Teachers - do you find that texting habits are affecting students' writing habits?

[SydSim]

Ok, I tend to think about these things (I'm wondering whether I used the correct "affect or effect" word right now)

Anyway, when I see DD-13's texts, if worries me because she is still figuring out some basic grammar rules (where, were, their, there, your, you're, etc.) and I would hate for those habits to impede her school writing.

Has anyone who has been teaching for many years (including the before texting era) seen a drastic change in writing habits of teens? (And feel free to flame me for my own writing)

 

[Redpepperflakes14]

Ok, I tend to think about these things (I'm wondering whether I used the correct "affect or effect" word right now)

Anyway, when I see DD-13's texts, if worries me because she is still figuring out some basic grammar rules (where, were, their, there, your, you're, etc.) and I would hate for those habits to impede her school writing.

Has anyone who has been teaching for many years (including the before texting era) seen a drastic change in writing habits of teens? (And feel free to flame me for my own writing)

Cool topic. I've been wondering if teachers have noticed a decline in writing in the last 10 years.

I am a writer (for fun nowadays) and the 'net and text speak bug the heck out of me. I have friends in their 30s and 40s who write things like 'RU' and 'B4.' It gives me a headache to try and decipher. I simply feel dirty using these abbreviations -- so I write text messages and email words out completely (I know, I'm such a nerd -- or is it noob!).

I believe you are right to have written affect in your header. This is what Grammar Girl has to say:

Affect
Affect with an a means "to influence," as in, "The arrows affected Ardvark," or "The rain affected Amy's hairdo." Affect can also mean, roughly, "to act in a way that you don't feel," as in, "She affected an air of superiority."
Effect
Effect with an e has a lot of subtle meanings as a noun, but to me the meaning "a result" seems to be at the core of all the definitions. For example, you can say, "The effect was eye-popping," or "The sound effects were amazing," or "The rain had no effect on Amy's hairdo."

 

[dakcp2001]

My best friend is a teacher, and she complains about this all the time! The kids use a lot of slang and do not even seem aware of it. The spelling is way off as well, it makes her batty.

 

[Piecey]

My friend is a high school English teacher... she said if a student uses one "text" word after being warned she gives them a zero on the paper.

Tough approach but she said they know not to use it and that if they're unsure they ask her, which is what she wants.

 

[daughtersrus]

I'm not a teacher but I've seen some little ones spell "we" Wii.

 

[Sandy51]

Yes, it does carry over to the classroom.




Sandy

 

[paintnolish]

I will be student teaching high school English in fall. We've talked about this a lot at school. It really isn't a big deal. It is no different than kids using any other slang in their writing. Slang isn't acceptable in academic writing, but it is no better or worse than text language. Writing teachers need to teach their students about code switching (how/when/what of appropriate language) and audience awareness.

 

[Feralpeg]

I taught high school English a couple of years ago. I returned papers on a regular basis due to texting language. The papers would contain things like "u" for "you" and "r" for "are". I made the kids fix the papers and return them. I warned them that college professors would not be as lenient.

But, it isn't just the writing of kids that is suffering from texting. I see examples of it here on the DIS on a regular basis.

 

[Mom21]

I'm not a teacher but I've seen some little ones spell "we" Wii.

 

[ChristaDeVil]

I'm not a teacher, but I deal with students 14 and up every year with our teen volunteer program, and I can tell that this is true.

 

[Pigeon]

My husband is a high school science teacher. His policy is that questions on homework and tests and quizzes must be answered in complete sentences. He makes this policy crystal clear from day one.

He frequently has students who whine when he takes points off for getting text gibberish as answers.

 

[kid-at-heart]

Yes, it does carry over to the classroom. I often receive emails/papers with incomplete words, sentances, etc. Not only is it affecting their writing ability but cell phones in general are creating a new form of rudeness (or unawareness) in and out of the classroom. I am a college professor and at the beginning of every semester I spend the first few classes telling students that phone use is not allowed in class (texting or talking). Even though the classroom rules regarding phone use are discussed during the first class I still have problems in the class. It became so bad this past semester I finally told students that if I saw a phone out during class they had the option of either bringing the phone up to my desk for the reminder of the class or taking their phone and the rest of their belongings and leaving the classroom for the reminder of the day.

 

[barkley]

at dd's high school open house this past fall they talked about this issue. apparantly the schools and the state are looking to adding a senior year requirement for the students to take a remedial english spelling and grammar unit because of declining skills they say are directly related to texting.

the students already have a freshman year requirement in information technology, and the instructors claim that as texting grows more popular than internet usage they are encountering more and more "thumbs only" typists.

 

[MiniGirl]

I will be student teaching high school English in fall. We've talked about this a lot at school. It really isn't a big deal. It is no different than kids using any other slang in their writing. Slang isn't acceptable in academic writing, but it is no better or worse than text language. Writing teachers need to teach their students about code switching (how/when/what of appropriate language) and audience awareness.

I understand what you're saying, but I do think texting is different. For example, when I was growing up, I knew ain't, for example, was a slang word. I knew not to use it on papers. I think some of the teens today honestly do not KNOW they are using slang. I think some feel it is completely correct and others are just too lazy (although I hate to use that word) to have to now write out a whole phrase.

I also wonder if it carries on into the business world in professional e-mails, etc.

And in a kind of related point..... I also have "friended" a few local teens on FB, and I hate when I see a FB status that says..... "Sitting in science class. Someone please text me at XXX-XXX-XXXX." I think texting and checking FB should not be done while in class. Call me old-fashioned that way.

 

[bumbershoot]

I'm not a teacher but I've seen some little ones spell "we" Wii.

I'll be honest. We have AT&T now, but we started with Cingular before those two companies bought each other (C bought AT&T's cell division, then AT&T's mother company bought C? something like that). And now the word "singular" looks wrong wrong wrong just BEYOND wrong. I never have to use it, but sometimes I'll think it or hear it (and when I hear words I tend to spell them in my head) and I want to default to C instead of S as the first letter.

So I'm not surprised by Wii. Though one uses "we" far more often than "singular" (agh, that looks wrong!).

I will be student teaching high school English in fall. We've talked about this a lot at school. It really isn't a big deal. It is no different than kids using any other slang in their writing. Slang isn't acceptable in academic writing, but it is no better or worse than text language. Writing teachers need to teach their students about code switching (how/when/what of appropriate language) and audience awareness.

That might be a good approach to take.

 

[nerdylightbulb]

I'm a 15 year old girl and I use proper grammar, both on the internet and in text messages. I have a full keyboard on my phone, so it isn't any inconvience to me to make it grammatically correct. I know I'm in the minority here though

I do use things like "lol" and "tbh" or whatever, but I thought it was common sense not to use them in essays and other important documents.

 

[golfgal]

Our kids' school tells everyone that any homework turned in with text speak is an automatic zero-that is their warning.

 

[Pixiedust34]

My dh is a teacher and kids frequently write the same way they text.

 

[Patricia]

As others have said, it surely carries over. Soon to complete my 19th year of teaching English, I have seen the signs. That being said, so does the slang talk that each generation uses. It takes a little time and various methods of correction, but students can learn to keep their shortened words out of formal writing. I use them myself when I text!

Hint on effect and affect. Effect is a noun which is commonly used with the article "the". I tell the kids to remember if they need the "the", then Effect follows.. connect the two "e"s. Hope that helps.

 

[sharbear]

It's funny. I have a 20 year old daughter and we text all the time. She told me when I first started texting her that it was rude to reply in shorthand. I have a keyboard and she liked it when I wrote full sentences! She's a funny girl, she also got A's in her English classes and is a good writer. She texts in word format and I find that her spelling is very good.

I have a sister who reply's in as few words as she can. Half the time I can't figure out what she is saying. My D and I will write paragraphs to each other. I'm lucky if I get 5 words out of my sister. She has a 14 year old who's spelling is awful. It's so hard to figure out what she is saying.

I also have a 22 year old S. He doesn't text as much as my D and his answers are shorter. But he's not much of a communicator in any form. lol! But they are correctly written and spelled right.