Language Investigation #1
When it comes to communication, mine varies depending on what group I happen to be with or what my surroundings are.
When I am with my roommates or my friends I speak in a very loose manner. When I am with them we don’t have to sound refined, we can laugh and make jokes and bring up anything and everything that is on our minds. Sometimes we do have very serious talks and discuss our life issues, relationship or family problems, school, or anything else we need each other for. My friends and I also have plenty of inside jokes or gestures so we can say things like “O” and we all know exactly what the other is talking about and we all burst into laughter.
The same communication manner happens with my family. Granted with them I can’t necessarily cuss or say absolutely everything that is on my mind but they are also people I can talk about serious things with or laugh with. I come from an extremely large family so the jokes and family insides that we have come up with throughout the years are endless. My dad and I have a special bond and can just look at each other and laugh when certain instances in our family that we always laugh about.
Texting is an entirely different world for most people when it comes to communication but for me it’s not much of a stretch. Yes I am a fan of using “lol” or “jk” or a smiley face here or there but for the most part I like to use proper English. Certain acronyms are just silly and it’s not that hard to text the entire word you are meaning to say. So when I text I spell out words entirely and I put in punctuations where they need to be. I don’t want to sound illiterate just because I am texting; there is no reason for that.
Now when it comes to more professional settings like a classroom or the work place I don’t joke around as much or use such loose forms of communication. People are more likely to judge you within a classroom or work setting so if you don’t up the ante and sound more refined you may be looked down upon. I don’t mean to say that I completely lose my personality but I do tone it down and use a more refined vocabulary and I try to communicate with a more adult sense of attitude.
I always try to use what I consider proper English no matter who I am communicating with, it really all just depends on the level of humility I can bring in to the conversation or situation. I personally feel like you need to sound educated whether you are with your friends or with professionals, it sheds better light on who you are.