EFFECTS OF TEXT MESSAGING ON THE ACADEMIC WRITING OF PRE-SERVICE TEACHERS OF A GHANAIAN COLLEGE OF EDUCATION

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of text messaging on the academic writing of first-year pre-service teachers of Offinso College of Education. Empirical studies on the use of text messages in specific cultures were reviewed in order to demonstrate how the present study is both similar to and different from previous research. Descriptive survey research design was employed by the researchers to conduct this study. The student population for the study was 350. Quota sampling and simple random sampling techniques aided the researchers to select 50 pre-service teachers for the study. The instruments used were questionnaires, interviews and essay-type tests. The study revealed that the vocabulary items students used in their SMS texting contained numbers, reduction, clipping and shortening, and that the use of these vocabulary items had a negative effect because these items found their way into the academic writing of students. The researchers recommend that college tutors should sensitize the pre-service teachers on the need to avoid SMS language in their academic writings to help them overcome the menace. To curtail everything, they should text using Standard English to avoid being addicted to texting language.  Article visualizations

Language, Literacy, and Multiliteracies: Preparing Graduate Students to Provide Language Intervention in the 21st Century

The concept of multiliteracies and its application in educational settings are described with a specific focus on the potential benefits and challenges in use of this approach with children with a language-based learning disability (LLD). The role of traditional literacy skills within a multiliteracies perspective is examined and the literacy skills required by children when using new modes of communication such as texting are discussed. Finally, the implications for educating prospective speech-language pathologists to provide service in a broader literacy landscape are examined

Textisms, texting, and spelling in Spanish

This study examines undergraduates’ perception of usage in smartphone text message and their relationship with the process of learning Spanish spelling. The aim is to establish whether subjects who have become competent language users in a digital environment accept the use of textisms and whether these textisms are perceived differently depending on their phonetic, lexical, and multimodal features. A total of 388 undergraduates from the Faculty of Education Science of the University of Seville participated in a nonexperimental study of a descriptive type based on surveys. The data showed that both standard Spanish writing and digital usage coexisted harmoniously in participants’ texts. However, a clear difference was established between textisms that modified Spanish writing rules and those that incorporated new elements not included in standard writing. Whereas textisms which modified the relationship between phonemes and graphemes were considered a challenge to standard writing as well as to academic literacy among young students (12--16), lexical textisms, emoticons, images, and videos were not considered harmful to standard Spanish. The study suggested that evolution of the writing rules set by the Spanish Academy could be influenced by the digital writing habits of young students. © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

The Frequency of Texting on Middle School Students\u27 Writing Achievement

The purpose of this correlational study was to discover the impact of texting on writing achievement for middle school students. The theory guiding this study is Vygotsky’s Social Cognitive Theory (Newman & Holzman, 2013) as it explains that learning is influenced by one’s social environment. The data that will be collected consists of the scores of the writing portion of the 2014-2015 state standardized test (ISTEP), a student survey answering questions about texting practices, and student status information on Free and Reduced Meals. The multiple regression analysis will be used to analyze this data because as inferential statistics it can be used to predict whether this information can apply to other future populations. Texting is a common practice and so is utilizing textspeak, (the digital language developed in order to make written communication on cellular devices more efficient). Middle school students represent the largest demographic of frequent texters, therefore one may assume this practice has the potential to influence daily writing habits throughout one’s lifetime. This study must be conducted in order to determine how textspeak is impacting the evolution of language and document the changes in language on education and the world as a whole. This quantitative, correlational study analyzes state standardized test, writing scores and the effects of frequent texting of middle school students. The middle school has a population of approximately 1500 students and the sample will be selected by meeting the following requirements: any sixth through eighth grader who has a personal cellular device and who has returned a parent consent form. This study seeks to answer the questions: Is there a relationship between frequency of texting and adolescent writing achievement? and Is there a difference in the impact of texting between adolescents eligible for Free and Reduced Meals and those adolescents who are not eligible

Middle School Literacy Educators\u27 Views About Student Texting and Its Impact on Student Writing

This applied dissertation investigated middle school literacy educators’ views about the impact of text messaging on students’ spelling and writing abilities. Specifically, the researcher determined educators’ views about the impact of text messages from Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC) and Short Message Service (SMS) on middle school student writing and spelling. The researcher interviewed middle school teachers about their experiences with student writing and whether text speak is present in students’ writing and spelling. Four research questions are posed: (a) To what extent do middle school teachers notice textspeak within student writing? (b) What do middle school literacy teachers report as the impact of textspeak on students’ written work? (c) What are middle school teachers’ attitudes about using features of texting, or textspeak, in written classwork? (d) How do middle school teachers describe student attitudes about using features of texting, or textspeak, in written classwork? Following individual interviews with 12 educators, the researcher analyzed the data in search of patterns and themes in the responses. The results were both positive and negative. The participants reported that textspeak was beneficial because it increased students’ personal efficiency in notes and group or team assignments. However, they reported the negative aspect of textspeak is it reduces students’ writing expertise and students’ grades. Future research could expand on investigating the effects of textspeak on students’ writing from kindergarten to 12th grade in all subjects. Additional research could determine if the use of textspeak in the media has influenced the quality of students’ writing. Furthermore, future studies could analyze the effects of texting and typing on students’ mechanics of penmanship and letter formation

Use of Textism by University Students in Nigeria

The introduction of computer-mediated communications brought the use of textism into human communication. Even though there are overwhelming advantages that surround the use of textism, concerns have been raised on the effect of the use of textism on students' use of the English language. This study investigated the use of textism by University of Ibadan students as well as the factors that influence use. The descriptive survey research design was adopted. Data were collected by an online questionnaire and an observation of Whatsapp chats of the students. The study confirmed the use of textism in computer-mediated communication by students as textism was used consciously and unconsciously, and was used both in formal and informal discussions. A below-average number of the students reported that they used textism daily and in every chat (47.4% and 44.0% respectively). Analysis of the Whatsapp chats also revealed a high use of textism and the various types of textism used by the students. Brevity, speed, and creativity were major reasons for the use of textism. Phonological approximation (30.5%) was the most used, while homophones and onomatopoeia (0.01% respectively) were the least used. The test of hypotheses revealed that all the independent variables except the structure domain have significant relationships (p<0.05) with the use of textism. Sociolinguistic maxims, peer influence, and language influence have strong and positive correlations (r = 0.595, 0.657, and 0.581 respectively), while personality traits and psychological factors have moderate and positive correlations (r = 0.480 and 0.489 respectively). The study made some recommendations

Textese and secondary school learners : identifying textisms in formal written English

This inquiry employs a purposefully designed proofreading protocol to obtain empirical data on the ability of the target population (i.e. South African secondary school learners aged 13 to 17 – grades 8 to 11 – with English first-language proficiency from the upper-middle class socio-economic sphere in the urban Pretoria region) to identify textisms in formal written Standard English. The proofreading protocol is supplemented by a teacher survey to obtain attitudinal data on teachers’ views on textese and their learners’ written work, and the data obtained from the two research instruments are compared. It is argued that the target audience of secondary school learners, as part of the ‘digital native’ generation, might have reached the ‘point of saturation’ and will therefore struggle to identify textisms in a formal writing context because they are so used to seeing them in informal writing contexts. Register theory is accordingly used to argue that due to the target population’s frequent exposure to and use of textese, they might not have a precise grasp of register and will therefore struggle to identify textisms in formal written Standard English. The results indicate that the 288 secondary school learners who participated in this study do, in fact, have a precise grasp of register and will not struggle to identify textisms in formal written Standard English. The results further suggest that textese does not currently pose a threat to Standard English in South Africa as it merely reveals English’s remarkable ability to adapt to its users’ ever-changing demands and needs.Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2015.Humanities EducationUnrestricte

English Language Butchered: A Study of the Correlational Relationship Between Text Messaging Frequency and the Instance of Jargon in Formal Writing

The rapidly evolving text messaging phenomenon among teenagers and young adults is noteworthy. This study was designed to investigate the relationship between text messaging frequency and use of text messaging jargon in formal writing. The sample consisted of 152 Year 11-13 secondary school students (68 males and 84 females) ranging from ages 14 to 18. The participants were taken from three Secondary Schools and Colleges in the greater Wellington area. This study used a non-experimental quantitative design; specifically, a correlational research design. A ten- item questionnaire was used to assess general text messaging behaviours and text messaging frequency. The participants‘ formal writing pieces were also assessed and text messaging jargon forms such as alternative phonetic spelling, vowel deletion and alphanumerisms were identified. The participants‘ language ability (represented by their NCEA scores for the previous year) was also assessed. The results revealed that the participants sent an average of 95 text messages per day with girls averaging about 126 messages per day while the boys averaged 64 messages per day. Overall, the research revealed that there was a weak negative correlational relationship (-0.01; p=.986) between frequency of text messaging and instance of text jargon in formal writing. Therefore, the principal conclusion of the study was that the two variables, frequency of text messaging and instance of jargon in formal writing were not statistically related

Writing Development in Struggling Learners

In Writing Development in Struggling Learners, international researchers provide insights into the development of writing skills from early writing and spelling development through to composition, the reasons individuals struggle to acquire proficient writing skills and how to help these learners.; Readership: Academic libraries, graduate students; post-graduate researchers; literacy researchers; educated lay persons; literacy specialists; primary/secondary educators