The Effects of Texting on Literacy: Is It Corrupting Language?
THE EFFECTS OF TEXTING ON LITERACY:
Is it corrupting language?
1.0 INTRODUCTION
What’s SMS? SMS first appeared in GSM in about 1991. SMS later appeared in CDMA and TDMA networks. Mobile Origination (MO) - a key feature of SMS, allowing the user to originate SMS messages from the handset - has only became available to non-GSM users in 2000. Ask a kid anywhere in the world, he or she would tell it is form of talking to another person(s), with a cell phone using letters and not words. SMS means “short messaging service”. Meaning sending and receiving short, most of the time very short messages, to and fro one another. Texting also refer to the art and skills of using abbreviations and other techniques to create SMS and instant messages. Texting does not always follow the standard rules of English grammar, nor usual word spellings. Texting has become so widely used and persuasive that it is almost regarded as a new language register. Thanks to the proliferation of mobile phones as well as internet-based instant messaging (IM). There is a new wave of communication sweeping across the world. Generations are now typing, texting and tweeting their own unique language. This word abbreviated Morse Code like grammar sweeps from computer to phone on social networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace and Twitter. For a number of years teachers and parents have blamed texting for two ills: the corruption of language and the degradation in spelling of youth writing.
2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW
Students are growing up in different worlds – a world full of ever-changing communication tools and technology. These tools are seemingly integrated into our daily lives. Born after 1980, children are surrounded by electronic games, communications devices, computers and the internet. They live in an always-on world and these tools are an integral part of their lives (Prensky, 2001). Born after 1980, students make up of the majority of the population called the digital natives (Prensky,
Is it corrupting language?
1.0 INTRODUCTION
What’s SMS? SMS first appeared in GSM in about 1991. SMS later appeared in CDMA and TDMA networks. Mobile Origination (MO) - a key feature of SMS, allowing the user to originate SMS messages from the handset - has only became available to non-GSM users in 2000. Ask a kid anywhere in the world, he or she would tell it is form of talking to another person(s), with a cell phone using letters and not words. SMS means “short messaging service”. Meaning sending and receiving short, most of the time very short messages, to and fro one another. Texting also refer to the art and skills of using abbreviations and other techniques to create SMS and instant messages. Texting does not always follow the standard rules of English grammar, nor usual word spellings. Texting has become so widely used and persuasive that it is almost regarded as a new language register. Thanks to the proliferation of mobile phones as well as internet-based instant messaging (IM). There is a new wave of communication sweeping across the world. Generations are now typing, texting and tweeting their own unique language. This word abbreviated Morse Code like grammar sweeps from computer to phone on social networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace and Twitter. For a number of years teachers and parents have blamed texting for two ills: the corruption of language and the degradation in spelling of youth writing.
2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW
Students are growing up in different worlds – a world full of ever-changing communication tools and technology. These tools are seemingly integrated into our daily lives. Born after 1980, children are surrounded by electronic games, communications devices, computers and the internet. They live in an always-on world and these tools are an integral part of their lives (Prensky, 2001). Born after 1980, students make up of the majority of the population called the digital natives (Prensky,
References: 2. Craig, D. (2003). Instant Messaging: The Language of Youth Literacy. In The Boothe Prize Essays[Essay]. pp. 116 – 133). 3. Varnhagen, C. K., McFall, G. P., Pugh, N., Routledge, L., Sumida-MacDonald, H., & Kwong, T. E. (2009). lol: new language and spelling in instant messaging. In Springer Science and Business [Article]. (02 May 2009 ed., pp. 1 – 15). 5. Humphrys, J. (2007). I h8 txt msgs: How texting is wrecking our language. Daily Mail, September 24. Retrieved February 24, 2009, from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-483511/I-h8-txtmsgs- How-texting-wrecking-language.html 6 9. Helderman, R.S. (2003, May 20). Click by Click, Teens Polish Writing; Instant Messaging Teaches More Than TTYL and ROFL. The Washington Post, p. B.01.