Some studies indicate that the vocabulary of the typical American teen
of today is less than half the size of the vocabulary of a teenager in
the 1950s. It is speculated that the influences of television,
computer games, and other entertainment media are largely responsible.
Fewer people read for pleasure these days, and reading books has
always been a great vocabulary-booster. Widespread "pop" entertainment
has brought a unity of cultural reference to our society, along with a
plenitude of simple catchphrases which make it unnecessary to create
original sentences. Rather than saying "I am relatively indifferent to
this situation," it is easier (and less taxing on the mind) to say
"Whatever." Although slang has always been part of human speech, slang
which serves as expressive shorthand has become more prevalent,
perhaps because the omnipresence of television has homogenized us,
creating a near-universal understanding of slang phrases which might
have remained regional in times past.
"Utne Reader (July-August 2000, 'Like Whatever,' pages 28-9.) tells us
that the typical American teenager of the 50?s had a vocabulary of
25,000 words; the teenager of today 10,000."
Axioun Communications International
http://www.axioun.com/tiparchive/072400.html
"Vocabulary research in 1999 said a typical 14 year-old in 1950 has a
vocabulary of 25,000 words. In 1999, the typical 14 year old had a
vocabulary of about 10,000 words. Research shows that this is the
impact of TV, movies, Nintendo - all the things kids do now instead of
reading a book or going out and talking to kids. Ruby Payne research
shows the normal conversation of a teen only involves about 800
words."
Board of School Trustees, Metropolitan School District of Martinsville
http://msdadmin.scican.net/minutes/board%20minutes/2001/brd71701.htm
"He entered my office for advice as a freshman advisee sporting nearly
perfect SAT scores and an impeccable academic record-by all accounts a
young man of considerable promise. During a 20-minute conversation
about his academic future, however, he displayed a vocabulary that
consisted mostly of two words: 'cool' and 'really.' Almost 800 SAT
points hitched to each word. He could use them interchangeably, as in
'really cool' or 'cool...really!' He could also use them singly. When
he was a student in a subsequent class, I later confirmed that my
first impression of the young scholar was largely accurate and that
his vocabulary, and presumably his mind, consisted predominantly of
words and images derived from overexposure to television and the new
jargon of computerspeak. He is no aberration but an example of a
larger problem, not of illiteracy but of diminished literacy in a
culture that often sees little reason to use words carefully, however
abundantly. Increasingly, papers from otherwise good students have
whole paragraphs that sound like advertising copy. Whether students
are talking or writing, a growing number have a tenuous grasp on a
declining vocabulary. Excise 'uh...like...uh' from most teenage
conversations, and the effect is like sticking a pin into a balloon.
In the past 50 years, by one reckoning, the working vocabulary of the
average 14-year-old has declined from some 25,000 words to 10,000
words. [Charlene Spretnak, The Resurgence of the Real (Reading, PA:
Addison-Wesley, 1997).] This is not merely a decline in numbers of
words but in the capacity to think. It also signifies a steep decline
in the number of things an adolescent needs to know and to name in
order to get by in an increasingly homogenized and urbanized consumer
society. This is a national tragedy that goes virtually unnoticed in
the media. It is no coincidence that in roughly the same half-century
the average person has come to recognize over 1,000 corporate logos
but can now recognize fewer than 10 plants and animals native to his
or her locality. That fact says a great deal about why the decline in
working vocabulary has gone unnoticed: Few are paying attention. The
decline is surely not consistent across the full range of language but
concentrates in those areas having to do with large issues such as
philosophy, religion, public policy, and nature. On the other hand,
vocabulary has probably increased in areas having to do with sex,
violence, recreation, and consumption. As a result we are losing the
capacity to say what we really mean and ultimately to think about what
we mean."
The Angelus: Verbicide
http://www.sspx.ca/Angelus/2002_February/Verbicide.htm
It should be noted that not all experts agree that adolescents'
vocabularies are shrinking:
"The Columbus Dispatch, June 17, 2001
Teens' vocabulary isn't shrinking -- it's changing
[H]ow can anyone suggest that the teen vocabulary is shrinking?
A number of people have, citing this statistic: The working vocabulary
of the average American adolescent had declined to 10,000 words by
1990, compared with 25,000 in 1945.
Princeton University linguist George Miller speculates that the figure
has become an urban legend of sorts.
Measuring the vocabulary of a group as large as American teens, Miller
said, isn't easy.
'First of all, it's hard to define what it means to know a word,' he said.
What it usually means 'is the ability to recognize it on a
multiple-choice test, the sort of thing Readers Digest does each
month,' Miller said. 'They give you the word and four alternative
definitions, and you pick the one that's closest."
Princeton in the News
http://www.princeton.edu/pr/news/01/c/0625.htm
Google search strategy:
Google Web Search: adolescent OR teenager "a vocabulary of * words
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=adolescent+OR+teenager+%22a+vocabulary+of+*+words
Thanks for an interesting question. If anything is unclear or
incomplete, or if a link doesn't work for you, please request
clarification; I'll be glad to offer further assistance before you
rate my answer.
Best regards,
pinkfreud |
,
0 Comments
)