Main content

Textspeak

Is English being reduced? With text-speak, abbreviations, Twitter and bite-size English, Michael Rosen asks if we now talk and write in shortened language, and if that matters.

Michael Rosen on the uses and abuses of textspeak. Is the English language being abbreviated away?
Writer Will Cohu thinks texting has changed the way we communicate with each other.
Students at William Morris Sixth Form tell Michael how they use their phones to talk - exploding a few popular preconceptions along the way.
Professor David Crystal puts the use of texting language into context, and Canadian linguist Joan Lee discusses her research on the subject.
And Nick D'Aloisio talks about the mobile phone app he's created which condenses and summarises news articles for a time-poor generation.

Producer Beth O'Dea.

Available now

28 minutes

Last on

Mon 2 Apr 2012 23:00

Broadcasts

  • Tue 27 Mar 2012 16:00
  • Mon 2 Apr 2012 23:00

From blunk to brickfielder: our wonderful words for weather

From blunk to brickfielder: our wonderful words for weather

Exploring creative descriptions for wind, rainfall and sunny spells from around the world

Digital body language 鈥 how to communicate better online

Digital body language 鈥 how to communicate better online

We need to find new ways of talking to each other 鈥渧irtually鈥.

Coinages that changed the world 鈥 and some that tried to...

Coinages that changed the world 鈥 and some that tried to...

Exploring the hidden histories of obscure words, and common buzz phrases.

Ittibitium, borborygmus, and Ba humbugi 鈥 14 wonderful science words you鈥檝e never heard of

Ittibitium, borborygmus, and Ba humbugi 鈥 14 wonderful science words you鈥檝e never heard of

Michael Rosen puts the language of science under the microscope.

Download this programme

Subscribe to this programme or download individual episodes.

Keywords for Our Time

Series of programmes examining key phrases in public debate.

Smiley face: Seven things you didn't know about emoji

Some facts about emoji - possibly the world's first truly global form of communication.

The funny words that kids invent

Have a look at some of the fantastic words that children invent and reimagine.

Podcast