Are Games Ruining Your English?

Molly, from The Women of Warcraft Podcast, does a segment called “Real Life” moments.  The entries are from players who have subconsciously brought WOW idioms, behaviors or lingo into their real lives.  Molly’s moments, and an article I recently read about teachers who are concerned about the erosion of the English language by game-speak in adolescent writing, got me to thinking.

One of the teachers said that brining these abbreviations into your normal writing was bad and unprofessional.  It wasn’t until I read that statement that I reflected on whether or not I used game-speak at work?  Unfortunate answer is yes, I do.  Not in emails but I regularly use the same type of abbreviated sentence structure I use when chatting in WOW, when conversing in our internal Instant Messaging system at work.

Not so much because I’m not conscious of it, and am thereby being corrupted by my game play, as much as it saves time.  It’s just faster to type ‘ur’ than ‘you’re’.  Ending a response with ‘yw’ seems no less valid, than me taking the time to type, ‘you’re welcome’.  Life is busy.  Work is busy.  I don’t really see a huge problem with chatting with my peers in this fashion.

The Director of our department is equally as laid back.  She drops similar lingo in to her messages as well.  She’s no spring chicken, and I seriously doubt that she’s playing any video games.  Not to say that gaming is for the young.  It’s just to say that she’s neither and yet she uses the same abbreviations.  I think it’s more that we’re the “Internet” culture and have evolved to conversing for extended periods of time using chat, instead of voice communication.  Just as people have modified speech patterns and sentence structure when they’re talking to their friends or family, people have adopted a more casual sentence structure for communicating in text.  Personally, I don’t see a problem with this.  I’ve “LOL’d” in emails.  And who doesn’t drop in the occasional emote?

On the few occasions where an Executive Director or a Vice President has messaged me, I don’t use my “chat” English in the body of the conversations.  But I regularly close conversations with ‘tnx” or “yw”.  Again, I don’t see this as a problem.

So what about you guys?  Do you use your game chat or lingo outside of the game?

Comments

[Capn John]

I use the same language in Real Life as I do in-game, but that's because in-game I always attempt to use proper grammar and correct spelling. Yes, I am guilty of using LOL, or Gratz when someone levels, but otherwise I almost always attempt to use full sentences and entire words. If I'm in an RP mood I might use language more befitting a Dwarf, tossing out some slang words here or there, or writing in a Scottish accent where possible, but more often than not you'll find me talking in-game much as I've typed this here. Yes, with punctuation and everything :)

Oh, smilies get used a lot in both worlds though ;)

[darrenl]

This is very interesting to think about. Yeah, I use these abbreviations all of the time in emails and in IM conversations. Its just quicker to type out. I don't use it for formal reports or documents at work, because its just not an appropriate setting.

Language evolves all of the time. I pretty sure that the users of Ye 'Ol English where uptight when people start using "Are you..." instead of "Dus thou..." (spelling on "Dus"...is it "Dos"?? I don't know).

I remember back in the 80' the saying, "Ain't ain't a word because ain't ain't in the dictionary". Well, now it is and is part of the English language. Are we seeing an evolution of language now given the types of media we're communicating in...I think so, but God help me if I start talking l33t speak in meetings.

How would you feel about someone saying "Yes, I say 'fuck' all the time, I don't see a problem with this this"?

The problem is not whether you see this as a problem or not, but whether the people you are talking to do. And I bet they do. Seriously, I really don't understand the argument that "ur" is faster to type than "you're" compared to the bad impression you're giving to people.

As for "LOL", I think anyone over the age of 16 should replace it with :-)...

[Loredena]

I use emotes. For thing like lol I instead use /laugh. Even in game I will not resort to u for you, ur for you are, thx for thanks, or yw for you're welcome, never mind in an IM or email (and I hate it when people I'm talking to do use those abbreviations, they make my skin crawl). I do use congrats or congorats though, especially if I'm in a fight, and I use woot because it amuses me. Basically, I use complete sentences and proper spelling/grammar in game as well as in emails or IMs, though typos are more common in game, as I'm often typing hurriedly.

[Mindkiller]

I think its more like "Dost thou' Or "Doth thou" Cant find too much from work thou gh.

As for using in game slang out world? Yeah, I fought it for awhile but since my wife knows what I'm talking about it has become easier to communicate with her when we dont want other people to understand what we are saying.

I do not use LOL any where but the game. LOL as a said word seems like a sound that is made when you are vomiting.
Try it...go on...I know you are.
See, vomit sound.

WTF is a favorite though. or ZOMG, OMFG. Classics.

I have used 1337 speak with the techs i work with only because they would understand it. I do not use "yw"s or "ty"s in game or out. Never been in that much of a hurry that typing out " y o u a r e w e l c o m e" has been a problem.

[Krones]

I'll utilize the lexicon laze manual at times, but I try and limit myself; this includes sifting through the written trash heaps infiltrating our daily e-lives. I scan enough garbled and butchered language everyday I'm afraid it will dull what little English skills I do have and damage my synapses - if you don't use it, you lose it - so, I try my best to use somewhat proper, coherent grammar when I'm online.

I feel bad for the teachers, teaching is tedious work and this type of lingo is so ubiquitous on the internet the fruits of their labor to instill knowledge is even more difficult than it should be.

[Saylah]

I don't use the game slang in emails, but in IMs. In or out of work and I do. I'm sticking to my, "it's faster". As for impressions, if my boss doesn't already know the value of my work, how I chat in an IM, isn't going to fix that one way or the other. LOL I'm secure enough about how management feels about me to know that I could use l33t speak and they'd look right passed it. :-)

I think it sucks being a teacher these days - l33t speak or no. Our society as a whole, just doesn't value them and their work. Plus we now have many for whom, it's just a job like any other. They show up to do their 8.5 hours, are watching the clock all the way and ready to split when their time is up.

[Saylah]

I have to admit I'm finding it amusing that anyone is actually concerned about how they use the language in a game. Takes me to the same thoughts I have about the arguements about raiding being hard work. It's a game. It's supposed to be fun not more work. If you can't kick back and relax in a game, don't you find that just a tad bit up tight?

I dont think that there's anything anyone could type in a game that I'd have a problem with - other than racial slurs or sexually offensive comments. But how they type it will never be an issue. Again, because it's just a game to me and if I don't want to figure out what they're saying, I dont have to bother.

[Daostrasz]

I always make the effort to type things out fully, more from habit than anything else. I guess typing 'thx' is no quicker than typing 'thanks' for me, or at least not enough of a difference for me to change my habits.

I do use MMORPG terms at work though. I work for an ISP, and when something breaks on the network we usually get a whole load of people calling in. This is "customer aggro" :P

Daostrasz's Realm - http://blog.danielgovier.com