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Scott Dolham

Texting May Lead to Bad Grammar - 2 views

  • Many tweens take shortcuts or use so-called techspeak when sending text messages. “They may use a homophone, such as gr8 for great, or an initial, like, LOL for laugh out loud,” Northwestern researcher Drew Cingel explained in a statement. Other shortcuts include dropping non-essential letters, such as changing the word “would” to “wud.”
  • To study the effect of these habits, Cingel gave a group of middle school students in central Pennsylvania a grammar assessment test. The students were then given a survey that asked them to detail how many texts they send and receive, their opinions on the importance of texting and the number of shortcuts in their last three sent and received text messages.
  • The results of the survey and the test, which were reported in the journal New Media & Society, showed a link between poor grammar scores and frequent texting. What’s more, both sending and receiving techspeak-riddled texts seemed to affect how poorly the students performed on the test. This suggests tweens might not be initiating all of their bad language habits, but might also be influenced by the grammatically incorrect messages sent by their friends and family.
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  • In addition to a natural desire to imitate friends and family, the researchers speculated that some texting tweens made poor grammar choices in more formal writing because they had trouble switching between techspeak and the normal rules of grammar.
  • Many tweens take shortcuts or use so-called techspeak when sending text messages.
Scott Dolham

National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL) - Definition of Literacy - 1 views

  • Literacy is the ability to use printed and written information to function in society, to achieve one's goals, and to develop one's knowledge and potential.
Scott Dolham

Pupils resort to text language in GCSE exams - Telegraph - 5 views

  • Examiners have given warning that pupils are increasingly using text message language in GCSEs, the first official acknowledgment that mobile phone shorthand is undermining standard English.
  • "Text message spellings, such as U for "you" are increasingly prevalent."
  • "The weakest answers were devoid of punctuation, including the full stop, and were difficult to follow as a consequence," the report said. "Sentences were frequently too long (10 lines or more). Apostrophes were often missing and inserted into plural nouns. The usual errors with they're/their; are/our; your/you're were frequent."
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  • Although anecdotal evidence of the use of text messaging by students has emerged in the past few years, the examiners' report suggests that such abbreviations are becoming the norm.
  • Dr Bernard Lamb, the chairman of the Queen's English Society, said: "It is quite appalling that schoolchildren cannot distinguish between ordinary language and text language. It is something that teachers need to tackle urgently if we have reached the stage where students are making such errors in exams."
  • It is something that teachers need to tackle urgently if we have reached the stage where students are making such errors in exams."
Scott Dolham

National Social Science Association - 5 views

  • there are strong reactions from the public, media, and language experts that the use of textisms can transfer to formal writing in the form of deterioration of spelling and misuse of language.
  •   According to the study, the students’ use of text speak was determined using five different measures, which included: Use of textisms in formal versus informal communications Text speak proficiency: Translating Standard English to text Text speak familiarity: Translating text speak to Standard English (SE) Literacy processing speed: Speed of translation to and from SE Spelling errors: Translating target textisms to SE The students were also administered a standardized literacy, which was determined using two different measures: Reading: Woodcock Johnson III Achievement test, letter-word identification and reading fluency subtests. Spelling: Woodcock Johnson III, spelling subtest
    • himynameisjen
       
      Seems a little biased, but a lot of them seem that way. More are leaning towards being FOR Texting and web-use in the classroom.
  • Although there is no evidence that the use of such acronyms and abbreviations in professions and career fields have caused a deterioration of the English language, yet some have argued that the use of textese and textisms may result in diminishing an individual’s use of the English language.
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  • This appears to indicate that the frequent use of texting as a primary means of communication may ultimately affect the way students express themselves in writing in addition to the quality of writing they produce.
  • There remains much controversy about the effects that text messaging may have on the learning experiences of today’s youth.
  • The information presented in this review represents data retrieved from current internet sources and data bases related to the effects of text messaging on elementary and high school students’ learning experiences.
  • In a recent study conducted by Drouin&Davis (2009), the authors used the term ‘textspeak’ explaining that it is a form of written language that involves use of acronyms, symbols representations, and language mechanics that include capitals, vowels, and punctuation marks. For example, the words thanks would be written as ‘thx’. Similarly, the pronoun ‘you’ would be written as ‘u’ in textspeak. The authors further explained that this form of abbreviated spelling can be likened to the invented spelling of youngsters just learning to spell.
  • Basically, textese involves a hybrid register that contains a varied tone that is a mixture of written and oral discourse.
  • As many researchers who have examined CMC point out, this technology is having an impact on the value of reading and writing on our society. In addition, newer and more expanded definitions of being literate are being infused through these communication mediums (Baggott, 2006).
Anthony Arriola

Is technology producing a decline in critical thinking and analysis? | UCLA - 2 views

  • Is technology producing a decline in critical thinking and analysis?
  • Learners have changed as a result of their exposure to technology, says Greenfield, who analyzed more than 50 studies on learning and technology, including research on multi-tasking and the use of computers, the Internet and video games. Her research was published this month in the journal Science.
  • Reading for pleasure, which has declined among young people in recent decades, enhances thinking and engages the imagination in a way that visual media such as video games and television do not, Greenfield said.
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  • Another study Greenfield analyzed found that college students who watched "CNN Headline News" with just the news anchor on screen and without the "news crawl" across the bottom of the screen remembered significantly more facts from the televised broadcast than those who watched it with the distraction of the crawling text and with additional stock market and weather information on the screen.
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    *As technology has played a bigger role in our lives, our skills in critical thinking and analysis have declined
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    This is good...but we're supposed to be focusing on the role that texting specifically has played in the decline of literacy.
williamsbanks

Text messaging dumbing down kids | News | TechRadar - 1 views

  • The review by Ireland's Department of Education into last year's exam performance by 15-year-olds claimed text messaging was hitting standards in English.
  • The use of abbreviated words, phonetic spelling and lack of punctuation were affecting conventional spelling and grammar, the review claimed. There was also an undue reliance on short sentences, simple tenses and a limited vocabulary.
Anthony Arriola

The Decreasing Literacy Skills of the Workforce - Changing Responsibilities of Business... - 1 views

  • The Decreasing Literacy Skills of the Workforce – Changing Responsibilities of Business Training Programs
  • There is plenty of evidence that literacy skills continue to decline. U.S. government data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress shows that after years of educational reforms, high school seniors scored worse on a national reading test than they had back in 1992. Less than three-quarters of U.S. 12th graders scored at at least the “basic” level, down from 80% in the early 1990s. 
  • Employers view reading and writing as critical basic skills, yet they are often at a loss about how to improve those skills among their workforce without incurring huge costs and loss of on-the-job time. Training programs abound to train managers and staff about project and budget control and various technical disciplines, but few programs exist to teach basic skills and employers find it difficult to justify such expenditures. 
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  • We believe that the problem of the decline in literacy is exacerbated by the fact that nearly everyone is taught to read using techniques that modern education and brain researchers have proven to be antiquated. Since the beginning of mass education in the U.S., students have been taught to read, starting in Kindergarten, in ways that have been shown to be the opposite of the way our brains work. 
Anthony Arriola

Can Texting Help With Spelling? | Scholastic.com - 1 views

  • The average American teen, you may not be shocked to discover, texts a lot: 3,339 messages per month, according to a recent Nielsen survey.
  • Girls outpace boys, averaging more than 4,000 texts per month. That’s more than 130 of them a day, every day, or a text every 10 minutes, almost around the clock.
himynameisjen

U.S. Teen Mobile Report Calling Yesterday, Texting Today, Using Apps Tomorrow - 1 views

  • If it seems like American teens are texting all the time, it’s probably because on average they’re sending or receiving 3,339 texts a month. That’s more than six per every hour they're awake – an 8 percent jump from last year. Using recent data from monthly cell phone bills of more than 60,000 mobile subscribers as well as survey data from over 3,000 teens, The Nielsen Company analyzed mobile usage data among teens in the United States for the second quarter of 2010 (April 2010 – June 2010). No one texts more than teens (age 13-17), especially teen females, who send and receive an average of 4,050 texts per month. Teen males also outpace other male age groups, sending and receiving an average of 2,539 texts. Young adults (age 18-24) come in a distant second, exchanging 1,630 texts per month (a comparatively meager three texts per hour).
    • himynameisjen
       
      A study of American Teens and their data usage/texting.
himynameisjen

Literacy and Text Messaging - Page 2 | MIT Technology Review - 2 views

  • That does not mean all is well for literacy and communication in the future. It isn’t clear whether all children are comfortable shifting from one form of written communication to another. A lack of opportunity to develop in multiple language modes could cause language to develop in one way among one group and make those kids unable to communicate with those who have developed multiple literacies.
  • Ironically, the problem may be prevented not by closing the digital divide by ensuring access to text technologies but by providing access to more traditional forms of literacy, like books. “Text messaging and instant messaging have grown exponentially among kids, and that is likely a positive development,” says Shanahan. “While I see the value of all of this new communication technology, I would argue that we need to protect time for more cognitive or intellectual technologies–those technologies that do more to help us think more deeply rather than those aimed at more-immediate social sharing of information–as well.”
himynameisjen

Literacy and Text Messaging | MIT Technology Review - 1 views

  • Having multiple literacies, however, does not only mean being comfortable composing with a variety of media; it also means understanding how to use different facets of language in each situation.
himynameisjen

LOL: Texting and Literacy in Today's "Generation Text" -- Tech Tips - 2 views

  • For many years educators and parents have blamed texting for two ills: the corruption of language and a degradation in spelling. Teachers are even complaining about textisms creeping into schoolwork. This has led many to wonder if it is possible that texting can have any positive influence on learners’ language development.
himynameisjen

Pros and Cons of Technology in the Classroom and Where I Stand | Rachel Lynne's Blog - 1 views

  • Spell-check: Through our research we discovered that many students rely too heavily on spellcheck to correct their spelling, and as a result, have poor spelling skills.  In the following video, a high school girl describes her spelling problems from dependency on spellcheck.  It also addressed the problems that arise from text speak.
  • Other negative effects of technology on learning: -Technology makes it easier to cheat and plagarize -Decrease in critical thinking -Decrease in analysis skills -Decrease in imagination -Don’t process as much during class, easily distracted
  • Sources: Are Digital Media Changing Language? http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational_leadership/mar09/vol66/num06/Are_Digital_Media_Changing_Language¢.aspx Is Technology Producing a Decline in Critical Thinking and Analysis? http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090128092341.htm Today Show clip:
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  • Texting/Digital Communication: One of the issues we discovered is the negative effect texting and instant-message language has on student’s writing capabilities.  Our research shows that acronyms and abbreviations are slipping into student’s writing.  Rather than using formal English when writing papers, many students use digital language, which includes things like: -lower case ‘i’ rather than uppercase ‘I’ -b/c for because -idk for i don’t know -recurrent grammar issues -Many, many more: http://www.aim.com/acronyms.adp
  •  According to the NCTE article “Flipping the Switch: Code-Switching From Text Speak to Standard English” we can use our student’s knowledge of text speak to enhance their formal English.
Alyssa Alburquerque

Cyber Slang and spelling - 2 views

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    Real life example of what some students have posted using "Cyber Slang".
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    *Cyber slang is suspected of damaging students' writing acumen. *"But ultimately, in the world of business and in the world they will live in, in terms of their jobs and professional lives, students will need good, solid reading and writing skills. I'm a little worried about where we are in America with literacy levels dropping. Are these [electronic devices] helping us, or making it worse? I think they may be going the other way and making it worse."
Alyssa Alburquerque

No technology shortcuts in education - 0 views

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    *While computers appear to engage students (which is exactly their appeal), the engagement swings between uselessly fleeting at best and addictively distractive at worst. No technology today or in the foreseeable future can provide the tailored attention, encouragement, inspiration, or even the occasional scolding for students that dedicated adults can, and thus, attempts to use technology as a stand-in for capable instruction are bound to fail.
Scott Dolham

Writing, Technology and Teens | Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project - 2 views

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    Research study results mentioned in first article
Scott Dolham

Does texting hurt writing skills? - TimesDaily: Archives - 1 views

  • "I work at the school's writing center and I would suspect that some of the mistakes I see in writing assignments are text related," Cleveland said.
  • "Cursive writing is always going to be a needed skill," he said. "The argument by those who've done away with it say it's an art form, not needed in everyday life. I would dispute that because there are jobs such as (postal carriers) whereby people have got to be able to read cursive."
  • Jennifer Scott, a 10th-grade Lauderdale County home-schooled student, said she texts constantly. She also has plenty of school writing assignments. She admits she gets lazy from time to time and allows text talk to enter her school writing. "I might use the number 2 instead of spelling out "to", or for the word "into" I might write n2," she said. "But I don't use slang terms like LOL or BTW (by the way). My mom would definitely not appreciate that."
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    Article from 2009 interviewing high schoolers who have admitted to allowing text language to infiltrate into their school writing.
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