We are not going to take the teenager away from his own language
Today, as one of the most dynamic sociological phenomena, adolescent language continuously borrows from memes, video games, and internet subcultures.
According to the report of Ambassador Arjan, Aghaz newspaper wrote: The increasing expansion of digital ecosystems and social networks has marked tremendous changes in the communication structures of the new generation. Adolescent language, as one of the most dynamic sociological phenomena, continuously borrows from memes, video games, and internet subcultures; A phenomenon that has raised concerns in academic and educational circles about the erosion of standard language and the decline of writing skills. However, contemporary linguists believe that the distinction between formal and informal language varieties is not a sign of language decline, but a reflection of identification, generational differentiation, and building a sense of group belonging. Therefore, the educational system is facing the challenge of redefining language education beyond the traditional red lines.
Regarding the same issue, we had a conversation with Mehsa Ghorbani, a researcher in the field of teenagers and an educational designer. In this part of the interview, he rejects the hypothesis of standard language decline among teenagers and emphasizes their awareness of different communication contexts. He considers the goal of education not to eliminate everyday language, but to expand vocabulary and the ability to choose words appropriate to the situation. Ghorbani also examines the function of internet literature in creating collective identity and expressing feelings, and while pointing out the dangers of social exclusion caused by specialized terms, he states that the school's mission is to accept differences and promote emotional literacy. You can read the first part of this conversation below.
In writing activities such as essays, writing essays or answering exam questions, how much has the language of the virtual ecosystem affected the official text of the students? Do today's teenagers understand the line between standard writing and informal speech?
I think that in answering this question, we should distance ourselves from a common notion: that because teenagers use informal words, phrases and structures in cyberspace, they have necessarily lost the ability to write in standard language. My experience in working with teenagers as well as conversations with my colleagues from the classroom show that the issue is not that simple. Usually, teenagers use terms that come from the virtual space in their daily conversations, but when we ask them to write an essay, they usually know that these words do not fit in that written context. Sometimes, even if they don't know the appropriate equivalent of a word, they ask the teacher or try to find another expression. This observation reminds us that there is a difference between using informal language and not being able to recognize the appropriate situation to use it.
Of course, the mastery of standard language, ability to write and recognize the difference between communication situations in teenagers are not the same. Some move well between friendly conversation, virtual messaging, test answers, and analytical writing, and others need more training and practice for this transition. In linguistic research, there is also a distinction called "linguistic type or context". That is, our language changes according to the audience, purpose and communication situation, and usually the teenager notices this context. He does not use virtual language terms in his official writing and doing his homework, and this is very promising.
In my opinion, the more important question is whether the school provides enough opportunities to develop this ability. Does the student just learn not to write some words in the essay or can he choose and write the words more accurately, clearly and according to his purpose? These two are not the same. A student may know that "toxic" is not an appropriate choice in a formal text, but still not be able to accurately choose among words such as "harmful", "unhealthy", "erosive" or "annoying" depending on his meaning, and this recognition is more important.
Therefore, I don't see the issue as only the entry of virtual space words into Persian language. The problem is how to expand the vocabulary and the ability to choose the language of the teenager. Instead of just saying "don't write this word", we can ask him to find several linguistic forms for a concept and explain in which situation each one is more appropriate. The goal of standard language education should not be to eliminate the everyday language of teenagers. It should be that the teenager can have more language choices for various situations. This means empowering, not demeaning or discarding, the language a teenager lives with.
The widely used words of the new generation, which mainly come from memes, games or internet abbreviations, have limited their ability to express complex and deep emotional states or, on the contrary, have they created shorter and more efficient channels of expression?
I do not find this duality very accurate. To consider the common words of the virtual space as the cause of limiting the emotional expression of teenagers is as much a simplification as to imagine that these words always make the expression of feelings easier and deeper. The language of the new generation, especially in the virtual space, has created new tools for conveying feelings, jokes, empathy, distancing and showing belonging to a group. Sometimes a short phrase, a meme, or a common reference can convey an experience that would take a group member a long time to explain. This form of expression should not necessarily be considered superficial or meaningless. Sometimes behind it, there is a shared knowledge and a collective experience that is not understandable for a person outside that group, and this creates a sense of belonging and meaning for the group of teenagers.
But the important thing is that the ability to name an emotion is not the same as the ability to understand and process that emotion. A teenager may be able to express his discomfort or annoyance with a common expression, but he still needs opportunity and skill training to identify exactly what he is feeling, what caused it, and what need is behind it. For example, when a teenager says "I feel bad" or uses a common term to describe a situation, we don't need to immediately ask him to explain his feelings in complex and precise words. We can help him, if he is ready, to distinguish between sadness, frustration, shame, rejection, anger, or exhaustion. Not to correct his everyday language, but to increase the possibility of understanding his own experience.
In terms of education, it is important not to be satisfied with the form of expression of the teenager and at the same time, not to invalidate his form of expression. If a teenager talks about something jokingly, we should not quickly conclude that it is not serious for him. If he expresses his feelings with a short phrase, we should not assume that his emotional experience is superficial. At the same time, education should help the adolescent go beyond immediate and ready words and find language for his more complex experiences. Talking about stories, literary characters, moral situations and real experiences can be effective in this direction. I formulate the problem like this: we are not going to take the teenager away from his own language. We are supposed to help him use more linguistic possibilities to understand and express his inner world.
How does mastery of specific idioms, such as the language of gamers or anime fans, act as a "passing card" in the school environment and among teenagers? A student who is unfamiliar with this language system, what consequences does he face in his social relationships?
Language is not always just a means of transferring information, it also has other uses. For example, it is a means of identifying each other and building a collective identity. When two teenagers talk about a shared game, anime, story series, or meme, they can quickly feel like they belong in a shared universe. They don't just talk about the same topic, they show each other that they have common experiences and references.
From this point of view, getting to know the terms of a group can help to form friendships, start a conversation and feel a sense of belonging. But the same mechanism can have another side. When a group uses its own terms and makes no effort to explain them to newcomers or strangers, the common language can become a barrier to entry. A teenager who doesn't know the group's favorite game or anime may participate less in conversations, feel like they're missing out, or think they have to imitate the same group's interests and vocabulary to be accepted.
Of course, unfamiliarity with a language system does not necessarily mean rejection. The problem becomes serious when the group considers familiarity with this language as a condition of value or acceptance and makes the difference an excuse for ridicule. In my opinion, we should raise a serious educational question here: how much space do we make in school for the formation of groups in which differences in interests are accepted? Can a teenager not be interested in games, not watch anime, enjoy different music and still be a respected member of society?
This question is important for educators. Because sometimes the signs of belonging and rejection appear in situations that do not seem so serious from the eyes of adults. We may consider the conversation of a group of students as just a joke, while another student has had many unpleasant experiences that he cannot enter these groups. In such situations, the solution is not necessarily to ban certain terms. By the way, teenagers should be able to have their common interests and languages. What we need to cultivate is the ability to welcome the unknown: to explain, to invite participation, to embrace difference and to build new common ground. The task of the coach is not to make all teenagers look alike. This is so that their differences do not become a reason for depriving anyone of belonging and respect.
language; The most important platform for the socialization of the new generation
The socialization process of the new generation and how they play a role in society has a fundamental and unbreakable link with the category of "language". A platform that shapes the words, concepts and intellectual frameworks of this generation. At a time when new media, computer games, animations, animes, and emerging music have created plural ecosystems, the language of these environments has gradually infiltrated the daily life of teenagers and formed a complex system of sub-discourses. In the meantime, facing this phenomenon requires a realistic understanding and in-depth field research instead of harsh and negative reactions.
Mehdi Salehi, CEO of Persian Language Editing Association and Activist, discussed the pathology of the relationship between language and identity in this conversation. By explaining the verbal distinctions in the world of games and platforms, he warns that the main crisis is not learning new words; Rather, breaking away from the mother tongue will be alienation from the cultural heritage and the loss of the cognitive and moral foundations of the society.
The necessity of revising the language of social education
At the beginning of his speech, Salehi stated by referring to the basic concepts of social sciences: "Socialization" is one of the topics that are discussed in the field of social sciences. Socialization means preparing people to play a role in society; Therefore, in this process, a kind of social education is considered.
He continued by emphasizing the tools of this process: it can be boldly said that the most important carrier, platform and foundation of socialization and even the most accurate element and tool of it is the category of language. In fact, the basic question is, with what language do we prepare our children to play a role in society? What words do we teach them? What vocabulary do we teach them? What concepts and discourses do we explain to them and how can they describe and represent themselves in society?
He called the process of socialization multifaceted and stated: this process is very precise and delicate and all elements contribute to it; From the media and the educational institution to the family and the spaces where children are present in public, they are all involved in this path. Salehi also emphasized the necessity of revising the process of social education and added: The problem is that sometimes we need to go back and check what factors basically socialize our children and what actions should we take to make this process more optimal?
Definitely, one of the important actions is to review and correct the language of this process; That is, we must diagnose and monitor it and take care of it constantly so that this path is an optimal process and our children experience accurate and efficient growth. The most important thing is that our children can have an effective, path-breaking and effective presence in the society and we also identify the deficiencies and try to solve them.
The language of games and new media leaks into public life
Referring to the role of the media in shaping the discourse of the new generation, this editing and proofreading teacher said: In the meantime, the media advance parts of the paths of socialization. When we mention the media, this concept includes all internal and external media; Foreign media guide this process with their special language and literature. As an example, computer games have their own language and discourse, and if someone wants to be present in the game world, he must follow that language or at least know this language and then master its use. Obviously, no matter how much a person wants to grow in this world, he has to use this language more.
He continued to point out: Gradually, the same language that is formed in the world of games, leaks to other parts of the cyberspace or cyberspace and then to public life; As far as we can see, a person uses exactly the same language in his normal and everyday life. In addition, we are dealing with a language that children use under the influence of foreign language learning or a language that is used under the influence of watching movies, cartoons and animations.
Salehi pointed to the wide range of visual and audio media and reminded: Today, phenomena such as anime and manga are among the media accessible to teenagers and young people, and these productions also have their own language. In addition, the atmosphere of music consumed by children, teenagers and young people also has special language and linguistic features. Based on this, it can be seen that we are not facing only one language or two languages and the issue is not one or two discourses; Rather, we are facing a vast system where each of our young people may live in a corner of this system and may move between these parts. This settlement and displacement itself requires its own issues, conditions and understanding, and all these phenomena require deep study and investigation.
A harsh and negative approach to the environment of teenagers is not fruitful
The CEO of the Editing Association noted about how to deal with this situation: if we are going to react negatively and harshly to all these developments, we will definitely not reach any results; Because teenagers are actually the inhabitants of that space and that world, they live in a different ecosystem, and the new world also advances issues in such a way that these people will not feel the need for other ecosystems in the future.
It means that they can continue to live in this ecosystem, have a job, play a role, and become linguistically and culturally unnecessary compared to other ecosystems. He added: Like it or not, this generation uses language that may affect their interactions with others and cause problems and challenges in relationships, especially in the social arena. Something that needs to be properly understood.
In this regard, he added: "I am currently only looking for the issue and I emphasize that in this space we need the issue and field research." If we want to identify this situation correctly, one of the fundamental axes is the language of this generation. What should be done with this language in the future and whether this language harms the main and basic language or not, are issues that the exact answer should be clarified after conducting research.
The main issue is the abandonment of the mother tongue and alienation from literature
Salehi said by distinguishing between passers-by and permanent residents of these spaces: it seems that some of these languages have a transitory state for people who are the only passers-by of these ecosystems - and most of the youth and teenagers are apparently among these passers-by; This means that they use this language and vocabulary at a certain point, and after some time they abandon it, enter other languages and use new words.
He explained the turning point of this damage and continued: what we can boldly say that we are facing and the main focus of the damage is that when our children live in this language and in this ecosystem and they inevitably choose this language to create differentiation, differentiate them and give them a social base and dignity in that environment, they will suffer from another problem, and that problem is moving away from It is their own language and literature.
This Persian language researcher emphasized: If our children and teenagers are familiar with the Persian language and literature and have mastered it, there is no obstacle or problem for them to learn other languages and use different words in different environments. But the main point is that this generation only uses the words of others, without settling in their native, local or regional language. They are also in a passing position in their language and use it to meet very simple and everyday needs.
Not having a residence in the language weakens the moral support of the citizens
This Persian language activist warned about the identity consequences of this language break and stated: The point of deep damage is that this situation separates them from all their cultural heritage and alienates them from their culture. What happens is that these people become cultural elements and citizens who have no support in their culture; As a result, by showing off and adorning other cultures, they are quickly attracted to them and turn their backs on their original culture.
Linking this issue to great national and individual harm, he added: One of the reasons why society faces phenomena such as treason or espionage is that such people have no cultural attachment. The basic reason for this lack of connection is that such people have not had any settlement in their language and culture; Because if someone has memorized these signs and links (tokens) with his language and culture, he will naturally not commit many of these mistakes. All moral teachings are stored in the heart of culture and are transmitted to the individual through language.
At the end of his speech, Salehi emphasized: A person who has such a connection, in terms of cognitive structure, is basically incapable of doing many of these things; Not only that he does not allow them or considers them taboo, but his mental structure will not accept such mistakes and mistakes. Undoubtedly, the scope of this discussion is very broad, but I think it is enough to address these points for the first step and entering the topic.