Chapter 22: Globish in Texting?
Millions and millions of people of every culture and nationality are now communicating on the Internet and on the face of their mobile phones. Much of the time, people with different mother tongues are texting, using “a little” English that they learned in school. It’s not perfect English. But these may be the people who can easily learn Globish: The texting words that people are using almost never fall outside of the Globish 1500. The sentences are active and with simple construction. And the shortening of words means that everyone knows the sounds that are left out. (In fact, many writing systems in the world leave out the vowels, assuming speakers of the language would know those sounds. Basically, English – and Globish – do the same with the schwa sounds, with letters which look nothing like that sound on the unstressed syllable.) But to be understandable, the English must be very correct in form – almost a model for Globish. The goal is not to have the other person love your English words or skills, but only to communicate. Perhaps that is why the word “Globish” seems to come up anywhere on the Internet where people of different native tongues are communicating with each other.
Some people will say this communication would match any kind of simple English needed between people who have learned “enough” to use it across cultures. That would be a good explanation except (1) when talking about skill levels, they often say they use “Globish” instead of “English;” (2) a high number of the references to Globish are in Blogs, forums, chat rooms, and other places that can be searched. These people seem to be seeking a simple structure they can depend on. And a new name for it.
hi joe, r u talking abt d guy w d american girlfrn? yeap, i no him. i thought he hd gone bk to italy. i don’t hv time rght now to check my mails but will. hv to go now. Cu
(Above: Hi Joe. Are you talking about the guy with the American girlfriend? Yes, I know him. I though he had gone back to Italy. I don’t have time right now to check my mails but will…Have to go now. See You.)
Note that the sounds in “r” “u” “no” (for “know”) and “CU” (See you) are important for understanding. In many cases, the amount of usage of a word allows it to be shortened, as in “abt”, “d” (for “the”), “w” (“with”) “girlfrn”, “hd”, “bk”, “rght” are all common Globish and English words, so most people know them when they are shortened. The small “i” is a universal sign of the worldwide Internet. No one is important enough to be “I.”
Texting is very like the old “shorthand” used by Secretaries to take dictation (before voice recorders), for their bosses’ letters, or at important meetings. Shorthand is still used in a very few cases, when meeting members have to remember points in detail and do not want their voices recorded. With shorthand, Secretaries shorten everything, so the words and phrases can be spelled out in full at a later time. There were basically two types of shorthand: (1) that which only the writer could understand at a later time and (2) that which any other person who knew those shorthand forms could read exactly. Pittman’s, for example, is shorthand that other people can also read, and it was quite important in British business prior to computers.
hi jack, y r u so busy? r u still working? im sorry. once u hv read d mail ull forget all of ur probs…its btr than anything else. and yes, u r rght. stephano hs gone bk to italy. any guess?
One thing is clear from the texting we see in millions of chats, quick messages, and mobile phone messaging: everyone is now becoming a shorthand expert. It is easier to learn and use this kind of texting “shorthand” when everyone knows it will be at broadly-understood level. If you have a) a small number of most-used words, like the Globish 1500, and b) simple grammatical forms, you can easily use texting. The limitations of Globish can easily fit texting as it is happening now.
hi joe, OMG! i cnt blv this. u r rght. thats gr8! so stephano hs invited us to go to italy this summer! cool. and it means we cd visit many oder countries and all of our frnds over there. im so excited. lets meet and talk abt it asap.
But are people just “lazy”, texting when they should write out whole words? Not really….
Time and Space
Most of the important discoveries are somehow about Time and Space. When people are “chatting” online, or using instant messaging between computers or mobile phones, they demand speed of answering back. Why? Because “chat” is real-time, like being on the phone, and young people don’t want to appear stupid because they seem slow to answer. Picture two girls in the back corners of a school classroom, texting on their mobiles to friends in other classes. Watch their eyes roll if some friend is slow to answer back. It is a talk – like a face-to-face talk – and the more it “moves” like a real talk between people, the quicker the response that is expected. That is why many answers back are simply “K”, or “CU” or “CIAO”.
There are also tools to help with the items that you would usually have in talking face-to-face. If you want something to be funny, people can usually tell by the smile on your face. That is why the “emoticons” like …J and …L now appear from most texting when the symbols …:) and …:( are put in. And most Internet users know (LOL) for “Laughing Out Loud.” Means that you are sharing something you think is funny. If some people didn’t see (LOL) they won’t know what you said was meant to be funny. Also these tools help give a quick response, and that is part of Timing. Or Time…
hi jack, u see? lets meet 2nite. we dnt hv time to waste. lets make a gr8 plan and get bk w it to stephano so he cn prepare eg. i cd b at ur place by 7.
Space Means Cost
As for space, there are severe data limitations on some mobile phone texting. Some of us remember old films where news comes of events far away via a telegram. People were charged by the word then. Their messages were much like what you might see on a mobile phone now. “Home 7 pm train Friday. Miss you. George.”
Just the viewing size on some mobile phones, and the difficulty of entering text, makes people use the shortened words and sentences. In much of the world…160 characters are allowed for 1 message costing say $ .25 (US). If the message is even 161 characters, you have to pay another $ .25 for another message! Even within the same culture, people do not seem to use any more English than the common Globish words in the mobile phone texting. Space = Cost…
If you can read this book and and can use even 1000 of the most-used Globish words, then maybe you have also been texting on computer chats and on mobile phones for years.
hi jack, i hv ordered pizza 4 2nite. we r gonna fix eg and hv a gr8 time in italy. till then ciao
But you won’t find recent books to study on Globish texting. Instead, you will live it, on your mobile phones and on the Internet. And perhaps most of all, u wll hv fun... :-)
Technical words
- Texting
- writing on the Internet or Mobil Phone, in chats, emails.
- Blog
- B-Log: where one person writes ideas on a regular basis.
- Chat
- talk in seconds using texting on the Internet.
- Forums
- where many people can put in their thoughts.
International words
- Mobile Phone
- also called "cell phone." Used more than TVs.
- Screen
- the surface on devices where you watch pictures or text
- TV (Television)
- the box with a picture that doesn't let you "chat" with it. (lol ...
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