Oh my God! Wren & Martin at Whatsapp Lingo Sin | Ahmedabad News
Ahmedabad: Some teachers’ English seems to be changing due to the viral influence of their students’ online lingua franca. A school principal in Ahmedabad was dismayed to receive an official letter from a senior educator in which ‘are’ had been replaced with ‘r’. Also, ‘nd’ had been used for ‘and’, the educator obviously endorsing the children’s belief that removing a letter from a word makes a writer cool and fast.
In another case, a teacher who wanted a leave of absence decided that the appropriate use had to be absent from the request for it to be effective. “I can’t follow the lessons because of a headache”, writes the teacher to the deputy director. “Please excuse me and grant 4r 2 days leave.”
Wanting a smooth connection with students, a science teacher took over WhatsApp lingo. He even experimented with this dialect in official exchanges. His action drew an equal and opposite reaction from his bosses.
The old school teachers are worried. They say that if their peers drop the guardrails of standard English, student usage will plummet into the pit of illiterate jokes.
An educator from the final section, who has 14 years of experience, said: “Everything was fine before the confinement. But teaching online required quick learning and execution. The educator added: “A quick response to parents and students has become vital. Since so much of the interaction was on WhatsApp, his language started to shape my writing style.
The educator went on to say, “The principal pointed out the vagaries of my language in the presence of my colleagues. So I now make a conscious effort to stick to formal English.
The head of the English department at a reputable school said, “Before, I was annoyed when kids used LOL, ROFL, BTW, OMG, BRB, CU, and L8r in written communication.” The teacher added wearily, “But now some teachers are doing the same thing.”
HB Kapadia School Principal Renu Seth said: “The pandemic has forced teachers to use social media platforms which has allowed informal language to make inroads into formal communication.” Seth added: “Careful monitoring is imperative to verify this undesirable trend. Seth went on to say, “We posted an ad looking for English teachers. The applications were disturbing. It is a challenge to have educators with a good command of English.
Tripada School Principal Pratiksha Parikh said, “Living in the age of online lessons, teachers use this language to develop a bond with children and ensure their acceptance.” Parikh added, “But we strongly discourage the use of non-standard English as it sets a bad example for students.”
Smita Ghosh, counselor at Anand Niketan School, said, “This trend needs to be checked by educators through conscious reminders. In addition, they must be careful with their own communication. Ghosh added, “School management should ensure educators are checked frequently.”
In another case, a teacher who wanted a leave of absence decided that the appropriate use had to be absent from the request for it to be effective. “I can’t follow the lessons because of a headache”, writes the teacher to the deputy director. “Please excuse me and grant 4r 2 days leave.”
Wanting a smooth connection with students, a science teacher took over WhatsApp lingo. He even experimented with this dialect in official exchanges. His action drew an equal and opposite reaction from his bosses.
The old school teachers are worried. They say that if their peers drop the guardrails of standard English, student usage will plummet into the pit of illiterate jokes.
An educator from the final section, who has 14 years of experience, said: “Everything was fine before the confinement. But teaching online required quick learning and execution. The educator added: “A quick response to parents and students has become vital. Since so much of the interaction was on WhatsApp, his language started to shape my writing style.
The educator went on to say, “The principal pointed out the vagaries of my language in the presence of my colleagues. So I now make a conscious effort to stick to formal English.
The head of the English department at a reputable school said, “Before, I was annoyed when kids used LOL, ROFL, BTW, OMG, BRB, CU, and L8r in written communication.” The teacher added wearily, “But now some teachers are doing the same thing.”
HB Kapadia School Principal Renu Seth said: “The pandemic has forced teachers to use social media platforms which has allowed informal language to make inroads into formal communication.” Seth added: “Careful monitoring is imperative to verify this undesirable trend. Seth went on to say, “We posted an ad looking for English teachers. The applications were disturbing. It is a challenge to have educators with a good command of English.
Tripada School Principal Pratiksha Parikh said, “Living in the age of online lessons, teachers use this language to develop a bond with children and ensure their acceptance.” Parikh added, “But we strongly discourage the use of non-standard English as it sets a bad example for students.”
Smita Ghosh, counselor at Anand Niketan School, said, “This trend needs to be checked by educators through conscious reminders. In addition, they must be careful with their own communication. Ghosh added, “School management should ensure educators are checked frequently.”