Published on : 23 October 20204 min reading time
SMS or “Short Message Service” language is the most widely used communication method today. Approximately 50,000 messages are sent worldwide every minute. This SMS language is the result of acronyms, sounds or shortened English. It is therefore not a revolt against the French language, but a practical use of the language by the tools of modern technology. This technique helps to write quickly for instant conversations and to address information in a more condensed way with respect to the space available. Fast and practical, texting fascinates young teenagers in particular. Only that SMS language is not, in any case, easy to decipher. In this article you will find out exactly what SMS language is and what you can’t miss in English. And what are the consequences on the French language?
What is the SMS language?
The SMS language is defined as a written sociolecte that changes the orthographic, and even grammatical, characteristics of a language in order to reduce its length. This being the case, with the aim of not exceeding the number of characters allowed by SMS messages, or with the aim of speeding up text entry on the numerical keypad of a telephone. The term SMS language is used to describe the use of this type of language in conversations on the Internet by instant messaging or e-mail. The use of SMS language on a communication medium other than a telephone keypad is otherwise highly controversial. It works by converting spelling and sometimes grammar for the sake of speed. The use of SMS language in another setting can therefore create a discrepancy which can also be full of humour. A novelist considers that this language can reconcile young people with the French language instead of making them accept grammatically correct spelling. Today, English SMS language is used on WhatsApp, Snapchat, Twitter and Instagram.
The SMS language in English: the essentials
SMS or Small Message System in English is a high cost service. In order to save as many characters as possible, many acronyms have appeared and are appearing in the SMS exchange environment. Today, if emojis allow to shorten the conversation while burning up the comprehension system, it is useful to know the acronyms in the SMS language in English, in order to be able to communicate easily with English-speaking interlocutors. The list of acronyms used in SMS language. The meaning of the acronym “LOL” is “Laughing Out Loud”. As far as SMS language is concerned, a few elements are essential. This is part of the practice of exchanges from a telephone point of view. It favours the exchanges of the users of these SMS.
The positive impact of the use of SMS language
In the use of SMS language, it can be said that the articles on automatic correction are done in the standards. By correcting them, users of English SMS language can use words that are written with words in English. What could be better than using our mistakes. Compared to SMS exchanges, practices are noted and this engages the different users of mobile phones. Positive impacts are quite recorded during the handling of the different languages of SMS in English. The use of SMS language is more and more done in English because it is the Anglo-Saxons who created this kind of language. French users are able to keep pace with the SMS language system in English.
The negative consequences of the use of SMS language
The first problem with SMS language is economic. With SMS or short message service, the user is limited to 160 characters to avoid the risk of having to pay for an additional message. As a result, all predictable words are then deleted. In addition, the user is also more efficient in communication. He thus removes all signs that are unnecessary to the best understanding of the message in order to transmit his reply as quickly as possible. Nowadays, it is possible to write as quickly as possible by limiting spelling errors and using intuitive input systems. In addition, a threat that can also present itself to students is that they may end up with the wrong scriptural habit. Also accustomed to working this way and making more use of the system, they may end up writing a few words in SMS language in their school copy simply by inattention. Several spelling errors appear at different levels, punctuation and conjugation errors. Finally, this kind of language also proliferates on forums or web pages. Used in more informed discussions, this language increases the reading constraints through the deciphering it imposes.