The study, performed by researchers from Coventry University, looked into the impact of texting on the language skills of 88 children aged between 10 and 12 years old. The children were given ten different scenarios and asked to write about them in text messages. These messages were then analyzed for their use of language alongside more traditional class work. The study, published in the British Journal of Developmental Psychology, found no detrimental link between texting and linguistic development, saying in their report: "Children's use of textisms is not only positively associated with word reading ability, but it may be contributing to reading development." Dr Beverly Plester, the lead author of the report and a senior lecturer at Coventry University, laid the blame for the negative views of text messaging squarely at the feet of sensationalist media outlets: "The alarm in the media is based on selected anecdotes but actually when we look for examples of text speak in essays we don't seem to find very many ...The more exposure you have to the written word the more literate you become and we tend to get better at things that we do for fun." Contrary as it is to popular opinion, the study backs up research done by the University of Toronto into a similar scenario, that of teenagers using instant messengers, and more than that, it makes sense when considered logically; after all, to be able to understand a short hand, you have to understand the long hand behind it.

Texting and internet memes must surely be the downfall of formal language, right? Quite a few scholarly studies point to no, actually. While it’s true that conventional English spelling and correct grammar are noticeably absent from the majority of texting conversations, the phonetics are accurate. As literacy advocates, seeing the phrase “C U l8r 2nite” is the equivalent of hearing nails on a chalk board, however one must first understand the correct way to write the phrase before it can be broken down to the text version.  Texting also provides an “additional resource for learning about and experimenting with letter-sound correspondences and language, and for reading and ‘decoding’ text.” (Vosloo 2009) The same study also stated, “If our children are showing difficulties with reading and spelling attainment, it would seem that this is in spite of the contribution of textism use, not because of it.” When put into this context, it makes it easier to see that language is evolving not necessarily degrading.

Link Between Texting and Literary Skills Explained

Although unexpected, text messaging’s positive affect on literary skills seems plausible when you consider more deeply Wood and Meachem’s  claim that strong phonological skills may be one of the contributing factors of the of text message senders continued spelling accuracy in traditional written language exercises. This result lends support once again to the theory of the strong role of phonological awareness and perception in orthographic processing and spelling ability, and partially answers the question of how texting can improve literacy.