The answer, according to some detractors, is yes. But is slang really damaging the English language or is it just a natural part of its evolution?
Though colloquialisms have long been a part of the richness of the language, experts say that slang-filled “multicultural English” is overtaking proper English as teens’ preferred method of communication. Concerned parents and educators worry that their children’s inability to differentiate between slang and more formal speech could result in serious setbacks for them in the work world. As a result, some schools have gone to such lengths as to ban the use of slang; however, others disagree with such a hard-line approach. They argue that “slang is…a natural human tendency,” and they favor teaching youngsters about the appropriate uses of informal language as well as its origins, rather than trying to impose an outright ban that they say just won’t work.
Read more on the debate here at BBC News:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/8388545.stm
