Hi Theo. You are so right. I used to love writing and receiving hand written letters. So rare now indeed. Congrats to your daughter. That is quite the accomplishment. No small feat. Its a constant issue around my house with my son. Just today he was spelling something with the letter 'z' and he said 'zee'. I said 'excuse me I don't understand you.' He smiled and corrected his pronunciation to say 'zed' instead. lol.

Closer to topic I kind of like the new language that is developing as a result of the new technologies. Maybe that is the puzzle lover in me but I think it is fun to try to decifer what is being said. I don't text as you can probably guess since I hate cell phones with a passion so I don't get exposed to the new language very often. When I see a post here that uses it I get a kick out of it actually.

As for correcting people.... I used to do that a lot. Correct pronunciation and word usages but some people really take offence. I don't personally because I like to learn. Just like spelling. I am a pitiful speller for the most part. Can't make sense of why words are spelled the way they are half the time... when to use an 'a' or when to use an 'e'..... or when one spelling applies versus another. Like effect or affect.

I can imagine a time not too far in the future when something close to the short hand language coming out of texting and chat talk will become an international common language. The days of Babble and different geographically determined languages around the globe will be over and we will all share a common language more akin to the abbreviated language coming out of texting. Just a thought. lol.

Meanwhile I will protect my Canadian English as best I can and impose it onto my son who is far more Americanized than I am. Between the media and the increased exposure to American TV his generation is far less attached to anything Canadiana than miine. Just another sign of globalization. He has no interest in our second national language but is keen to learn mandarin. His generation gets that China is fast becoming the centre of the new world.