Yet Another Study Shows Txting Improves Kids' Spelling

from the ok,-are-we-done-yet? dept

While it still seems like the common belief is that "txt spk" and other sorts of abbreviated elements of the English language harm kids' ability to write properly, we've seen study after study after study after study after study after study has found exactly the opposite. They've found that most kids can tell the difference, and do understand what's proper and what's not. On top of that, heavy texters tend to be better spellers, because they're much more used to writing -- even if they tend to abbreviate the language when communicating via technology.

So it almost seems superfluous to mention that yet another one of these studies has come out and it, too, has found that those who regularly use txt spk have very strong literacy skills. But what's annoying is that both the researchers and the BBC act as if this was a "surprise." It's as if no one bothered to check to see if similar research had been done before, and found the many, many, many studies all saying the same exact thing.
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Filed Under: kids, spelling, students, studies, texting, txt speak


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  1. icon
    Idobek (profile), 22 Jan 2010 @ 3:38am

    Credit where credit's due

    I'm impressed the BBC acknowledged the report at all.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  2. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 22 Jan 2010 @ 4:39am

    I text loads

    and my spelings great!

    link to this | view in thread ]

  3. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 22 Jan 2010 @ 5:32am

    Re: I text loads

    oh boy!

    link to this | view in thread ]

  4. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 22 Jan 2010 @ 5:50am

    Re: I text loads

    OMFG! ROFL!

    link to this | view in thread ]

  5. identicon
    Brad Eleven, 22 Jan 2010 @ 6:00am

    Re: I text loads

    I can't say as much for your grammar . . . and you missed an apostrophe back there, Champ.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  6. icon
    senshikaze (profile), 22 Jan 2010 @ 6:27am

    what?
    Technology may actually help kids?
    na-na-na I CAN'T HEAR YOU!

    link to this | view in thread ]

  7. icon
    Chuck Norris' Enemy (deceased) (profile), 22 Jan 2010 @ 6:55am

    Manipulated results

    You could easily manipulate results by ensuring that the word lose is not on the test. I am certain it is the most (unintentionally) misspelled word on teh (intentional) internet. Seeing lose spelled loose is the bee in my bonnet. =)

    link to this | view in thread ]

  8. identicon
    Big Al, 22 Jan 2010 @ 7:04am

    Re: Manipulated results

    I have to agree with you there - with the erroneous use of 'affect' and 'effect' coming a very close second...

    link to this | view in thread ]

  9. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 22 Jan 2010 @ 8:46am

    Re: Re: Manipulated results

    I don't see how texting could effect my spelling or gramar

    link to this | view in thread ]

  10. identicon
    Angal, 22 Jan 2010 @ 8:52am

    Empirical results say otherwise

    I work at a university and among the emails and letters that flow across my desk, I've noticed a definite trend in poorly spelled communications (too much reliance on spellcheck?) by students - many of whom feel that text-speak is appropriate in official notifications.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  11. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 22 Jan 2010 @ 9:04am

    Yes, those who are ardent users of text messaging and those who are not tend to have similar spelling skills. Of course, neither group for the most part has mastered the relatively simple art of spelling correctly. A simple reading of written reports submitted for grading in JHS and HS courses makes this only too clear.

    Then again, neither group for the most part has mastered grammar, paragraphs, punctuation, sentence structure, parts of speech, etc. Doubt me? Try reading papers submitted by students in even so-called "advanced placement" courses.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  12. icon
    Mike Driscoll (profile), 22 Jan 2010 @ 9:40am

    Similar in MMORPG's?

    My eight year old doesn't txt but will play MMORPGs as much as he is allowed. A major component of the ones he plays is communicating with other players. I know he uses txt talk there however he seems to get the difference as his English grades are excellent.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  13. icon
    another mike (profile), 22 Jan 2010 @ 10:50am

    Re: Re: I text loads

    YOUR WRONG! Your the one missing apostrophe's. Its really very simple. Theirs nothing too it. But the affect of you're bad grammer shows they're are ...

    And now I'm laughing too hard to keep going, sorry.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  14. icon
    another mike (profile), 22 Jan 2010 @ 10:59am

    As a Scoutmaster, I get to see a lot of material written by the Scouts. And I'll tell you, access to and use of technology is not the determining factor here. The largest difference I've seen regarding these kids' use of language is the involvement of the parents. Having parents who are involved in their child's activities, with the Troop, with school, leads to much better vocabulary and grammar.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  15. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 25 Jan 2010 @ 12:04pm

    Re: Empirical results say otherwise

    Your empirical results don't say anything about improvement or degradation. All you can say is that students with poor English skills use text-speak.

    You immediately assume that text-speak is the source of the problem, without even bothering to consider your students' writing skills in general. Unless you can bring out some examples of their work showing a degradation into chatroom abbreviations, you're simply guessing at the solution before you've even identified the problem.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  16. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 2 Feb 2010 @ 6:52pm

    | th1nk th3 w0rld i5 fre4king 0ut ov3r a pr3tty p3tty find|ng.

    link to this | view in thread ]


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