns and standard English patterns, while considering the implications of lax language habits. For example, the continuous use of acronyms, while providing a quick way to communicate, is not necessarily efficient unless all persons involved understand the acronym correctly. The acronym “lol” is often understood to mean “laughs out loud” but other popular uses are “lots of love,” “love of life,” “lord oh lord,” and “log on later.”

In the second part of the project, students will create their own language, utilizing vocabulary, grammar, and structure to reflect their personalities and the impact their personal culture has on their language, including dialects, colloquialisms, allusions, and analogies. Students will then construct a paragraph in their created language, pertaining to an interest of their choice, and will provide a direct translation in English of their paragraph. This will serve to demonstrate the effects of translation on the basis of implication, connotation, syntax, and even personal preference, and shows how crucial information can be lost not only between languages, but among persons of the same language.

 

As a teacher, I strive to challenge my students to continuously grow and develop vital skills and abilities which will pertain to their life now and in the future. Within the realm of language, literature, writing, and speech, critical thinking skills, analysis, evaluation, and interpretation are some of the most valued abilities that can be fostered and implemented. English II: World Literature will help prepare students to nurture these skills and apply them to all areas of their life.

 

 

With kindest regards,

 

Elliott M. Barnett

Elliott M. Barnett