'Text speak' making its way into schools
|
|
| Gannett News Service Colleen Marie, a recent high school graduate, texts a friend on her cell phone at the Christiana Mall in Christiana, Del., on Dec. 7. Marie says that she probably sends more text messages than she talks on her phone. |
| Buy Sauk Valley Media Photos » |
Wire Services
For quick-fingered teenagers across the world, mobile phone text messaging hasn't changed just how they communicate, it's changed how they write.
"Text speak" - shorthand writing that eliminates vowels and punctuation and uses phonetic symbols instead of whole sounds - is moving from inboxes to essays.
Beginning this year, New Zealand high school students may use text speak on national exams, meaning they won't lose points if they replace words with popular abbreviations, such as 2 for "to" or "l8" for "late."
Advocates argue that text speak allows users to communicate more ideas faster. Others are aghast, fearing the erosion of the language is spreading to classrooms, where it should be safest.
"If your audience in text messaging is your friends, then 'cb' for 'call back' is legitimate. But when students move into the career world, when they are doing their (state test) writing, they need to be taught that ... they are to use formal English," said Jeanne Qvarnstrom, supervisor of assessment for the Red Clay Consolidated School District in Wilmington, Del.
Four years ago, the district pioneered MY Access, an online writing tool that allows students to submit papers and receive instant feedback - including instructions to improve the writing and a grade on a six-point scale. About 3,500 fifth- to eighth-graders use it.
"When the students go into the editor mode, it will highlight those phrases such as just the letter 'u' for 'you.' Students are shown that, for formal English, that is not acceptable," Qvarnstrom said.
An external audit of the program, which costs the district $85,000 a year, found eighth-graders using MY Access increased their state writing test scores.
Middletown (Del.) High School English teacher Abby Shubert, who is working on her doctorate in educational technology at the University of Delaware, surveyed 50 of her freshmen. Only two said they don't text-message or use instant-messaging services regularly.
Some students told her they write more on instant messenger and cell phones than they do in class, so the shorthand becomes a habit.
Shubert sees some abbreviations on student papers.
"On the first draft, the IM language comes through," she said. "They are getting their words down as quickly as they can. ... Typically, that kind of language gets phased out in the (revision) process."
Colleague John Tanner notices a lot of text speak in his Middletown High students' writing, too, the most common example being "u" for "you."
"I am convinced that students don't even see the error; I think that text speak has become so common that it does not register in students' brains as being inappropriate in an academic paper," Tanner said in an e-mail.
Hodgson Vocational Technical High School junior Jackee Wilson finds the text speak she thumbs into her Sidekick sometimes creeps into her school papers. Wilson, 16, uses abbreviations such as "idk" for "I don't know" and "ttyl" for "talk to you later." Teachers at her Newark, Del., school mark abbreviations, but she doesn't think that is fair if the content of what she is saying is correct.
New Zealand's Qualifications Authority discourages students from using anything but full English, but its new rule says students may receive credit if an answer using text speak "clearly shows the required understanding."
Of course, students risk whether the people grading their papers can comprehend their writing. Not every graying-at-the-temples teacher may recognize "d authRz chrctr devlpmnt iz wk" as "the author's character development is weak."
Even outside of school or work, text speak can lead to trouble. Shubert reminds her students that people will judge them by their writing, even if it is informal or personal.
"I tell them not to embarrass their teacher on MySpace," she said referring to the popular social networking Web site. "Someone is looking at a MySpace (page) and wondering, 'Who is that kid's English teacher?'"
Say what? A key to texting
Source: transl8it.com
- Gannett News Service
