According to author Connie Regan, “Today’s “e” world is a whirlwind of electronic messages. Children, teens, and adults send their most fleeting thoughts spinning around the world for the eyes of anyone with an Internet connection. The bulk of these messages are informal, often abbreviated into a language unrecognizable as English to earlier generations.”
Text speak in the classroom
Educators find that students, raised on abbreviated text messages, are less able to communicate in formal, standard English. Not only do students find communicating in standard English challenging, they struggle to understand the importance of doing so!
“We’re looking at some of these writing skills and what I’m noticing is [that] there is miscommunication due to the fact that their communication is so limited,” says Chad Dion Lassiter, professor of race relations at the University of Pennsylvania .”The problem is the adults. We have to train adults to work with young people and hold them accountable.”
Why is correct grammar so important?
Clear, concise, and grammatically correct writing is important because written communications are often the primary, if not the only, impression potential employers, customers, clients, and colleagues may have of an individual. “Readers may perceive bad writers as ignorant or uneducated and therefore dismiss their ideas, even if they do understand them. Students may be personable, outgoing, genuine, intelligent, and skilled – but if they do not write well they may never have the chance to make their talents known,” explains Regan.
And, the importance of solid writing skills goes even deeper. According to experts, writing is a skill tied inextricably to the thought process. Students who fire off text messages instantly answer before thinking and often do not learn to process ideas thoroughly.
Get started! National Speak in Complete Sentences Day
National Speak In Complete Sentences Day is observed annually on May 31st. This day is dedicated to using proper sentence structure while speaking (and writing, too!). That means no LOL or ASAP on May 31. If you simply must “Laugh Out Loud” “As Soon As Possible”, say it or write it the way it was meant to be.
According to author Jace Shoemaker-Galloway of The Examiner, Speak in Complete Sentences Day, the origins of this holiday are unknown, but a frustrated language, writing or speech teacher probably came up with the idea!
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