Last Updated on February 19, 2022
If you’ve seen much ‘text-speak,’ the painful shorthand many use in text messages, you may be interested in a study that followed young texters and their academic progress.
Does texting hurt spelling skills when most texts barely use complete words or complete sentences? It sounds like a valid question to me, especially when I receive a text that I actually have to stop and decipher.
A new study from Coventry University and the University of Tasmania finds that texting may actually improve a child’s spelling and grammar since they have to sound out the words they’re trying to convey:
They claim using abbreviations like “gr8” and “1daful” require children to sound out spellings this can actually help them when they come to learning and writing words.
An interesting idea.
I can see the possibility that it might help grammar skills, at least, since they still have to construct messages that make sense if they really want to be understood as they type those missives on those far-too-tiny keys.
But improving spelling?
That’s where I have a problem believing the findings. Sounding out great to abbreviate as “gr8” and wonderful to abbreviate as “1daful” (in case that left you scratching your head for a second) may be one thing. These same people have to then remember that there comes a point when the clever — or annoying — abbreviations are only appropriate (if ever) in a text message.
They certainly aren’t appropriate when reaching out to businesses via email. And they can easily get your job application tossed in the circular file.
Here’s where some of you might shake your head and click your tongue and smirk at me for over-reacting on that point. But I’ve seen emails sent to businesses by people who don’t seem to understand that basic point.
If it felt like we were getting smarter these days, it might be easier to believe that this kind of high-tech shortcut makes a positive difference on the young people who use it.
But I’m just not convinced.
And here’s an alarming thought for you to ponder:
Four in ten children between the ages of five and 10 now own a mobile phone, and three in 10 own a smartphone, with the use of ‘text speak’ widespread in messages and on social media.
Kids between the ages of five and 10? I think that’s a little young for muddying the waters between good spelling and grammar and text-speak.
But maybe that’s just me.
You Tell Me:
Do you think text-speak helps or hurts spelling and grammar? Have you seen any evidence of it among your young people?
Interesting idea. From my perspective, I see a lot of older folks (not just kids) who I’ll ask to ‘clean up’ their spelling and am often told, “Oh I never was very good at spelling so I thought, who cares!”
Let’s see if I can keep this somewhat short. But there is no
possible way that text speak helps develop or improve anybody’s skills, be it
grammar, spelling or anything else. I don’t use it when I am texting or
speaking with people online because I feel it is lazy and unneeded. For
example, is it that much harder to spell out “you’re†instead of ure? Of course
it is. Why? Because too many people don’t know the difference between you’re
and your.
Allow me to give the best example I can. I once taught as an
adjunct at the college level. It was a freshman composition class, so nothing
too crazy, right? Wrong. I had to put in my syllabus that using text speak in a
paper would result in an automatic F. Seriously. I could not believe how many
students were using this in papers. U, URE, 2, R, etc. In a college paper that
they handed in FOR A GRADE!
Despite my warning, several still failed papers.
But it also doesn’t help because there’s no repercussion for
using these things in texts. Another example – many people don’t care how
things are spelled (how many times have you seen “there†instead of “they’reâ€
or “their�) as long as their thoughts are conveyed. Most of us can understand
what they are saying, so a pass is given, which is a shame.
If kids, too, are using text speak and all that garbage
during their learning years, I can’t see how it can help. If it is instilled in
them at a young age that it acceptable and everything, how will it get better?
No way can I believe this study.
Most linguists seem to be coming to realize that kids (and adults) can code-switch in writing about as well as they can do it verbally. I haven’t seen kids less able to write term papers *only* because of txting. 1337 (leet) didn’t kill off language either 10 years ago. My experience is that kids adjust (code-switch) to the situation at hand. My son does it : “CU@ hme @330 mma”  on his phone vs. “I’ll be home at about 3:30, Mom. See you then.” in email; I’m assuming his term papers and lab reports are another step up from that since he tends to get As and Bs on those.Â
Now, kids who aren’t being taught in the early years how to spell or speak properly are going to be at a disadvantage, but they would be at that same disadvantage without texting. In fact, I can usually tell from text messages from kids if they have a clue–they can’t even manage a coherent txt! “b@ th stoor lev me ur walutt s I! cnpay” is absolutely NOTHING like what I get from people who know how to properly write in any language, but I did get this from someone who couldn’t spell “paper bag” well enough to get herself out of it, and she’s an adult. Her emails and notes tend to be along the lines of “I dont thinnk yu shold do that. It sholld probaly go in the clossett insted.” It makes my brain hurt to read her stuff.
SuziShumaker I have to admit my spelling has taken a hit.