David Crystal on It's Only a Theory S01E02

[vaietehQ]

I think they were being a bit biased or just a bit rude towards Crystal in this episode. At times, it seemed like he was being ridiculed. :\ still, great program and I totally agree with the theory. I don't think any language is ever going to deteriorate, I think it will just keep evolving. I'm sure the way English or some languages are spoken, written, pronounced, presented is a little or has changed greatly from centuries ago.

[Wolfovicz]

He's too optimistic. Sure, most of the words in text messages are spelled correctly, but that's a deceitful statement; I imagine most of the words he's referring to are basic, foundational words (e.g. the, what, your, you're)

[doniskahn]

What a lovely man.

[monoham1]

of crse, txt 5pk int were it strtd innit? h4xxorz wer uz1n 1337 5pk y34rz b4 kidz got4 holda fones newai

[bodnotbod]

Thanks for uploading that. I'd been talking about David Crystal on a forum and I said I didn't know what he looked like in person. But I found this clip and realised I'd seen it when it was first on. I knew him all along!

[jert4lyfff]

I dont think i would actually mind sitting through one of his lectures

[13mewtwo]

it's rare to find a video without a single dislike

[Flisssssy]

David = <3

[adam4757]

It's sad that these types of shows are restricted to BBC4. This should be at least BBC2.

[gulpytheslasher]

LAD.

[ria346]

GO DAVID CRYSTAL! YOU ARE MAJOR MAJOR RIGHT! :)

[cesgarc]

I believe that language is dynamic. We cannot stop the rapid development of language. Technology has a great role to play in recent development. What we can do is to understand and accept these changes.

[GRJones92hk]

Crystal really knows his onions!

[Sqid101]

I’m convinced those most censorious about texting are those who don’t have the intelligence to understand or create it.

[Sqid101]

To all those fundamentalist prescriptivist nincompoops who say language doesn't change.

˄ urs 2 =:-)z

[MrMongolWolf]

shut up you cunts

[goodbyelonglive44]

@tgringe I use non-standard english?

woww in comparision then you must be using high standard high caste royal english then..

[goodbyelonglive44]

@tgringe Yeah you can think like that. I was telling that British people should protect their language and not do the same destruction as other people...you are 17 and still your brain is small...

[DrasticDreamer5]

My Language teacher showed this video to us and I have no ordered two of his books :D

[DrasticDreamer5]

@DrasticDreamer5 *now

[lilfoo123]

My goodness, we'll have to read his books to pass the course .. Good to know he actually exists ..

[Looshkinbighead]

I love this show, it appealse to so many with its wide rage of subjects and usually eccentric personalities. Reg and Andy mkae an awsome team anyone would like.

Excuse me while I go get my friends hooked on this show.

[intermender]

whats in intresting is the dissenter was on about 'loss of adverbs' etc. But language is about communication, if you don't need adverbs to make your point why use them? Language surely has to be adaptive like science is. I personally think word limits of youtube and twitter etc does help expression: I usually have to edit my words down and that makes me think about what i really want to say, and as Crystal says, practice improves use of language.

[anorman93]

Lnk d b82rez 2g4

[FugalQuease]

This is an appalling concept for a show. Who in the BBC thought this could possibly be a good idea? You test a theory by using it to make predictions, and then doing experiments or checking evidence and comparing outcomes, not by having it voted on by a panel of 3 clueless nobodies. This view of science only encourages the idiots (homeopaths, creationists, climate denialists, scientologists, &c. &c..)

[intermender]

@FugalQuease I appreciate your very good point: science can only be judged by scientists, but this programme is not a scientific forum, its a public forum with the added purpose of entertainment.. But i think it is a great programme, because it is very revealing about the public understanding of science and attitude to cutting research (as the audience also votes by laughing etc). I saw one programme recently i will discuss with you if you like as per the above point. (feel free to mail me).

[goodbyelonglive44]

emotion*

[plarkmoby]

I do like David Crystal. I do not like how the two comics treated him. Nor do I like the Daily Mail.

[tonydeziel]

David Crystal is THE MAN!!

[goodbyelonglive44]

texing destroys beauty of the language

[astudyofeverything]

@goodbyelonglive44 Beauty of language - by what measure are you using?

[goodbyelonglive44]

@astudyofeverything The ability of a language to make war, to make the most impossible eotions appear at the most impossible time..

If Winston Churchil spoke like this:

Hey Yo... hey Dude...the Nazis are kicking our asses..

you would be as well extinct..

[astudyofeverything]

@goodbyelonglive44 It is completely relative. In one hundred years people could think the way you just wrote is poetic. He spoke as they did at the time. Beauty in language is completely subjective.

[goodbyelonglive44]

@astudyofeverything No way its not relative. The language is changed by the way educated people talk. Do you know why language isnt like Shakesphear? Because most educated people in industrial revolution wrote books in simple english so people could understand technical matter but still they didnt make it so simple that they destroyed the beauty of reading. The world is ruled by people who find cures for deceases, natioanlists, and nuclear weapons..and the language that write its mannuals.

[astudyofeverything]

@goodbyelonglive44 I still don't see the point you are trying to make here. How is this supporting your original assertion that texting is *destroying the beauty of language*.

[goodbyelonglive44]

@astudyofeverything

Texting is done by people who have time to think of the world in fancy ways, not busy intellectuals. people who want politics and science interests have to speak and write big books in a formal language for it to sound intellectual.Those days in Shakesphears time, language was not industrial, so it changed..but current language is constant and wont change.

[Gassalasca2]

@goodbyelonglive44 The only languages that are constant and won't change are dead languages. Like with animals , the only way to stop evolution is to kill off the species.

[mediumdensityfibre1]

@Gassalasca2

"The only languages that are constant and won't change are dead languages." -Except French.

[sleepcity]

@goodbyelonglive44 I'm sorry...the statement that "current language is constant and wont [sic] change," and I assume you are referring to your native language, English, is absurd and would get you laughed out of an introductory linguistics course.

[sleepcity]

@goodbyelonglive44 I have no idea what you meant by that comment. Utter communication fail. Pretty ironic considering... I was merely pointing out that anybody who claims that languages "constant and wont [sic] change," knows nothing about language...which I guess you just reinforced with your comment.

[goodbyelonglive44]

@sleepcity Well languages change...thats true, but it is not about weather languages change or not, but what matters is how it is changed and by whom...after Industrial revolution, people could no longer write "beautiful literature" because instructions on those machine mannuals had to be clear...so language was changed by engineers and the labourers...but now its being changed by some teenagers and hollywood movie stars

[sleepcity]

@goodbyelonglive44 Um...okay. Conversation over. This is fruitless bullshit. You know nothing about language, literature, engineers, laborers, teenagers, or movie stars. How's that? Have a good one.

[sleepcity]

@sleepcity Nor do you know how to distinguish "whether" from "weather".

[goodbyelonglive44]

@sleepcity HOW DO YOU KNOW I KNOW NOTHING ASSHOLE? I KNOW MORE THAN YOU DO...JUST BECAUSE YOU SHOW OFF YOURSELF AS AN INTELLECTUAL, I KNOW YOU ARE A SKUNK WITH NO TALENT

[sleepcity]

@goodbyelonglive44 Want to try that again? A skunk? Really? This is getting surreal. I feel like we're in an Albee play. Let's keep it going, okay? Your turn again!

[goodbyelonglive44]

@sleepcity well I will be cleverer than you are....

[DrasticDreamer5]

@goodbyelonglive44 Language isn't like Shakespear because standardised spelling wasn't introduced until after Shakespear's time! It still isn't 100% standardised. I'm only replying to this comment instead of the rest of your circular argumants because this pissed me off the most. If you're going to argue a point do some fucking research. You only have one argument about mannuals. Why don't you try watching the video before commenting, maybe you'll learn something.

[goodbyelonglive44]

@DrasticDreamer5 Do some fucking reaserach? yeah like people got time t research about the obvious...txting is bad and it is not right for people to use language too easily...

But anyways it doesnt matter actually now..You know why? because in 21st century, idiots acn be the idiots and not still die..so you keep on texting and then you wont have patience to read a good book..and you carry it in your genes and so on..until one day you have spreaded a decease in to your whole neighborhood..

[DrasticDreamer5]

@goodbyelonglive44 LMAO I never knew texting was genetic! How could I ever have insulted you, you're obviously a genius! All research done in to texting points to the fact that it is good for the English Language. And actually I do read books, I read a lot of books, not only am I a Language student, I'm also a Literature student. Your argument is null and void anyway because even though you're arguing a prescriptivist point of you can't actually use standard spelling and sentence structure.

[goodbyelonglive44]

@DrasticDreamer5 Language student.?.. nice try So is my friend and even he thinks that texting with fancy words is bad for language...If it was good why isn't Queen in England talking in that language? Well I have heard her speaking, she is talking like she is going to explode a load of lies under hot sun my god, but still she tries to use the little good english she knows as much as possible rather than "LOL LOL"

[DrasticDreamer5]

@goodbyelonglive44 Okay then, I'm a Language student who understands Language. Also, don't generalise us using someone who was brought up to speak like that and is fucking German. If you're going to argue about this learn to use "standard" English and get a clue. You've obviously coming up with any random crap that sounds like it could be to do with this. "They're talking about English...erm...er...The Queen! Aha, she has a vague connection to this. My argument is now fool proof!"

[goodbyelonglive44]

@DrasticDreamer5 who is German?

Look here..the Texting language will change English in a negative way..it will destroy peoples ability to make complex sentenses and so on..the language that is writtern on books is good enough and does not have to change..

[theJrLinguist]

@goodbyelonglive44 Do you a single bit of evidence to suggest that people who text can't write books in standard English? People need to write complex sentences in books. The only reason why text messages are short are bcos they need to be short. Language is changed by different needs, different mediums. Until English doesnt need complex sentences, texting can't do anything to it.

[goodbyelonglive44]

@theJrLinguist huh..fucking teenagers making the world pathotic with thier texting and chatting Lol LOl LMAO stuff...and later these people wil join the army and would make everyone speak like them

[digispaces]

@goodbyelonglive44 Nobody would speak like that in those circumstances. You choose your language to suit the circumstance.

[sniperexx]

That black guy is pretty rude and he can't even speak English.

[artregeous]

good for bank of england

ask him he will be agree there is no such an entity as meaning anyways

but people need meaning for life to have a world view

if social contract they made requires them to be an android to repalced by choosen ones wellllllll let them use sign language but pay for the schools

[123Shazzam123]

Wow he's a great debater :D

[UppruniTegundanna]

Read some of David Crystal's books; they're excellent! I especially recommend How Language Works - more like a reference book than a front to back book, and great to have at your disposal.

[adnlloyd1]

The black guy is being a dickhead to Crystal when he doesn't deserve it

[squirebuffy]

@adnlloyd1 hes just joking around... chill.

[KerrianneCox]

He presented his theory really well. Really like Reg... going to see him in june!

[Victoriam4074]

kids today dont know how to spell maybe the first texters did but now kids just know the already shortened words, they dont know how to spell the whole thing! I know afew of them!

[NMtB4ev4]

Reg is great on this programme.

[Yithmas]

David Crystal is a genius!

[debrucey]

David used to be my neighbour untill I moved away from Bangor. I can't believe hes on TV, thats so cool :D.

[mikmarilynmusika]

god i admire him!

love him to death.,

this is like a thesis defense! XD

[xNeverthought]

You have to admire how well he presents his views, and how passionate he is about them, which is amazing.

[LebiHarms]

I luv dat Crstl!

hes gr8. best lngst 2day

[sniperexx]

@LebiHarms lmaooo

[alexxandria]

I didn't like how the judges mocked Crystal. Even thoyygh he was 'laughing with them', really, the joke was on him and he definitely doesn't derserve to be laughed at such a proffesional level when he holds so many valid points.

GO CRYSTAL.

[astudyofeverything]

@alexxandria The trouble is - because texting is such a universal phenomena, everyone things they are an expert. I bet you don't get quips like this when a quantum physicist is talking. Because it is language and everyone can identify with it - the requirement for years of study to make a well thought out argument isn't at all appreciated. David Crystal is THE foremost expert on the English language - ok panellists, make a few comments but when he responds, actually think about what he said.

[intermender]

@alexxandria don't worry, scientists (i count lingists as scientists because they have to be rigorous?) - thrive on being mocked, and notice none of the mocking was credible or suppored by anything as objective as what Crystal was presenting; from that point of view the mocking was as effective as using a piece of tissue paper to stop a bullet.

[PuppetsNStuff]

@alexxandria If you can't laugh at yourself...

[jiggymafis]

He is 100% right.

I think that the kids texting each other is a good thing, even if they are using abbreviations. Its all practice in the end.

[zataradeluged]

One counterargument might be the Cingular commercial, "IDK my BFF Jill?" that reflects a real culture of kids speaking this way. I even had a student write "IDK" on an exam once.

Also, in addition to the point brought up in 1:52, I would wonder what David Crystal's thoughts are on the relatively new phenomenon of Twitter.

[aguaazul89]

Mr. Crystal made some really good points..

I love the judges reactions to him too

they were hilarious :-p

[NMtB4ev4]

Great video

[Kill3rKin3]

Love this show...

[pallers23]

Hard to argue against him, especially since he's a professional! ^^

[ALIZINNIA]

i admire him!!