Text messages harm written language? (Oh-Hum)

The rising popularity of text messaging on cell phones poses a threat to writing standards among Irish schoolchildren, an education commission says. Reuters reports. "... In many cases, candidates seemed "unduly reliant on short sentences, simple tenses and a limited vocabulary."

In 2003, Irish 15-year-olds were among the top 10 performers in an international league table of literacy standards compiled by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development".

This issue by the way, is almost as old as text messaging itself. And for every negative study, there is one that claims students who text frequently, score well in standard spelling tests.

Postive studies on the effect of text messaging on student's writing skills:

-- Texts 'do not hinder literacy'

-- Texting teenagers are proving 'more literate than ever before'

-- E-Mail and Texting - Not at all bad

-- Texting 'is no bar to literacy'

-- Teacher finds novel way to use texting

Links to negative studies:

-- Technology marches ahead, grammar gets worse

-- Y TEXTING MAYBE BAD 4 U

-- SMS Resulting in Poor English Grades?

-- SMS and Internet blamed for decline in English Examinations

-- SMS threatens Norwegian language say teachers

-- Teachers hung up on SMS

-- An essay written in text message shorthand

emily | 5:17 PM | SMS and Students |
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