Language development and modern communication

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Senior teacher of Chair of Foreign Languages of Odessa Trade-Economic Institute of Kyiv National Trade-Economic University

Language development and modern communication

Strelnikova I.Yu.

Due to the global changes in the world and the development of information technology English has become a global language, spoken all over the world. It changes due to the growth of international business, modern technology and on-line communication.

With the continuing globalization around the world everyone needs to communicate, using a common international language. Using English globally in cross-cultural communication involves understanding of how people from different cultures speak, communicate and perceive the world around them. In the new world cross-cultural communication is important for anyone conducting global business and dealing with different communication strategies.

As language was created for better communication and understanding among people, we use it not only to exchange information and get things done, but also to get on with others.

The new information development has opened up new opportunities to promote communication of people remotely around the world. Technological innovations increased mobility and migration between social and cultural groups which caused the language changes in the last decades.

The problem of the dynamic nature of language is especially important nowadays. Language is considered a powerful tool that can influence and change the consciousness of society. The analysis of language changes can help to predict the future of language development and its influence on society as well asto improve communication of people around the world.

The aim of the article is to find out and analyze new trends of language development and modern communication to understand better the future of the language and its influence on modern society.

In the highly competitive informational world a number of new words enter our day to day vocabulary with the introduction of modern technologies and appearance of new concepts. According to P. Revell, language is constantly changing and evolving which is normal and does not necessarily mean that language standards are dropping or language is being degraded. Standard grammar and pronunciation shift over time depending on different situations [2].

The language we speak provides us with the words and concepts to describe the world around us, allowing us to verbalize certain values easily, as Bethan Davies from University of Leeds thinks [1]. Among new words and concepts there are those that relate to recent events, political news or information technology.

Language nowadays is also associated with statehood and cultural identity of a person. It is especially important in understanding political and ideological development of public discourse, such as news media. The linguists believe that the choice of particular linguistic features in discourse such as grammar, lexis and phonology can be used to express and form a particular world view [2].

The analysis of language development can help to explain and understand the events in modern life and society. For example, many linguists make a research of the language of some politicians, like Donald Trump, who with his simple language may seem sincer- er or more persuasive than others. The President Donald Trump uses his words to convey powerful messages to the Americans. One of his favorite phrases, “fake news", has been named “word of the year” by dictionary publisher Collins. Collins Dictionary's lexicographers monitor the 4.5 billion-word Collins Corpus and create the annual list of new and notable words that reflect an ever-evolving culture and the preoccupations of those who use it. They define “fake news" as meaning “false, often sensational, information disseminated under the guise of news reporting”, According to Collins, the term “fake news" has become one of the most used words in the English language and will have its own entry in the next year's dictionary [3]. The phrase has been made popular with the President Trump who has used it repeatedly to criticize the media, particularly in Twitter.

There are other new words, changing the language with new meanings. For example, the word “plogging" means “a Scandinavian fitness that combines jogging with picking up litter”, which has emerged from the need to clean up the environment.

Another new term, relating to the concept of environment, is “single-use". It refers to often plastic products that are “made to be used once only” before disposal. The word described items, blamed for damaging the environment and affecting the food chain. Images of plastic adrift in the oceans, such as straws, bottles and bags have led to a global campaign to reduce their use, raising public awareness of the issue and positively influencing the consciousness of society. The word “vegan" also became popular, as this lifestyle choice has become increasingly mainstream in recent years [3].

The changes in communication, especially the development of social mass media tools such as YouTube, blogging (video blogging) lead to the changes in language. Linguists believe that modern technology has always influenced the language use and language development, from the printing press to telephones and the Internet. Each time a new technology emerges, new forms or styles of communication develop which are often distinctive to that particular technology, whether it is the telephone, TV, email, messaging, or Twitter [2].

For example, The Oxford English Dictionary added a number of new words to the lexicon, connected with modern technologies, like: "hashtag", "flashmob", "google", "iPod", and others. Some linguists consider that the rapid growth of the Internet and online communication is creating a new dialect of English for the web, which has been called “English 2.0” [2].

"Hashtag", for example, was added to the Oxford English Dictionary in June 2014 because of its wide spread use. It is defined in the Oxford English Dictionary as “a word or phrase preceded by a hash sign (#), used on social media websites and applications, especially Twitter, to identify messages on a specific topic” [4].

A popular word "flash mob" in the Oxford Dictionary means “a large public gathering at which people perform an unusual or seemingly random act and then disperse, typically organized by means of the Internet or social media (e.g. "equipped with cameras and LED lights, a flash mob of 135 people appeared out of nowhere to put on a performance")”. However, there is a shift in the use of the concept of `flash mob" in the US media where it means “a group of unruly teens who gather to wreck mayhem and perform robberies” [4]. Two strands of meaning co-exist now.

The verb "google" originated from the proprietary name of the search engine Google, meaning the search for information about (someone or something) on the Internet using the search engine Google [4].

Users of Internet might post content that they consider "glance able", "shareable"and even "snackable"- which can refer to online content designed to be read or viewed quickly, as well as food [4].

Some words acquired new meanings and functions. For example, the word “key” known as “a metal tool to unlock a door or start a car (keyword)” also became “a part of a computer (e.g. a button that you press)”. The verb "to key" means “to enter or operate on (data) by means of a computer keyboard or telephone keypad (e.g. "she keyed in a series of commands")” [4].

Continual development in social media is leading to the spreading of new words or “neologisms” in the language, such as: "awesome sauce", "man spreading" "Mx" as illustrated in recent updates of Oxford Dictionary. If we want to describe something as excellent, we can use the word "awesome sauce", which clearly comes from the words "awesome" and "sauce". The word "Mx" is used (in the same way as Mr, Miss, Mrs, Ms etc.) before a person's surname or full name as a gender-neutral title. language vocabulary concept

The noun "man spreading" means “the practice whereby a man, especially one travelling on public transport, adopts a sitting position with his legs wide apart, in such a way as to encroach on an adjacent seat or seats” [4].

Some fanciful words relating to food and drink are also included in the Oxford Dictionary update. "Beer o'clock" and "wine o'clock" are humorous terms for the (supposedly) appropriate times of day for having the first glass of either drink. We might need to start the meal earlier if you're feeling "hangry", which is a blending of "hungry”and "angry”, meaning “bad-tempered or irritable as a result of hunger” [4].

The similar blending “brunch”, for instance, formed from "breakfast” and “lunch”, is not necessarily found in other languages as its concept is not used in other cultures. Being a native speaker of the language brings with it more than just the ability to communicate, it brings the ability to understand the concepts of the culture.

The change of the political events was also reflected in the blends, like "Brexit” (British / Britain + exit) and "Grex- it” (Greek / Greece + exit) which appeared in 2012, relating to the events of potential departures of the United Kingdom from the European Union and Greece from the Eurozone [4].

Today words can influence and persuade more people, especially in advertising. Many companies use phrases for advertising without mentioning the product. Some slogans of advertising may violate grammar rules. Here's a list of several famous slogans:

“I am loving it” (McDonalds)

“Just do it” (Nike);

“Where do you want to go today?” (Microsoft);

“Because I'm worth it” (L'Orйal).

The slogans show how alive and changing a language can be. However, with the technological and informational development the language becomes more artificial instead of natural and simple.

Linguists consider that “current developments in smart technologies including artificial intelligence (AI) and speech synthesis and recognition are also changing not only how and when we use language but also “who” uses it. Do you talk to your phone? To a satellite navigation system?” [2].

In the near future our everyday communication can be changed with personal robots. They have already been developed for language learning. Linguists believe that “we are experiencing the growing use and influence of machine-based speech in various aspects of our daily lives” [2].

Modern communication can be difficult and mutual incomprehension sometimes occurs even for native English speakers from different English-speaking countries. British English and American English are probably the most recognized of the various World English languages. There are also other varieties of English, and each one has differences in vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation.

The differences in the language reflect different cultures and behavior. There are big differences between western and eastern cultures. In North America and Western Europe people are considered to be direct, individualistic in behavior and tend to base decisions on facts.

In the countries of the Middle East, Asia and Africa trust is considered the most important part of relationships and communication. People may be more concerned about group success rather than individual achievements. For example, during communication with Japanese one can run into difficulties if he speaks quickly and profusely. For a Japanese if a partner speaks too much, it means he is only concerned with his own self-interest and is not concerned with the overall good of the company.

Conclusion. Analyzing modern trends of language development and communication, we understand that language is constantly changing due to the global changes in the world and the development of information technology. The new changes are reflected in the spread of new terms, neologisms and blending relating to recent events, political news or information technology. Linguists speak about creation of a new dialect of English for the web.

Language development can change our life, raising public awareness and positively influencing the consciousness of people and society. The research of modern changes in the language allows us to create new ideas, to solve real world language problems and raise questions about language use and its social impact. Language analysis shows how language can be used creatively to develop better understanding and communication with others.

Language is a unique gift, we use it to communicate more effectively in many different social and professional contexts. Studying it, we discover more about human nature and what makes us human. We find out how languages and their speakers differ from one another, depending on the languages we speak.

Different cultural situations bring new communication challenges to the participants. What can be important now is understanding how to communicate effectively with individuals who speak another language or rely on different means to reach the same goal. All the cultural differences should be considered in an effort to make communication easier between the parties.

The languages we speak can shape our understanding of the world and our future. They help us solve the fundamental questions we ask about ourselves. How do we come to be the way we are? Why do we think the way we do? An important part of the answers is in the languages we speak.

Summary

The article is dedicated to modem trends of language development and communication. Due to the global changes in the world, the growth of international business and information technology English has become a global language, spoken all over the world. The language change has increased in the last decades, which was caused by technological innovations and by increased mobility between social and cultural groups. As a result of the development of modern technologies and appearance of new concepts a number of new words constantly enter our day to day vocabulary. Understanding the dynamic nature of language is especially important nowadays.

Key words: information technology, global changes, language development, modern communication, new concepts, influence the consciousness.

Стаття присвячена сучасним тенденціям розвитку мови та комунікації. Завдяки глобальним змінам у світі, зростанню міжнародного бізнесу та інформаційних технологій англійська мова стала глобальною мовою, поширеною у всьому світі. В останні десятиліття зміна мови була викликана технологічними інноваціями і підвищеною мобільністю та міграцією між соціальними і культурними групами. Завдяки розвитку сучасних технологій і появі нових концептів нова лексика постійно входить в нашу повсякденну мову. Розуміння динамічного характеру мови особливо актуальне зараз.

Ключові слова: інформаційні технології, глобальні зміни, розвиток мови, сучасні комунікації, нові концепції, вплив на свідомість.

Статья посвящена современным тенденциям развития языка и коммуникации. Благодаря глобальным изменениям в мире, росту международного бизнеса и информационных технологий английский язык стал глобальным языком, распространенным во всем мире. В последние десятилетия изменения языка вызваны технологическими инновациями, повышенной мобильностью между социальными и культурными группами. Благодаря развитию современных технологий и появлению новых концептов новая лексика постоянно входит в наш повседневный язык. Понимание динамического характера языка особенно актуально сейчас.

Ключевые слова: информационные технологии, глобальные изменения, развитие языка, современная коммуникация, новые концепции, влияние на сознание.

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