Oops, mind your language

Chiedza Matenga
Back in the 1980s there was a comedy series titled “Mind Your Language” and it focused on different races learning English in particular. Jews, Indians, Greeks, Hebrews were all part of a class taught by a very patient young man, although most of them were quite stubborn he held on.
I wonder if he would have remained as patient with our youths. Today acronyms are “our language” and if you do not understand it, then get a book on modernised language. I marvel at some text and shortcuts that I receive from my younger siblings.
This is going on even on Facebook. It is no longer about acronyms only but number and literally replacement. At first I thought it was an honest mistake when I saw the word ask written as “ax” until it went on for quite some time. I them realised that the letter “s” has and is being replaced by an “x”.
“Haw” in the world do we expect our elders to understand what we are saying “naw”? Sorry meant “how” and “now”. The ordinary English has become something less that extraordinary with letters replacing themselves. There is, however, a problem with this developing language; as it is used by the younger people who are still in school, there is a likelihood that it becomes a habit for them. At most during exams, one could even write in acronyms.
“1 would have 3, 50m3, y3+ nO,” that would be a sentence using numbers. Notice how the ‘1, 0, 3, 5’ have replaced ‘I, o, e, s’. it is a totally new alphabet. The above sentence states, “I would have some, yet no.”
Bally or labey, quan or kwan, staci and bruh are what one would call their family. It is amazing how everything has been transformed through the modern world even the simplest of this like language.
Apparently nowadays there is no such thing as a mistake in writing things or a misspelling as everything we write is expected to make sense. All the same, there are some shortcuts that more confusing than Latin. Of course, it is much a bigger problem for some to text in Shona as it is not as fly as acronyms.
I must agree though that acronyms do save time and text because I cannot seriously write “rolling on floor laughing myself out”, when I can just say “roflmo”. They have really come in handy as one can express exactly how they feel or how hard they are laughing.
However, they do have their disadvantages. One of them being after texting or apping someone and they reply with a “K” not only is it rude but annoying. A Facebook page titled “Facts That Will Blow Your Mind” once posted on how a K can annoy, show character, reluctance, ignorance and arrogance.
It is quite better for one to say ok than just a K most people actually take offence in some replies and avoid chats because after one says this, then there is nowhere else to go from there. You have automatically cut off all communication.
Love My Friends And Others a.k.a LMFAO is a music group but because youngsters turn everything to their own advantage, LMFAO is now a popular acronym. In modern language it is actually “laughing my a** off” which is really vulgar and does not make any sense whatsoever.
I have noted that some of my colleagues actually fail to write in full because of acronyms. What is left is for us to speak in acronyms and make it an official language. Would that be healthy? The way you dress determines the way you speak and your accent too. They way you value yourself is how people value you too.
Mind your language when you socialise be it with your peers or the elderly because you do not know how others take certain things.
With the youths socialising one another they have developed their own acronyms such as the following FYI – for your information, G2g – got to go, WUW – who you with, WAU – where are you, TTYL – talk to you later, BRB – be right back, SMH – shaking my head, LOL – laughing out loud, just to mention a few.
One thing is certain, to considered in all circumstances, professional language will always be respectable so, think twice the route you choose and remember the effects of habits.