A " second "language !

For decades educators have been harping on the need for children to learn a second language to equip them for life's journey in the commercial world.     Learning Japanese was all the rage when Japan's industrial juggernaut was spewing out cars and electronics as a world leader - and now the urge to learn Mandarin reflects changing values.

What seems to have been un-noticed is the fact that our young people have developed a second language that is fast replacing English as their primary means of communication.

The development of the mobile phone saw  " texting " virtually replace the spoken word, and brought with it the need for abbreviation to increase message speed.    This - coupled with the internet - saw the development of " international symbolism" in use world wide.

A mighty chasm has developed.    Few parents accessing their child's  phone would have a clue at what this cypher means and in the mysterious labrynth of child's minds innocently sounding jumbling of letters can sound warnings and broach subjects better left alone,

A child having a texting conversation may tap in POS - which will tell the other party that his or her parent " is looking over my shoulder ".   Other abbreviations simply reduce key strokes to deliver a longer message.    SPST equates to " Same place- same time " - and other codes such as 420 refer to an illicit substance - such as Marijuana - which might otherwise draw a watcher's concern.

One of the problems is the difficulty of separating " texting language "  from the everyday use of English, and as a result our national language is changing.   As the vast numbers of present children finish school and enter the workforce it is inevitable that the written word changes with them.   After all,  new words are constantly entering the lexicon.    The development of the computer brought with it a host of newly named component parts, and before that the nuclear age spawned a new vocabulary.    One of the strengths of the English language is it's ability to accept change.

When we look back at the time of the first fleet and study letters written at that time we find the wording very different from that which we use today.    Change had been constant - and for those purists who reject change there is a certain inevitability that can not be resisted.

It is this ability to change that has made the English language the choice of a globalized world !