REVIEW: Noted: Technology's impact on English not all bad

Abstract

Review of: English for journalists, by Wynford Hicks (20th ed.), London, New York: Routledge, 2013. ISBN9780415661720 (pbk); Bateman New Zealand Writer’s Handbook: An indispensable guide to getting published, by Tina Shaw. Auckland: Bateman, (6th Ed.), 2013. 208pp. ISBN: 9781869538361.

English for journalists: Hicks discusses just what kind of English the book is about. As many before him have noted, the strongest influence on the language has undoubtedly been American, but latterly the influence of new technology has been considerable, and not necessarily in a ngative manner says Hicks (p.1). He quotes researchers who see many positives in the influence of social media, claiming that for as many mistakes that appear on Twitter, for example, as many people are busy pointing them out. The English language is not decaying, says Hicks, but there are still problems.

Bateman New Zealand Writer's Handbook: An indispensable guide to getting published: Keen writers New Zealanders might be, and where to get published can still be a fraught exercise. On hand with helpful advice is the latest edition, the sixth, of the Bateman New Zealand Writer's Handbook from fiction writer and tutor of creative writing Tina Shaw.