Here is the paper for your reading pleasure (colored, snarky comments were added here):
This assignment really brought out the
fact that as humans, we change the meanings of words to fit our needs. This
could be very confusing for a second language learner, especially because some
of the new meanings have little or no correlation to the original word.
I had recently attended a couple of
technology in education conferences, and the vocabulary used could definitely
confuse someone who was not “hip to the lingo.” In every session we were
encouraged to tweet about our experiences (don’t forget to use the hashtag),
network with new people, update our status when we follow new friends, pin new
ideas, and participate in the back channel conversations. The evenings could
not come fast enough, when it was time to download with your friends,
preferably over a glass of wine. After all of that drinking and downloading,
someone inevitably trips and at least one person would reply, “Nice!” Then
after a long day of learning, one could not wait to get back to the hotel to
crash.
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| What did you say? |
Most people who have a modicum of
technology experiences, probably know the newer meanings of these words, but
for the sake of argument, here is how they have changed over time:
1. Tweet used to
refer the sound that a bird made. Now it refers to a short 140 character
maximum message sent out through the use of a site called Twitter.
2. Hashtag is
actually the name for the # symbol. This is a relatively newer name as that
symbol was previously known as the pound sign (or octothorpe) People who play
an instrument could also know it as the symbol for “sharp.” It now refers to a
way to organize and categorize tweets and other social media postings.
#linguisticsrock #theoveruseofhashtagsmakesmewanttocry
3. To network in this instance means to gather and share ideas with
people of similar interests. Previously it could have meant to link two or more
computers together, a collection of transportation routes, or a grid of lines.
4. Status used to
refer to ones standing in society. With the advent of Facebook, the word has
taken on an entirely new meaning. It now refers to a post that a person makes
on Facebook letting the world know what they are doing. It can be about
anything that person desires and can include pictures and links to other web
sites.
5. Usually when we think of the word follow the first definition would be to
come behind or after. However, today people use it if reference to a lesser
used definition, meaning “to pay close attention to.” In terms of social media,
if one person follows another, you would get updates and information every time
that person posted something new. This could easily go from follow to stalk, as I know a few people who are way to obsessed with Benedict Cumberbatch. BTW, that was not referring to myself.
6. Friends used
to refer to a small group of people you trusted and would get together with to
do things. Today, thanks to Facebook, it refers to people that you allow to
follow you and you follow in return. People you may had said hello to in the past and want to lurk in on each other's lives. Remember: Friends don't troll.
7. At one time, a pin was a long, thin, sharp piece of metal that was used to hold
fabric pieces together. In the context of social media, it refers to an item
saved and organized on a site called Pinterest. I am admittedly a Pinterest addict and may or may not have over 50 different boards and am always open to more stalkers, I mean followers
8. Back channel,
according to Dictionary.com, was a word used in the late 70’s that meant a
secret or unofficial manner of communication regarding politics or diplomacy.
Today, it means a conversation that takes place in the background of a
presentation or discussion, usually through the use of a web site, where people
can pose questions or leave comments by typing them into a form of text box. Now that I know the original meaning, I think I may feel a bit like a spy next time I use one.
9. Download
usually means to get information off of the internet and install it on your
computer or device. In this instance it refers to discussing and processing
ideas so that one can make better sense of them. AKA Brain Dump
10. Nice seems to
be coming full circle. When the word originated in Old English, it meant
foolish or stupid. The meaning had changed to the pleasant, kind definition of
which we usually think. However, with the addition of sarcasm, it refers back
to the original meaning.
11. Crash in the
use above does not refer to car wrecks or stock markets, but rather to fall
asleep quickly. When getting on a red-eye flight, it may not be a good idea to say the following: "I can't wait to get on the plane so I can crash." You WILL get looks from security.
I found all of these words
interesting mainly because I use them every day. I had not really thought about
how their meanings had changed. Words 1-8 all refer to aspects of social media
or digital conversations, and they are now widely used with these new meanings.
Words 9-11 are just ones that I had picked up using in those ways. It does make
me think that I need to be more thoughtful of the words I choose when working
with my ELL students.
