Letter to the editor of ‘Twtr? It's majorly bad!’

To the editor,

In response to the article 'Twtr? It's majorly bad!', I would like to touch on a few topics you discussed in this article. Overall it seems that you have quite a negative view on technology as you claim that this 'Textspeak', an effect of the use of social media, is harming students's English.

First of all I disagree with the statement "a generation of children are leaving school without a proper grasp of spelling and grammar because of the impact of so-called textspeak.". Technology, social media to be precise, is definitely not the cause of generations with poor spelling and grammar. This is because first of all not all students are as active on the internet as others, it is unfair to blame poor spelling or grammar on the internet as the student should be able to possess this in order to successfully communicate with one another and before starting abbreviations. In order for students to use word abbreviations, also known as textspeak, they should first be able to make proper sentences before they can start shortening words and replacing letters with numbers. The article claimed that there is a"danger of growing up with limited vocabularies because they (children) spend so much of their free time on sites such as Twitter and Facebook instead of reading". I disagree with this statement because surfing on these sites does not necessarily limit the child's vocabulary. As apposed to reading a book, many internet sites provide information as well which could help expand the child's vocabulary.

The statement "complaints from teachers that pupils increasingly use abbreviations and colloquialisms in school work and tests." is not an indicator that it is just the internet causing students to start using abbreviations and colloquialisms in school. This is because it is the pupil's decision to do so, despite the frequent use of this textspeak on the internet, in the end it is the student's choice of selecting the right words for school work. The student is responsible for distinguishing the difference between the casual English use such as textspeak and the formal used in formal situations, the student therefore is responsible for choosing the correct English based on the situation they are in. The article states that in "An American study, by Pennsylvania State University, detected a decline in scores in grammar tests if text messages contained lots of shortened words.". Again, it is the pupil's responsibility to detect the right form of English based on the situation they are in, whether or not to use abbreviations or not. It is also the pupil's choice to text using proper grammar instead of ignoring these rules out of convenience. 

I appreciate this article as it shows a different perspective on the use of internet and technology, however the claims which are made in this article are very one-sided, meaning that other factors such as personal decision and language selection are completely left out and instead everything is being blamed on the internet. The internet does have some negative effects, however it also has many positive effects on the English language today and therefore we should embrace it instead of criticizing it!

Music as Cultural Memoir | Interview with Andre Hazes

Andre Hazes, the phenomena of the Dutch-music world spoke with our journalist about the impact of his music on his society, his background, and his intentions.

Fere Vande Kerckhove: Good afternoon Andre. As we know you’re music has a solid place in the Dutch culture, how did you start off your singing career?

Andre Hazes: Well, first of all I would like to tell you a bit about how I first started off as a singer. I came from a big, working-class family with a hotheaded father who often lost his temper and a sweet mother. At the age of eight, I was discovered by Johnny Kraaykamp when I was singer at the farmer’s market. We recorded a track, however this wasn’t a big success. However I continued singing as I worked as I bartender in the pubs. I was discovered again at the age of twenty-six, this time by Willi Alberti. And from that moment on, my career boomed.

Vande Kerckhove: Did you always intend to start singing to bigger audiences commercially?

Hazes: I’m glad you asked, but the answer is ‘no’. At first I refused the offer from Alberti, I enjoyed singing in the pub as I created a very relaxed, firm atmosphere where everyone would sing along with me. I wanted to connect with others through my music, and I didn’t want this to be lost when singing to bigger crowds. However after persuasion I agreed to record a track with Willi.

Vande Kerckhove: And that’s when you first recorded your track “Eenzame Kerst”?

Hazes: Yes, Indeed.

Vande Kerckhove: But it was only the song “Een Beetje Verliefd” that made your breakthrough?

Hazes: Yes, due to some tension between me and my record label I teamed up with the producer Tim Griek in 1980 and later on we released “N Vriend”. And after “Een Beetje Verliefd” my career launched and I made my breakthrough.

Vande Kerckhove: You made quite a big impact on the Dutch music industry, why do you think that is?

Hazes: Simple—in my songs I discussed daily situations and adversities with which any person can easily connect with. These themes varied from topics such as heartbreak, loneliness, depression, and struggle to lighter themes describing the beauty and flaws of things that we experience daily. My aim was to connect with the audience, and by choosing relatable topics to sing about I was able to touch the audience as they could strongly relate to my lyrics.

Vande Kerckhove: For which audience would you say your music was intended?

Hazes: For everyone. In my songs I use pretty basic language, so that people from all audiences could easily sing along as well as my themes being clearly interpreted by my audience. For example in my song "Zij gelooft in mij" (she believes in me), which is one of my biggest hits, is a very easy to sing along with. The lyrics of the song are quite simple and the rhymes are also quite basic, not too complicated to memorize. The audience only has to know the chorus which goes like "want zij gelooft in mij, zij ziet toekomst in ons allebei, zij vraagt nooit maak je voor mij eens vrij, want ze weet, dit gaat voorbij". This is so easy to sing along with so that no matter where you're from, you can sing along with the lyrics. I strongly believe that every individual can at least connect with one of my songs as well as sing along with them.

Vande Kerckhove: How do you think that your music affects your society?

Hazes: In spite of my music being sang in Dutch, anyone who possesses a basic understanding of the language can easily interpret the messages I want to send across. My aim is to connect and unite all these people together; no matter what class or background they’re from. Because my songs are about daily and relatable topics I believe that this makes these diverse people unite as one as they all relate to my music, together.

Vande Kerckhove: What do you want to achieve further in your musical career?

Hazes: So far I am delighted with the success I am having with my music. I do not plan on letting this success lift my head up in the clouds. Despite the pressure of being successful, I want to continue to make music that connects to people and unites the audience together. If my audience can sing all together the lyrics from A to Z during my performances, I know that I have succeeded in connecting and uniting the audience together.

3rd of May, 2000