Language and Onceness In The Modern Classroom: 1

Language changes constantly. Throughout the years the way in which language is spoken and understood has shifted, from Shakespeare, to Yeats. Mcluhan’s quote, "Ours is a brand-new world of all-at-onceness” (Marshall McLuhan) demonstrates the newest shift in language. Language is becoming more cohesive and universal, taking on a descriptive over prescriptive approach. Technology is a major factor in the universalization and descriptive nature of modern language. Language has become an all at once tool, as technology provides quick and easy access to communication with unlimited amounts of people. Communicating at any time, anywhere, with anyone, has driven us to live all-at-once. The ever-increasing connectedness of the present world.

The primary issue stemming from connected communication is the struggle with “identifying language demands” (What is Language Awareness 2). Recognizing the language demands (as a teacher) is determining the language that should be used for the given situation or “inherent in the lesson” (2). This has become an increasingly harder task for teachers in a world connected by communication of “all-at-oncenes.”  The teacher’s recognition of language shifts, as “language demands increase and genres shift” (2). The noise of connected technology creates multiple languages variants that differ from what is intended to be taught. A teacher must pay extra attention to what a student’s language demands will be, to evaluate and determine their comprehension of a given subject. When students are connected through communication (with technology) it is harder to “use a tool or framework to assist…. In recognizing the academic language” (2). It is the academic language that is considered prescriptive, a standard which to mark and ‘asses’ students. Due to the current quality of language spoken or written through technology, an increasingly descriptive language is forming, destroying the ability to identify the language demands from previous held standards. Teachers who are “observing conversations” (3) may be able to “analyze the language” in order to understand the ‘non-standard’ language being used, identifying the language demands of both students and the program of studies. In the end, due to students “all-at-onceness,” they are becoming less apt at performing prescriptive communication when demanded.

(Photo retrieved from https://blog.ted.com/how-to-learn-a-new-language-7-secrets-from-ted-translators/)