Agree. It is like standards are non existing anymore. But who sets standards? Everything is so relative.

Yasmine,

i wonder if examining textbooks in teach writing would yield anything. What do you think? Marshall

What you have very rightly observed, has also been described by Ken Hyland in an article titled, "Is academic writing becoming more informal?". As a consequence, there is a great need to reexamine the textbooks available on the market in light of such changes. There is a great gap between ISs and SHOULD BEs.

We have to bear in mind that language is a living entity and it is more or less a reflection of what is happening in real life. One important question is also who sets the SHOULD BEs? I think we are witnessing something like the disappearance of Latin to what was perceived then as a less formal language ENGLISH.

Reza,

Could you give me the bib reference to that article you mentioned? The author may have covered what I was going to do. Marshall

,

Reza, research many times reveals that someone else has answered your research question better and earlier than you. Examining the article you mentioned would really help to resolve that problem. Marshall

Article Is academic writing becoming more informal?

Here you go.

I am so sorry for the delay. Fortunately Yasmine has added the article. Thank you all.

I printed out the article, "Is technical writing becoming more informal.." Although I understand the limitations of the methodology, I haven't yet thought of an alternative. Marshall

That language usage changes is quite interesting and certainly part of the answer. It may well be. I admit that language change helps to explain part of the results of the study. Perhaps, as the results reveal, I am quite wrong in my assumption that language usage is becoming more informal, as the article seems to illustrate. I wonder why I feel that way. I don't mean just me, but to others, too..

One of the reasons might be that language is used extensively on social media which is by definition very informal. There are I guess less people reading research journals or academic readings that is why there is that feeling that things are going down the road.

Marshall, you are right society is more eccentric; however, I do not believe that this is a good standard to have. If we train a child the proper way to address an adult or the proper attire for church, play, school, etc. and the way they should speak in general in a conversation we will not have immoral or promiscuity so rapid in our society. People feel like if I preach the truth to people I will have no members. Why who told you to get up on Sunday morning and blast your audience with a lot of jargons that is suppose to be done in a private setting. Jesus says if your brother is overtaken in a fault go to your brother alone. If he hears you, you have saved your brother, (Matthew 18:15). People sometimes do not show loving kindness in their messages. It was St. John I think who said that love covers a multitude of sins, no it was Peter and James (James 5:20 and 1 Peter 4:8).