IM-speak in essays, term papers

[EStreetJoe]

http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/02/09/chat.lingo.ap/index.html

Students use IM-lingo in essays
POSTED: 11:33 p.m. EST, February 10, 2007

Some excerpts from the story..

ORLANDO, Florida (AP) -- Middle school teacher Julia Austin is noticing a new generation of errors creeping into her pupils' essays.

Sure, they still commit the classic blunders -- like the commonly used "ain't." But an increasing number of Austin's eighth-graders also submit classwork containing "b4," "ur," "2" and "wata" -- words that may confuse adults but are part of the teens' everyday lives.

................

But junior high and high school teachers nationwide say they see a troubling trend: The words have become so commonplace in children's social lives that the techno spellings are finding their way into essays and other writing assignments.

"The IM-speak is so prevalent now," said Austin, a language arts teacher at Stonewall Jackson Middle School in Orlando. "I'm always having to instruct my students against using it."
........................

Vicki A. Davis, a high school teacher at Westwood Schools in Camilla, Georgia, said she even finds the abbreviated words in term papers.

"I'm Southern, but I wouldn't use the sayings, "squeal like a pig" or "kick the bucket," in formal writing (because) some people may not understand," Davis said. "IM-speak should be treated the same way."

.............................................

Some educators, like David Warlick, 54, of Raleigh, North Carolina, see the young burgeoning band of instant messengers as a phenomenon that should be celebrated. Teachers should credit their students with inventing a new language ideal for communicating in a high-tech world, said Warlick, who has authored three books on technology in the classroom.

I can't begin to say how much I disagree with Mr. Warlick. He's commending students for not being able to write in plain English and making short-hand acceptable.

 

[slappy4428]

u r f-tard 4 sure...

 

[SoSueMe]

I can totally see how writing "da" instead of "the" is a time-saving method. I mean, typing that THIRD LETTER is killer!

I weep for the future.

 

[Ellis Redding]

Some educators, like David Warlick, 54, of Raleigh, North Carolina, see the young burgeoning band of instant messengers as a phenomenon that should be celebrated. Teachers should credit their students with inventing a new language ideal for communicating in a high-tech world, said Warlick, who has authored three books on technology in the classroom.

DING DING DING! It's a great idea, teachers. And I have three books to illustrate how to better accomplish this!

 

[zeke12]

I can totally see how writing "da" instead of "the" is a time-saving method. I mean, typing that THIRD LETTER is killer!

I weep for the future.

I'm not defending kids who do this in essays, but have you ever sent a text message on a cell phone?

You want to save ever character you can.

 

[EStreetJoe]

I can totally see how writing "da" instead of "the" is a time-saving method. I mean, typing that THIRD LETTER is killer!

I weep for the future.

I'm not defending kids who do this in essays, but have you ever sent a text message on a cell phone?

You want to save ever character you can.

On a cellphone (or IM'ing on the computer) it's one thing, but to do it in an essay for school is just wrong and any educator that thinks otherwise isn't much of an educator.

 

[SoSueMe]

I can totally see how writing "da" instead of "the" is a time-saving method. I mean, typing that THIRD LETTER is killer!

I weep for the future.

I'm not defending kids who do this in essays, but have you ever sent a text message on a cell phone?

You want to save ever character you can.

Try this on: I'm 31, don't own a cell phone. Never have. I carry quarters. I'm not that important. If work thinks I am, they can pay for the cell phone.

Cell phones, camera phones, text messaging et al are TOYS and LUXURIES (and inconveniences) I don't want or need.

 

[BTExpress]

I'm not defending kids who do this in essays, but have you ever sent a text message on a cell phone?

Nope. And I've never seen a reason to.

 

[FishHack76]

I can totally see how writing "da" instead of "the" is a time-saving method. I mean, typing that THIRD LETTER is killer!

I weep for the future.

I'm not defending kids who do this in essays, but have you ever sent a text message on a cell phone?

You want to save ever character you can.

Try this on: I'm 31, don't own a cell phone. Never have. I carry quarters. I'm not that important. If work thinks I am, they can pay for the cell phone.

Cell phones, camera phones, text messaging et al are TOYS and LUXURIES (and inconveniences) I don't want or need.

I can totally see how writing "da" instead of "the" is a time-saving method. I mean, typing that THIRD LETTER is killer!

I weep for the future.

I'm not defending kids who do this in essays, but have you ever sent a text message on a cell phone?

You want to save ever character you can.

Try this on: I'm 31, don't own a cell phone. Never have. I carry quarters. I'm not that important. If work thinks I am, they can pay for the cell phone.

Cell phones, camera phones, text messaging et al are TOYS and LUXURIES (and inconveniences) I don't want or need.

I somehow have the image of an old man shaking his fist ... I don't know why ;)

 

[Dyno]

I'm not defending kids who do this in essays, but have you ever sent a text message on a cell phone?

You want to save ever character you can.

I send text messages and I spell out every word. It's a pain, but I think all the shorthand is more annoying than the "trouble" it is to spell out words.

 

[SoSueMe]

I can totally see how writing "da" instead of "the" is a time-saving method. I mean, typing that THIRD LETTER is killer!

I weep for the future.

I'm not defending kids who do this in essays, but have you ever sent a text message on a cell phone?

You want to save ever character you can.

Try this on: I'm 31, don't own a cell phone. Never have. I carry quarters. I'm not that important. If work thinks I am, they can pay for the cell phone.

Cell phones, camera phones, text messaging et al are TOYS and LUXURIES (and inconveniences) I don't want or need.

I can totally see how writing "da" instead of "the" is a time-saving method. I mean, typing that THIRD LETTER is killer!

I weep for the future.

I'm not defending kids who do this in essays, but have you ever sent a text message on a cell phone?

You want to save ever character you can.

Try this on: I'm 31, don't own a cell phone. Never have. I carry quarters. I'm not that important. If work thinks I am, they can pay for the cell phone.

Cell phones, camera phones, text messaging et al are TOYS and LUXURIES (and inconveniences) I don't want or need.

I somehow have the image of an old man shaking his fist ... I don't know why ;)

Damn you technology! Damn you to hell!

 

[zeke12]

I'm not saying anyone has to use a cell phone or text on one.

Just saying, once you have, you understand why those meddling kids use the abbreviations they do.

 

[JR]

I'm not saying anyone has to use a cell phone or text on one.

Just saying, once you have, you understand why those meddling kids use the abbreviations they do.

It's also because there's a limit of so many characters per message you're allowed. On my phone, it's 160 characters.

 

[grrlhack]

Zeke, I'm with Dyno. I spell out everything when I text. Yeah, sure, it's a *****. But it separates me from a 16-year-old that has no vocabulary or ability to spell. <shrug>

 

[JR]

Zeke, I'm with Dyno. I spell out everything when I text. Yeah, sure, it's a *****. But it separates me from a 16-year-old that has no vocabulary or ability to spell. <shrug>

Whatever.

 

[alleyallen]

OK...let's look at this from a different perspective.

Would you use the term LOL on a text message? Perhaps, if you're a loser and can't think of anything more creatively. Still, it's an acceptable, if not distasteful, term.

But would you use LOL in a term paper?

Just because a term is good for texting or chatting doesn't mean it's also good for every day communications. U C?

 

[Songbird]

ROTFLMAO <3

 

[Montezuma's Revenge]

I'm not saying anyone has to use a cell phone or text on one.

Just saying, once you have, you understand why those meddling kids use the abbreviations they do.

I understand why they use it to text message. Texting is a royal pain in the ass.

But that's a different form of communication.

Sort of like saying "****" around your friends, but when you get around your parents and grandparents, you clean it up.

 

[Songbird]

Why is the Random Thoughts thread locked?

 

[zeke12]

I can totally see how writing "da" instead of "the" is a time-saving method. I mean, typing that THIRD LETTER is killer!

I weep for the future.

I'm not defending kids who do this in essays, but have you ever sent a text message on a cell phone?

You want to save ever character you can.

Montezuma --

Same point I was making, albeit badly.

My original point was that there WAS a reason to use two characters instead of three WHEN TEXTING.

If you haven't tried to text on a phone, I understand why that makes no sense.