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