Textspeak is here to stay, like it or not

People are quick to blame SMS language or “textspeak” for a rise in incorrect spelling and grammar among children and adults alike. It is also seen by parents and teachers as a barrier keeping children from learning English properly, contributing to the degradation in the English language.

However, people are failing to see the opportunities that can come from it. Many parents and teachers aren’t aware that textspeak serves a very definite purpose within the context of which it is used and is rarely due to laziness, rebellion or habit.

SMS language is mostly used when communicating with someone that the sender is close to. This is confirmed by the fact that 65% of all abbreviations in textspeak are used to identify people, such as “u”, “bf”, and “ppl”. A further 11% is used to identify possessive pronouns such as “ur”. Ten percent is reserved for amusement or expressions, such as “lol” and “haha”, further confirming that the context here is very obviously friendly, intimate and casual communication.

The limited character space offered by a single SMS has brought about a need for acronyms and clever wordplay. The aim of the language is to fit as much information as possible into the restricted space that a single SMS allows for.

Textspeak in the school environment

Just as children understand the difference between languages, similarly they recognise that certain writing styles are suitable in their intended contexts only. Older children specifically have no problems differentiating the writing style and spelling needed for formalised documents from the much more intimate and informal SMS language.

According to a study done by Kristy (née Freudenberg) Winzker as part of her master of philosophy thesis at the University of Stellenbosch titled “Investigating the impact of SMS speak on the written work of English first language and English second language high-school learners” (March 2009). It was identified that although Grade 11 learners reported using SMS more frequently than Grade 8 learners, they used significantly less SMS language elements in their written work.

Only in situations where textspeak is tolerated in a formal context, or in instances where English is not a person’s first language, can this become a real problem.

If children are letting this kind of language creep into their school work, they only need be told it is not tolerated and it will not stand in the way of their learning process.

Textspeak in the work environment

There have also been instances in the workplace where SMS slang is used, but as soon as management indicates that it is not acceptable in a business setting, the textspeak stops.

Businesses generally avoid the use of acronyms or text slang when sending out SMSs to their clients or subscribers. They might compromise on punctuation to optimise SMS space, but the spelling is generally perfect.

The reality is that SMS language is here to stay, like it or not. As long as there is a need for the SMS, there will be a need for textspeak.

The answer lies in teaching children from an early age to use language correctly and in the right context. The solution is education.