PVCC Puma Press: March 2006

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	Photo illustration by Travis Lane
	Text messaging like instant messaging has become the medium for a type of slang based on abbreviations.
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Should parents and teachers be concerned with Generation “Y’s” use of abbreviated words, letter symbols and “Pig Latin” type slang to make a point, or form a simple sentence?

Should the statement, “I don’t know,” be substituted with IDK for use in the classroom or within a written assignment?

Do you think that junior high school principals, high school English teachers and university language department heads accept letters of the alphabet as a vocabulary word?

Will trendy slang phrases be considered proper use of the English language?

Who knows, maybe someday teen slang will be “all that”?

With the introduction of computers, text messaging, the “my space” acronym-type letters and e-mail, Webster must be turning over in his grave. Add to that the popular television show phrases, radio personalities’ uncensored jargon and music artists using three and four letter words in their lyrics.

Who knew the slang word “awesome” was out and the new slang word for “da bomb” is “tight”? Keeping up with teen slang can be a full-time job. Using slang in the classroom to chat with a friend may be acceptable, but slang in composition work or included in an essay? I don’t think so.

Teen slang has become so prominent in the last few years that Amazon.com has a plethora of teen slang dictionaries on line for purchase. These dictionaries contain “words” that are descriptive of local, geographical, economical or occupational environments. For example, there are slang dictionaries for urbanites, teenagers in the United Kingdom, gays and lesbians, Berkley High School (written by the students), Australians, Africans, Colombians and the list goes on.

How does teen slang fit into the school culture, the curriculum and the school yard?

Principal Linda Marlar of Mountain Sky Jr. High School in Phoenix doesn’t take offense when students shout “Ms. Marlar, you my “dawg,” which means the kids like her. However, Marlar will not tolerate students “dawging” one another (criticizing your fellow students or teachers). Marlar feels that the more teen slang she and her faculty understand, the better she can gauge behavior in a classroom setting.

She is comfortable responding with the more common slang words like “chill” or “don’t be clowning me” (teasing me) letting the students know she is aware of what’s going on.

After all, it’s junior high, a very sensitive age where they all want to fit in. Marlar insists that slang and acronyms stay outside the classrooms. She has mandated that proper English is to be used in formal writing exercises for all subjects.

Perhaps not all the staff is as savvy as Marlar, but they know just enough to sense something is brewing or decipher a cryptic message that might need some serious attention.

Likewise, Sheila Novak, the department chair of English and language arts at Sunnyslope High School in Phoenix, doesn’t allow slang in the classroom. On the first day of school a student said “that sucks” and Novak made it very clear they were in an English class. She informed the students that the word used was inappropriate for the classroom. Her position on the issue is nonnegotiable. On the other hand, when teaching poetry, Novak encourages her students to be creative, use their imagination and if slang is part of that process, she will allow it.
vWhen baby boomers say “awesome” or “cool” in the presence of a millennial (generation Y) they are taking a chance that they may be misunderstood or, worse yet, appear silly. Despite the fact that the slang word “cool” has kept its meaning for years, other slang does not. For example, the word “rents,” an innocent English language word meaning owes money to someone for property, means parents in slang. It might be best to converse in slang with people of the same generation or stick to basic English.

John Nelson, English division chairman a t PVCC, is very conscious of teen slang and is of the opinion that if it doesn’t interfere with his English curriculum, it’s harmless.

He indicated that history shows slang has been a part of every generation, including his own.

None of his students are to use slang is their English assignments, but in any oral communication while in the classroom to fellow students one might use an acronym of sorts or slang that are easily understood. He forbids slang that would be insulting or hurtful.

Nelson keeps abreast of slang by purchasing for his department the most recent slang dictionaries that both students and teachers can use for reference. There, they can learn that POS means “parent over shoulder”; DAY means “dreamed about you”; DNA is short for “did not answer” and GAL means “get a life.”

If the film Castaway were taped this year, would SOS have been the acronym used by Tom Hanks to signal for help, or if the movie was directed by a millennial, would the impressions in the sand have read “Yo 911?”

Whether it’s “cool,” “groovy,” “whatever” or “chillin, it will interesting to see what the next generation has to say and if they can take it from the school yard to the SAT’s. PEACE OUT