By Lisa Russell, eHow Contributor , last updated February 15, 2013 * * * * Print this article
The Effects of Text Messaging on English Grammar
Debate rages among educators about the effects of text messaging on English grammar. According to an unscientific poll conducted by Edutopia.org, 50% of the 1028 respondents felt texting is harming students' writing and grammar. In the same poll 20% thought that text messaging may have some impact's student's writing but they do not think it is a major problem; 27% felt texting was not a negative influence.
Other People Are Reading * How Does Text Messaging Affect the Ability to Write & Speak in English? * Why Does Texting Affect Grammar? 1. Negative Effects * Educators weighed in on Edutopia.org about how text messaging has effected student's writing abilities: "I teach 9th and 11th grade English and regardless of the age, my students' spelling is atrocious. Texting does not and has not helped."
Some teachers believe the abbreviations used in text messaging are assaulting written English. Middle and high school teachers report that papers are being written using poor punctuation, bad grammar and inappropriate abbreviations. Students sometimes do not realize they are using text lingo in their academic writing. 2. Positive Effects * Some educators feel that anytime you can get students to write, it is positive. Students are writing more than ever before because of texting, instant messaging and online communications. Educational researchers discovered that students are writing more and revising more. The assumption that text messaging is just writing anything, but students must edit to fashion messages into a few precise words. There are teachable moments involved with texting; teachers can use it to teach about the evolution of language from Shakespearean English to Internet English. *
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