X: Where d hell r u freakin’ u raskel...get ur ass up here.
Y (in reply): Gettin’ som grub fo my empty gut, go fetch a beer fo me dude.
Well u must be thinking, y are these lined the very first lines in my blog..So Dudes and dudettes !! this kind of lingo is a very affably used kind of lingo among youths of the new generation. Weird words, vulgar language.. dis is what today's youth uses.
So here i am going to discuss the use of slang, particularly by teens and their social motivations for using this sub-section of the English language. The teens use slang to create social boundaries not only between teens and adults, but also between each other. Today the teens in India are exposed to the digital media for countless number of hours and in a variety of forms, as a result they are getting westernized at a staggering pace with each successive generation leaps ahead of the previous ones. They speak in western accent, use short forms of words, and use an SMS language which is completely out of reach of some of their parents and constantly evolves over time having a very small lifetime. Moreover, the SMS language varies from culture to culture, latitude to longitude and makes sense only if you are part of the community to which the speaker belongs to. Today girls are equally comfortable in using this form of language and make all attempts to go past their male counterparts.
Use of highly informal words and expressions that are not considered standard in the speaker's dialect or language are categorized as SLANG. Teens generally use slang to get them a so called position in their group. It has become a style quotient for them.
One way of using language to construct an identity is through slang. Teenagers use slang to create specific identities which they always fantasize to be in and in most occasions is not in sync with their true existence. For them it is more tolerable and less sober than the pure usage which we are normally expected to use. With sufficient amount of faithfulness, sincerity and honesty, they convey the intended message in perfect tone and tenor among others and successfully create a unique or popular identity amongst their audience.
This undoubtedly makes the conversation more enjoyable for teens and the one using highest number of slang words and short forms talking in western accent is considered to be the most stylish. This leads to a rat race to know the latest vocabulary of slang and constantly evolve and create your own custom forms. Nevertheless, we all are lexicographers.
Here is an example of a code word used by teens –
"Got 'pee'? Then please send your 'co-dee' a 'pinky'. It will be a 'piff' act."
Fret not, if you don't have a clue, for these words are all teen slang and could be soon incorporated in a dictionary.
Well 'pee' means money, 'co-dee' is a friend, 'pinky' a 50-dollar note and 'piff' means good. Teenage slang is notoriously hard to pin down and parents usually need a special dictionary if they want to know what their kids are on with and keep an eye on them. There is evidence to show that this language developed as a means to have privacy which is why it constantly evolves from time to time so as to extinct the previous one. You would be surprised to know, that even siblings who are separated by 4-5 years might have a different set of slang altogether.
Publisher HarperCollins has teamed up with popular social networking site 'Bebo' to get teenagers to come up with a list of words, which they use while communicating with their friends online. These social networking sites are one of the main causes for the teenagers to use such a language, get on with western accent and using a weird SMS language which only a few understand. Go tweet- the latest popular word which means nothing but to use the Twitter.com networking site and update your status.
All the above draws up the conclusion that the real language is losing importance over the communicated version with the two having huge differences. We all are taught the primary language in our junior years, but the reformed one is learnt unknowingly without any effort. This form of learning needs to be analysed and studies by academicians and scientists to make a better use to impart education in the most convenient and acceptable manner.
