The Generation Language Gap
As America changes, the English language changes, too. Some words have vanished and others have appeared to replace them. Words and phrases that mean completely different things. This was illustrated pretty vividly a couple of days ago when we were having our daily budget meeting - that’s the meeting when we decide which stories will go on which pages the next day.
Naturally, we’ve joined the Internet age. We offer morning, afternoon and late afternoon updates as well as Twitter alerts. Since you can use only so many words in a Twitter message, we try to “Twitter” a story that’s especially important. We have to find something that is “tweet worthy.” Managing Editor Samantha Perry wondered how we would have reacted just a few years ago if any of us had suggested that a story was “tweet worthy.” My guess is that person would have gotten a lot of stares.
Then sports writer Tom Bone remarked that a World War II soldier who had just come home would think that we’re all a bit nutty if he overheard us complaining about the spam in our mailbox. We think of messages while the soldier thinks of hundreds of rectangular cans of Spam overflowing the kind of mailbox we see along the side of the road; in fact, I think a Vietnam soldier from back in the 1960s would have the same vision. Who could imagine that a name for canned meat could become a word that means electronic junk mail?
Terms like PC, Internet and laptop are fairly new, too. Folks who suddenly time traveled here from 30 or 40 years in the past wouldn’t understand what we were talking about. To them, a virus is only something that makes you sick. Complaining that your computer has a virus would earn you some stares. A “pop up” would be something that comes from a toaster and a “tweet” would be that sound a bird makes. Frankly, our language wouldn’t make much sense.
Even my favorite literary character, Sherlock Holmes, is used in a creative way. If somebody makes a painfully obvious observation - somebody comes into your house soaking wet and you deduce that it’s raining outside - your observation is likely to be greeted with something like “No kidding, Sherlock.”
Coping with this new, growing vocabulary isn’t easy. Sometimes I try to use new words and, again, get stares. Reporter Kate Coil told us the story of an aunt who thought LOL, Laugh Out Loud, meant Lots of Love. She commented on a web page about a relative who had died of cancer, ending her message with LOL. Naturally, a younger person interpreted this a bit differently. “Dude, you aunt is harsh!” he told his friend.
This generation language gap was harsh on me when I tried the teaching profession. A few years ago I was teaching English Composition at a Virginia high school, and my kids often didn’t understand my vocabulary. Another teacher told me that I often “spoke over the head” of the students. Frankly, I thought they had a pretty poor vocabulary. Most of them rarely read anything longer than a text message - another term I wouldn’t have understood 20 years ago - so their vocabulary is pretty limited.
I’m not the only person who has these feelings. I sometimes visit YouTube and watch programs like “The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.” Naturally, fellow Holmes fans and myself will comment about the shows and talk about related subjects. One time we started lamenting the fact that our language seems downright crude compared to the flowing phrases used in Victorian England.
I said that Holmes and his friend and colleague, Dr. Watson, might as well be speaking Russian as far as my students were concerned. However, one person argued that kids’ vocabularies are more about English changing than decaying. They have different priorities and different needs, so they need new words to go with them. I’m fine with that as long as I don’t get compositions written in texting language, a habit that dropped more than one grade under my control. I insist on real words, not text slang or text abbreviations.
My students thought I was harsh.
AI explanationShows the answer. Tap to open.
Question Focus: Detail question - what happens in the budget meetings
Correct Answer: C
Why this is correct: This is correct because the passage clearly says the budget meeting is when they decide which stories go on which pages, which means they are organising their content.
Passage Reference: This was illustrated pretty vividly a couple of days ago when we were having our daily budget meeting - that's the meeting when we decide which stories will go on which pages the next day.
Paraphrasing: Passage: 'decide which stories will go on which pages' = Option: 'organise their content'
Tips: For detail questions, match the option to the exact purpose stated in the sentence, not nearby ideas.
Why the other options are wrong:
- A: Students may choose this because the Internet is discussed later. However, the budget meeting is specifically about choosing stories and pages, not the Internet. This is a wrong section trap.
- B: It sounds tempting because the passage talks about language changes, but the meeting itself is not described as joking. It is about planning content. This is a context shift trap.
Key Vocabulary:
- budget meeting = planning meeting
- organise = arrange
Question Focus: Inference question - what Tom Bone believes WWII soldiers would think
Correct Answer: C
Passage Reference: Then sports writer Tom Bone remarked that a World War II soldier who had just come home would think that we're all a bit nutty if he overheard us complaining about the spam in our mailbox.
Why this is correct: This is correct because Tom Bone directly says a soldier would think people today are a bit nutty, which means a bit crazy.
Paraphrasing: Passage: 'a bit nutty' = Option: 'a bit crazy'
Tips: If the passage uses a clear opinion word, trust it. Do not add your own ideas.
Why the other options are wrong:
- A: Students may focus on the word Spam, but the passage never says soldiers would disapprove of the term. It says they would be confused. This is a Not Given trap.
- B: This adds an idea about soldiers being happy, which is never mentioned. The passage talks about confusion, not happiness. This is a Not Given trap.
Key Vocabulary:
- nutty = crazy
- overheard = heard accidentally
Question Focus: Main idea question - purpose of Kate Coil's story
Correct Answer: A
Passage Reference: Reporter Kate Coil told us the story of an aunt who thought LOL, Laugh Out Loud, meant Lots of Love... ending her message with LOL. Naturally, a younger person interpreted this a bit differently.
Why this is correct: This is correct because the writer includes the story as a humorous example of misunderstanding, and the reaction shows it is meant to be funny.
Paraphrasing: Passage: 'told us the story of an aunt...' = Option: 'tells a funny story'
Tips: For main idea questions, ask why the writer included the example, not just what happened.
Why the other options are wrong:
- B: It sounds reasonable, but the misunderstanding is actually by the older aunt, not young people. This reverses the situation. This is a reverse meaning trap.
- C: This is only part of the story. The question asks what Kate Coil does overall, not one detail. This is a partial truth trap.
Key Vocabulary:
- interpret = understand
- harsh = unkind
Question Focus: Inference question - what went wrong in teaching
Correct Answer: C
Passage Reference: Another teacher told me that I often 'spoke over the head' of the students. Frankly, I thought they had a pretty poor vocabulary.
Why this is correct: This is correct because spoke over the head means the language was too difficult, so the writer may have used the wrong kind of language for the students.
Paraphrasing: Passage: 'spoke over the head of the students' = Option: 'used the wrong kind of language'
Tips: Idioms often explain the problem indirectly. Stop and think what the idiom really means.
Why the other options are wrong:
- A: Students may think the colleague commented on the teaching, but the comment was actually a criticism, not praise. This is a contradiction trap.
- B: The passage never says students were not interested. It says they did not understand the vocabulary. This is a Not Given trap.
Key Vocabulary:
- composition = written work
- spoke over the head = too difficult to understand
Question Focus: Attitude question - writer's opinion about Victorian English
Correct Answer: A
Passage Reference: One time we started lamenting the fact that our language seems downright crude compared to the flowing phrases used in Victorian England.
Why this is correct: This is correct because flowing phrases and downright crude show the writer feels Victorian English was more sophisticated.
Paraphrasing: Passage: 'flowing phrases' and 'crude' = Option: 'more sophisticated'
Tips: Attitude questions rely on adjectives and comparisons. Pay close attention to emotional words.
Why the other options are wrong:
- B: The writer never says young people should learn from Victorian English. That idea is added. This is a Not Given trap.
- C: The passage talks about style and elegance, not effectiveness. This changes the meaning. This is a paraphrase trap.
Key Vocabulary:
- crude = rough
- lamenting = expressing sadness
Question Focus: Detail question - other people's opinions
Correct Answer: A
Passage Reference: However, one person argued that kids' vocabularies are more about English changing than decaying. They have different priorities and different needs, so they need new words to go with them.
Why this is correct: This is correct because the passage clearly says young people's English reflects changing times and needs, not decay.
Paraphrasing: Passage: 'English changing than decaying' = Option: 'reflects changing times'
Tips: When the passage contrasts two ideas, make sure the option matches the same side of the contrast.
Why the other options are wrong:
- B: This directly contradicts the passage, which says changing, not decaying. This is a contradiction trap.
- C: The passage never says young people prefer simpler language. It talks about different needs. This is a Not Given trap.
Key Vocabulary:
- decaying = getting worse
- priorities = important things
General Tips:
- MCQ questions follow passage order, so use the previous answer location to find the next one faster.
- Always read all options before choosing. The first reasonable option is not always the best one.
- Look for exact sentences that answer the question, then match meaning, not just words.
- Be careful with options that add ideas or opinions not stated in the passage.
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