Why the English Language is Not Literally Dead by Meredith

Why the English Language is Not Literally Dead by Meredith - July 2017 Scholarship Essay

The English language is on its deathbed. So say exasperated parents and linguistics professors throughout the English speaking world as they bemoan the growing use of text-talk and internet-derived slang among teenagers. There are two sides to every story, however, and this TED Talk will discuss the possible merits of teenspeak, or at least attempt to justify it.
For example, what many consider to be the corruption of the English language could also be considered its evolution. Different stages in this evolution tell us about the different historical moments that influenced them; words like “groovy” and “peace” reflect the cultural and political movements and ideas of the sixties and seventies, and “selfie” and “lol” do the same today.
In addition, much of the concern that adults feel towards their children’s seemingly stunted linguistic growth can be blamed on the fact that they don’t realize that their children are bilingual. Most teens can be both “so high-key excited that they, like, literally can’t even” and “eagerly anticipating a particular event to the point that it is becoming increasingly difficult to concentrate.” While both of these examples are exaggerations, the point is that teens are capable of switching back and forth between the two “dialects” and of choosing which one is appropriate in a given situation. With this in mind, I would like the audience at this TED Talk to walk away with a new perspective on the seemingly inarticulate teenagers in their lives. It’s important to remember that language not only describes history, but is history, and it would be, like, really super unfair to exclude teens from that.