The Lingua Franca
lol!
lmao!
ROFL!
omg!
tysm
btw...
ttyl
And of course- "OOTD"
My "Free Grammarly Subscription" does not show the zig zaggy red line under these words (if you consider them as words). I wonder why?
Well, I think I know why this kind of slang and short forms have become a part of our daily conversation. It's not just about being an Indian and being obsessed with the so-called coolness of English. The reality is that we have found in them a tool to hide our shortcomings.
Shortcomings because English is now like a barometer. Otherwise, for me, there is no harm in just being well-versed with your mother tongue. Well, I am not rambling on about "English"- language or skill. That's a whole new topic to write about.
Gone are the days of Queen's English. Gone are the times of Oscar Wilde. Gone are the moments of patient reading. Please tell me I am wrong.
But still, when somebody says that we write in short forms to save time, I have a good laugh. Because if they really had to save time and really wanted to convey the purest of emotions, they would care to ring up my phone instead.
Firstly, we are detaching ourselves from our mother tongue. Secondly, we really don't see English as a language. And most importantly, we are ruining the Lingua Franca. The audacity!
The other day in our school assembly, (well a lot of inspiring things happen in the assembly...in case you understood what I am referring to) the Principal said, "So, today is your English exam, the easiest one. English has become, for all practical purposes, your mother tongue."
Well, I do understand the figure of speech used by him, but still...What a shame it is on us!
Haruki Murakami — ''Learning another language is like becoming another person.''
Well, I don't think so. Why can't English as a language just add to your personality?
The reason why I did not keep my English and Hindi blogs separate and the reason why I write "Namaste" at the end of every blog is that this is who I am. And I am proud of it. I am not running away from the truth. I might have an inclination towards a particular language, but that doesn't mean I don't respect the other.
The language I speak does not define me, but it definitely is a significant part of the definition of my life. And that is why I should not at least injure it.
#notshorforms #stoppretending #thisisnotcool
I greet the divine within you - "Namaste"












