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Internet Slang: plz or lol, etc. Thanks to Steve Wheeler!
Steve Wheeler posted a message at 45197, where he makes a great point that we should avoid using internet shorthand such as plz for please or lol for laughing out loud.
I’m replying to him here so that people interested in conversations on slang and expressions will more easily find it.
Steve, you make an excellent point. In teaching each other our languages, we want to be sure and teach our friends correct and appropriate usage.
I would add that it is really important to be sensitive to our partners' goals in studying our language. If, for example, I have a pen pal who wants to learn to write formal written English, e-mail shortcuts are not particularly helpful. If, on the other hand, we're writing to someone whose interest is in developing e-mail relationships with Americans in our natural language, than it is very important to teach things like LOL and thx, ;-) (a smile and a wink) and ):-P (a devil sticking his tongue out—look at these sideways; the top is on the left), because they are part of the Internet culture, an important part of the culture our international friends hope we will share with them.
When I'm posting messages for specific people, I do my best to find out what their interests are and pitch my conversations with them appropriately.
I try to stick to classroom English when I'm posting messages of general interest. If something colloquial comes up in conversation, I explain what it means and point out what situations would be appropriate for using such an expression. This Slang/Expressions board is a great place to model and discuss the kinds of expressions you're talking about.
Thanks again, Steve, for raising a great topic!
Mark Springer
Sacramento, CA
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Language pair: English; All
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