Essay Sample on Cantonese Internet Slang: Send Your Message Your Way!

Introduction

In communication we all use language. Some individuals use slang and it is believed it is because it helps them send the message as they want to. There are several reasons people use slang ranging from it being efficient to it ensuring only those in the know comprehend what you are saying. The Cantonese Internet Slang, for example, is a casual way to communicate. It is a language whose origination is from chat rooms, social platforms, and internet forums. The language is often altered with out-of-traditions and self -created forms and mostly used by the youth, thus they are often described as Cantonese speakers. The Cantonese Internet Slang reflects the Hong Kong youth culture and it is presumed that its impact would bring ineffectiveness and inconvenience of various types of abbreviations, pronunciation, spelling, and writing errors in English. The essay will focus on expounding on claims that Cantonese Internet Slangs ruins Hong Kong student's learning of vocabulary and pronunciation in English.

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I agree that Cantonese Internet Slangs ruins Hong Kong student's learning of vocabulary and pronunciation in English. Looking at terms of abbreviation, Cantonese Internet Slangs often misinterprets the definitions of the words thus affecting the learning of the English vocabulary. It happens when there is a mix of a word from Cantonese word or expression with an English expression that results in the misspelling of the original English vocabulary. Besides, also the Cantonese Internet Slang tends to borrow words from the English language. The initial letters of each syllable of a word in English are combined as an abbreviation, that when reading you read it letter by letter.it is known as Clipping or Alphabetism and it has often lead to those not in the know not understanding, thus misinterpretation and ruining English (L. Magas, & Visnevskii, 2016). According to research, it suggests Hong Kong student's learning of vocabulary in English has greatly been affected. Students due to the influence in Cantonese Internet Slang incorrectly spell words. Today misspelling of words is the norm, particularly in writing essays.

Consequently, in terms of transliteration, the Cantonese Internet Slang progressively uses the English transliteration. It influences the learning of pronunciation in English. In this case, an English phrase or word is conveyed in a language with a distinct writing system. Think of it this way, having words in English written in Cantonese Internet Slang. It is not that this transliteration renders the phrase or words in a different new language, all it does is that it becomes a new format. Hong Kong students have encountered issues in pronunciation following such instances making learning English a problem. In that case, with a lack of proper English pronunciation due to the influence of Cantonese Internet Slang students cannot be understood what message they are putting across. Syafei claimed pronunciation is a twofold procedure, he argues for proper pronunciation there is the recognition of the sounds and sounds production (Komariah, 2019). Therefore, for Hong Kong students this two-fold process is ruined by the Cantonese Internet Slang. Students have a problem in recognition and discrimination of sounds together with issues of sound production. Syafei goes further to claim the reasons why Hong Kong students have difficulty overall in learning pronunciation in English (Komariah, 2019). The internet slang has had students most times irregularly spell words or phrases of English, thereby offering them poor counsel to pronunciation. The other reason is the interference there is from learning the Cantonese Internet Slang to English which is the target language for students. Moreover, I would agree with Syafei's claims because the students' efforts in learning the new Cantonese Internet Slang meet with an opposition which is the target language. It is an indication that the different elements in this new language impact the efforts because the foreign language has easy or even more difficult features to learn.

In my opinion, I second that Cantonese Internet Slangs ruins Hong Kong student's learning of vocabulary and pronunciation in English. Cantonese Internet Slangs always creates new words with new definitions. It would not be suitable to communicate in that casual language mainly with foreigners who probably understand only English, thus lead to misunderstanding. Numerous words or phrases find the way in day to day language by most youth using the Cantonese Internet Slang. The new words happen to be communicated with ease to other groups and not every person. It has negatively impacted students writing in the long run. Hong Kong students have proven to use improper abbreviations and bad grammar in essay writing. Cantonese Internet Slang has broadened language by the creation of more new words. It has made language to no longer be static, but have words keep reinventing. As much as the slangs have had the Hong Kong students gain a sense of belonging among the youth, it has created misunderstanding amongst foreigners who do not understand it.

In addition, by using too many Cantonese Internet Slangs in English writing, Hong Kong student's learning of vocabulary and pronunciation in English is ruined. Most Hong Kong students use an improper writing style in their writings. The essays seem to have an impolite attitude following casual and direct translation from Cantonese. The informal style of language is to be often utilized in colloquial speech, but today it has ruined the Hong Kong students who have had it find its way in their writings in English. The informal language, Cantonese Internet Slangs if used in writing English fails to meet the features of academic writing (Zhou, & Fan, 2013). Students while doing academic writing are to mind their tone for it to be formal and not casual as in the slangs. The tone reflects the overall attitude the piece of writing conveys. It is, therefore, appropriate the students learn that the use of slang will impact them not to use a narrative tone in their writings. Academic writing relies on the precise structure of words, excellent grammar and conversational tone and when together linked with Slangs, understanding becomes a problem as much is misinterpreted. Slang terms are often open to being interpreted, thus negatively impacting the students writing style.

Conclusion

I second the claims that Cantonese Internet Slangs ruin Hong Kong student's learning of vocabulary and pronunciation in English. The impact as presumed brings ineffectiveness and inconvenience of different types of pronunciation, spellings, abbreviations and writing styles in English for the Hong Kong students. Cantonese Internet Slangs has resulted in misinterpretation of words definition in terms of defining abbreviations. Eventually, that has influenced the students learning of English vocabulary because of the mix up of words from Cantonese with English leading to the wrong spelling of the original English words. Also, Cantonese uses English transliteration progressively influencing students' pronunciation. The improper pronunciation, in turn, leads to misspelling, grammatical errors in writing and conveying the wrong messages when in a conversation. Cantonese Internet Slangs, also always creates new words and in the process lose its meanings. In this case, miscommunication results among foreigners who may not understand the casual language. Besides, also Hong Kong students writing style are ruined following too much use of the Cantonese Internet Slangs. Students incur impolite attitude, an improper writing style for essays as the slangs directly translate it to English from Cantonese.

References

Chiu, W. M. (2016). Internet slang on Hong Kong Golden Forum. HKU Theses Online (HKUTO).

Green, J. (2006). Slang Dictionaries, English. Encyclopedia of Language & Linguistics, 403-406. DOI:10.1016/b0-08-044854-2/00447-8

Komariah, A. (2019). Problems in Pronouncing the English Sounds Faced by the Students of SMPN 2 Halong, Banjar. Journal of English Language and Pedagogy, 1(2). DOI:10.36597/jelp.v1i2.4127

Snow, D. B. (2003). Cantonese as a Written Language: The Growth of a Written Language. by Don Snow. Journal of Asian Pacific Communication, 16(2), 351-353. DOI:10.1075/japc.16.2.13bou

Zhou, Y., & Fan, Y. (2013). A Sociolinguistic Study of American Slang. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 3(12), 1. DOI:10.4304/tpls.3.12.2209-2213

L. Magas M., & Visnevskii, B. B. (2016). Internet slang and its influence on the English language. Retrieved from https://conferences.vntu.edu.ua/index.php/all-hum/all-hum-2016/paper/download/200/107