Written Task 1: Rationale

Rationale

While studying the development of language over history and how it has been impacted by our identities, it is interesting to consider how our current cultural identity has shaped the language that we use. In popular culture, media and daily interactions, the current incarnation of language that represents our identity is textspeak.

In order to look at textspeak as the development of language, I have chosen to compare it to an older variation of another dialect – African American Vernacular English (AAVE). In this comparison, which argues that textspeak is the new AAVE, the similarities in the way both dialects have developed prove that language is akin to a cycle – with constantly evolving dialects emerging to suit our needs. By showing the similarities between them, an understanding of how technology and identity plays a large role in shaping our language will be demonstrated, as well as of how textspeak may be expected to develop. The context is the 21^st century, written with insight on modern culture.

I have chosen to explore this topic in a magazine article for Time Magazine. Many articles on culture and language of an academic standard have been published in Time, and it is a platform where I can easily refer to popular culture – allowing for greater interaction with the audience and material. Although diction will not include linguistic jargon, it will be of an academic standard. Magazine articles also employ catchy opening titles and have specific points to prove or question, with definite conclusions. It will be written from the point of an academic who believes textspeak is echoing AAVE in its development.

Although Time and the language of my article is geared to the general public, the intended audience is more specifically users of these dialects, English students and academics with some interest in linguistics.

Word Count: 300