Chapter 1 Introduction OMG! Rili? Dnt now bowt dat. lmfao. Btw, wr u nw? Fam. dner 2nyt s hauz, r u cuming? Repz, azap..!! ”,. Have you received that style of text message? Have you sent this kind of text message? In the Philippines where almost everyone has cellular phones, this style of text messaging is no riddle basically for teenagers and young adults. Text messaging has become a common everyday means of communication by which many of us communicate at a distance on a daily basis practically because text messaging cost less than an actual voice call.
In 2006, 500 million text messages were sent daily and 250 million in 2005, according to the National Telecommunications Commission. Smart Communications, the country’s biggest telecoms group, said that messages on its network hit a daily average of 700-750 million in 2006. Rival Globe Telecom told Reuters about 300-400 million messages were sent daily on its network also in 2006. And in 2007 it raised up to 1 billion text messages. (http://technology. inquirer. net) At the end of 2007, four of the top mobile service providers in the country stated that there are 42. 8 million mobile subscribers in the Philippines; thus Philippines have become the “texting capital of the world. ” (www. aldersgate-college. com) When people send text messages, they need the speed of the communication as it is essential to the conversation. Some people even have virtual “text conversations” whereby two people will send numerous text messages back and forth in almost similar manner as if they were speaking to each other directly face to face. An entirely new culture of “text speak” has emerged.
This involves texting using abbreviations and symbols, instead of correct spelling, to shorten the length of time and space it takes to write a sentence with the same meaning intended. The expanding availability of text messaging raised questions and criticisms about the effects of text messaging on standard literacy. One of the most cited criticisms, particularly by academics, is that text messages have encouraged the “dumbing down” of our youth when it comes to spelling. It is accurate to say that the over-use of texting has been detrimental to the way students write formally in the classroom and in the real world.
The character limitations on text messages have caused students to form their own style of writing. Using this style so frequently has caused them to carry it over to formal writing projects. Although students are writing more than ever, they are writing with little to no depth, terrible grammar, and are abbreviating almost every word they write. Texting has negatively affected the way students write. This study aims to determine whether the texting habits of the fourth year high school students of Bacolod City High School should be a concern as it is significantly demeaning their spelling proficiency.
Statement of the Problem This study seeks to know the correlation of frequent text messaging using abbreviated words on the English spelling proficiency of the Fourth Year students of Bacolod City High School for the 3rd Quarter of S. Y. 2011-2012. Objectives of the study 1. To give awareness to the students of the negative effects of frequent use of abbreviated words in text messaging to their English spelling proficiency. 2. To encourage them to practice correct spelling in texting from time to time if possible. 3.
To help them realize that practice of correct spelling will help their English spelling proficiency and vocabulary skills in the long run. Null Hypothesis There is no skeptical effect of texting to the spelling proficiency of the fourth year students of Bacolod City High School. Hypothesis There is a negative effect of texting using abbreviated words to the spelling proficiency of the fourth year students of Bacolod City High School. Theoretical Framework Philippines retained its title as the text messaging capital of the world – sending a remarkable 1. 9 billion text messages from a subscriber base of just 50 million. Since then, Filipino cell phone users have developed a culture of texting as a necessity for day to day activity. (www. wayodd. com). When people send text messages, they make words short to save more space for more words on the screen as the length of the message is limited. That’s when abbreviation comes along. Abbreviation makes the message concise but with all the sense of what was meant. As abbreviation is used by the sender and if the receiver understands, he would realize the usefulness of the system and later find himself using the same system.
Our study is about the negative effect of text messaging using abbreviated words. Our main concern is that it may affect the teen ager’s academic performance and English literacy as a whole. Our study theorizes that poor English spelling proficiency will lead to a miserable reading, writing and comprehending capacity of the teenagers and will eventually post a threat to their future. Our chosen subjects as representatives to teenagers are the fourth year students of Bacolod City High School and the data gathering will be done through random sampling for about 10 students per section.
With our prepared set of questions answerable by yes, no and explanation from their own opinion, our team is eager to determine their awareness of the issue to how does and how much does it affect them. Conceptual Framework Our chosen conceptual framework shows our conjecture to the precedence of our proposed topic. The subjects use cellular phones basically for communication specifically for text messaging. Abbreviated words make it even easier and faster for them to keep in touch and in the end, the subject’s spelling proficiency decline over time. Fourth Year Students of Bacolod City High School
Poor Spelling Proficiency Abbreviated Words Cellular Phones Text messaging Makes them send message easier and faster Most utilized commodity Figure: Ching-chih Chen, Professor, Simmons College Scope and Limitation The research will basically focus on the English spelling proficiency of the fourth year students from Bacolod City High School, considering text messaging using abbreviated words as a determinant. It will also focus on the effects of the diminishing quality of their spelling proficiency to their English vocabulary skills and how will it affect their future.
The research will be conducted on randomly selected students in which we will need quantitative and qualitative data’s in duration of 5 months. Significance of the Study Our proposed study is about the effect of technological and social modernization in terms of communication thus it is current and timely. Reading and writing is essential to the everyday life especially of a student that’s why recognizing one big factor that affects the quality of their writing and comprehension will make a huge impact to their awareness.
If the proposed study will be approved, executed, and its objectives achieved, it will be significant basically to the students themselves as it will save them from the threat of a diminishing quality of their English spelling proficiency and English vocabulary in the long run. Definition of research problem: Key concepts 1. Text Messaging This means sending of short text messaging that takes place between two or more mobile devices. 2. English Spelling The alphabetic spelling system used by the English language.
It is the set of habits to represent speech sounds in writing and mainly based on how the language was pronounced. 3. Spelling Proficiency This is the ability to construct words with letters in an accepted order, orthography and ability to construct a word of the exact meaning intended. 4. Abbreviated Words The shortened or contracted form of words or phrase, used to represent the whole Chapter 2 Review of Related Literature Philippines still text messaging champ -US study US-based technology and social media news blog Mashable. om today released an info graphic detailing text messaging trends in the US and around the world, aggregated from various news sources. Perhaps not surprisingly, the Philippines continue to be the text messaging capital of the world. Citing collated data from Reuters, the New York Times, CTIA. org, UPI. com, Pew Research, Kvue. com, Matzav. com, and Portio Research, the info graphic showed that, in 2009, the average Filipino mobile subscriber sent an average of 600 text messages per month, or 43 percent more than their US counterparts. (www. gmanews. tv,nd) Text messaging in the Philippines explained K.
Oanh Ha has written a wonderfully comprehensive article for the Mercury News on the people of the Philippines’s particular relationship with text messaging; A vital tool for daily communication, a bonus for commerce and government as well as a formidable political weapon. “Dubbed the “texting capital of the world”, text messaging in the Philippines “isn’t just a craze, it’s a way of life. This country’s 80 million people send 160 million cell phone messages a day. In a country where computer and Internet penetration remains low, text messaging is the equivalent of e-mail and computer instant messaging rolled into one. (www. textually. org,nd) The Effect of Text Messaging on Spelling Most of us have mobile phones these days and since their widespread take up, they have revolutionized the ways in which we communicate with each other. One of the most widely used applications is text (SMS) messaging, particularly amongst teenagers and children even younger. One of the most cited criticisms, particularly by academics, is that text messages have encouraged the ‘dumbing down’ of our youth when it comes to spelling but it’s important to look at the whole culture of text messaging before jumping to conclusions.
The Culture of Text Messaging Text messages have become a common everyday means by which many of us communicate at a distance on a daily basis. For children who have mobile phones in particular, it is probably the most used application on their phones often because it’s far cheaper for them to send text messages than it is to make calls. When considering spelling and text messages, however, it’s important to remember that the culture of text messaging is all about speed and instant communication.
Text Messaging, Speed and Instancy When people send text messages, they rely on the speed of the communication as well as often having an expectation that they’ll get a response quickly. Some people even have virtual ‘text conversations’ whereby two people will send several text messages back and forth in a similar manner as if they were speaking to each other face to face. Therefore, in order to make this as instantaneous as possible, an entirely new culture of ‘text speak’ has emerged.
This involves texting using abbreviations and symbols, instead of correct spelling, to shorten the length of time it takes to write a sentence without diluting its meaning. Here are some examples and what they mean. * OMG = Oh my God * Str8 = straight * 2moz or 2moro = tomorrow * 2G2BT = too good to be true * LOL = laugh out loud (to indicate a person’s laughing in response to a text) There are literally thousands of these abbreviations which people use when texting as alternative spellings to words, simply to save time and to make communication more instant.
Is Text Messaging Bad For Spelling Then? This is a question that’s often asked and there is divided opinion both for and against. Opponents will point to the fact that text messaging doesn’t encourage young people to learn how to spell correctly whilst those in favor will state that abbreviated spelling is just a quick and easy method to convey a message by text. Basically, what it is important to understand is that text messaging has its own unique style and culture – particularly amongst teenagers and young people.
For example, take the word ‘cool’ which young people will often write in a text as ‘kewl’. Here, it’s plain to see that the length of the two words is the same so no time has been saved. However, it’s also important to recognize that the use of ‘kewl’ has been adopted more from a ‘fashionable’ and culturally appropriate viewpoint. Therefore, although opinion might be divided, there is no clear scientific evidence that text messages can be blamed for dumbing down the spelling skills of our youth.
Granted, some children will learn to spell correctly far more quickly and easily than others. However, even the poorest spellers in the world would probably be able to tell you that the text spelling of ‘str8’ for ‘straight’ is incorrect in terms of using proper English. For those critics of text messaging, it’s often worth pointing out that the vast majority of good spellers and English speakers will often use words and language in written form that they would never use in verbal conversation anyway. Therefore, as a direct correlation, this could also be applied to ‘text speak’.
It is, after all, not meant to be seen as a written form of communication but an extension of how we might have a conversation if we were speaking over the phone. Therefore, it’s probably better to perceive it in that way as opposed to being overly critical about spelling in text messages as the vast majority of people who use ‘text speak’ know only too well that they’re using incorrect spellings – whether or not they know how to spell a particular word correctly. (http://www. growingkids. co. uk,nd) Philippines wrestle with ‘Jejemon’ cyber-dialect
MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines is wrestling with what authorities say is a language monster invading youth-speak in Internet social networks and mobile phone text messaging. The phenomenon has triggered enormous social debate, with the government declaring an “all out war” against the cyber-dialect, called ‘jejemon’, but the Catholic Church defending it as a form of free expression. The word ‘jejemon’ is derived from ‘jeje’ as a substitute for ‘hehe’ — the SMS term for laughter — and then affixing it with ‘mon’ — taken from the popular Japanese anime of cute trainable monsters called “Pokemon. Education Secretary Mona Valisno believes it could blunt the Philippines’ edge in English proficiency, which has long helped the impoverished country attract foreign investment and sustain its lucrative outsourcing industry. “Texting or using wrong English and wrong spelling could be very bad,” Valisno told reporters recently as she declared her war on jejemon, urging teachers and parents to encourage the nation’s youth to use correct English. “What I am concerned about is the right construction, grammar. This is for their own improvement, for them to be able to land good jobs in the future. Jejemon emerged over the past year as young people tried to shorten text messages on mobile phones, language experts say. It then morphed into a unique language that spawned new words and phrases by deliberately stringing together mis-spelled words without syntax and liberally sprinkling them with punctuation marks. And the initial idea of tighter texting got lost as many “words” became longer than the originals. Instead of spelling “hello” for example, jejemon users spell it as “HeLouWH” or “Eowwwh”, while the expression “oh, please” becomes “eoowHh.. puhLeaZZ. Or, throwing a bit of the local language Tagalog into the mix, you can tell your significant other “lAbqCkyOuHh” (I love you) or “iMiszqcKyuH” (I miss you), and convey that you’re happy by texting “jAjaja” or “jeJejE. ” There are however no hard and fast rules in the constantly evolving jejemon, which perhaps add to its appeal for teens and the bewilderment of adults. The jejemon craze quickly spread among the country’s more than 50 million mobile phone subscribers, who send a world-leading average of up to 12 text messages each every day, according to industry and government figures.
It then found its way among Filipinos in social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. For Manila high school student Laudemer Pojas, jejemon is an important part of his lifestyle that allows him to talk with friends using coded messages beyond the grasp of his strict parents. “I am a jejemon addict,” said the portly 17-year-old Pojas. “I don’t know what the big fuss is all about. It’s orig (unique) to people my age, like street lingo but on the net and texting. “It’s also easier to do and can’t be read by my parents who check my cel (mobile phone) from time to time. He said he met many new friends on Facebook after he joined a site defending jejemon from the “jejebusters” — or those who hate the language. Gary Mariano, a professor at Manila’s De La Salle University and an expert in new media, said he had mixed feelings about jejemon. “I’m torn between efficiency and formal correctness,” Mariano said, pointing out jejemon was borne out of people simply adapting to a digital lifestyle. “I require my students to use formal language in school papers, but when it comes to ordinary e-mails or text messages, I can be more tolerant. There should be no shame in using shortcuts in Internet language, but for the young ones who have not been exposed to proper English, then jejemon will not give them that foundation. ” He noted that languages had always evolved, with many of the world’s tongues constantly borrowing from one another. “Even in modern English, there is still a debate on which is better, the one spoken by the British or the Americans,” he said. “The history of language has been full of transitions. ” Mariano said he used jejemon, albeit sparingly, and that he knew of many English grammar teachers who had taken to it.
English was first introduced to the archipelago more than a century ago when the United States brought in teachers to tutor the locals at the end of its war with Spain in 1898. By the time full independence was gained in the mid-1940s, English was so widely spoken it subsequently became the medium of instruction in all schools and the unofficial second language next to Filipino. But educators in recent years have lamented that spoken and written English appears to have deteriorated among the more than 90 million Filipinos.
One key indicator is that outsourcing firms that once relied on the pool of American-sounding Filipinos have recently reported a drop in recruitment. This has forced the government to allocate more funds to upgrade English proficiency skills among teachers — which education secretary Valisno warned would be imperiled if the jejemon phenomenon was not stopped. However, jejemon advocates have found an unlikely ally in the influential Roman Catholic Church, whose position on key social issues shapes public opinion. It said jejemon was a form of free expression, comparing it to the language of hippies’ decades ago. Language is merely an expression of experience,” said Joel Baylon, who heads the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines’ commission on youth. What is more important are the values behind the language. ” (http://www. abs-cbnnews. com/lifestyle/06/16/10/) Filipinos Are Getting the Message Text messaging is all the rage here. The trick now is to spread the word globally. Once a month, 24-year-old Jane Manarang drops by the McDonald’s (MCD ) in her busy Manila neighborhood. But she’s not there for a burger and fries. Instead, she is stopping by to cash an electronic check.
Her husband, a teller at Forex International in Hong Kong, sends a portion of his salary to Manarang using a new mobile-phone-based cash remittance service called Smart Padala. His Hong Kong remittance company sends a text message to Jane’s phone, crediting the money to her account. Then she transfers the credit to McDonald’s cell-phone account through her phone, and Mickey D gives her the money, taking a percentage of the amount cashed as a fee. It’s a great deal for Manarang and her husband, Glenn, because it costs much less than the $5 Glenn would pay for a wire transfer.
For amounts above $180, Manarang gets a free Big Mac meal to boot. “It’s so fast,” marvels Manarang. “I receive a text message, and I can quickly get cash. ” That kind of innovative service has made the Philippines the king of text messaging worldwide. Filipinos send an average of 200 million messages daily, or 2. 4 per capita. In fact, many Filipinos ignore the voice capabilities of their phones and use their handsets almost exclusively for texting. Nearly 38% of sales in the Philippine cellular market come from text, compared with 1% to 2% in the U. S. This tidal wave of text has made cellular operators rich.
Sales at No. 1 operator Smart Communications Inc. , a subsidiary of Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PHI ), jumped by 50%, to $616 million, in the first nine months of this year, while profits soared 212%, to $184 million. Sales at rival Globe Telecom Inc. climbed 14%, to $737 million, and income grew 19%, to $160 million. The two operators have prospered in part by introducing services that make money transfers by text easier. Customers of both Smart and Globe can load up their phones with electronic funds they can use for both phoning and shopping.
When they shop in a store, they pay by sending a text message that transfers the credit to a retailer’s account. If a customer wants to convert cash into an electronic credit, the retailers can “top up” the customer’s prepaid phone accounts by sending text messages that load credits onto the phones. Globe, which launched G-Cash in October to counter Smart Padala, offers other novel services, including Text Collect, which lets prepaid subscribers, send messages at the recipient’s expense, or where the sender agrees to pay for a reply. OVER THE TOP
Now the carriers are looking to expand the market by letting subscribers resell talk time to friends and neighbors. These so-called load transfers allow users to buy phone time in increments as small as 4 cents — increasing usage among even the poorest Filipinos. A few years ago the penetration rate for wireless subscribers was expected to peak at around 25% of the Philippines’ population of 84 million. Today it has already breached 30%. Globe is now predicting that 45% to 50% of the population will be texting on cell phones by next year.
Now the carriers are taking their act overseas, with services aimed at the 8 million Filipinos scattered across the globe. Smart introduced Smart Padala in August, and it has tie-ups with remittance centers or banks in Hong Kong, Japan, the U. S. , and several European countries. Globe did the same in October. In August, Smart launched a service targeted at Filipinos in Hong Kong called 1528 Smart. Guest workers who sign up can not only send money via text messaging but can also make low-cost calls home.
Smart and Globe still consider their foreign forays an experiment. But the initial results have been encouraging. Philippine ex-pats have made some 15,000 transfers of cash, for a total of about $2 million, since the Smart Padala service was introduced. That’s a drop in the bucket compared with the $7 billion that Filipinos working abroad send home every year, but enough to buy a whole lot of Big Macs. (www. businessweek. com,nd) The Negative Effects of Text Messaging Text messaging was intended to be a good thing. After all, it’s quick, relatively cheap, and private.
On a train for instance, text messaging isn’t nearly as annoying as talking on your cell phone. However, there is enough negative to text messaging that it warrants pointing it out. The most important negative to text messaging in my opinion is a safety issue. Many states have made talking on a cell phone without the use of a head set while driving a phone illegal. The fine can be hefty, as it should be. My own son had two pretty bad car accidents due to talking on the phone while driving. In one he escaped unharmed but the car was totally destroyed and he was extremely lucky.
To be honest, I believe that text messaging while driving a car is even more dangerous than talking on the cell phone. If you think about how often a text messenger looks at his or her phone during the exchanges back in forth, I think you’ll see my point about the danger. We all know that taking your eyes off the road is probably the most dangerous thing you can do while driving a car. Another negative to text messaging is that it’s so impersonal. Unfortunately, some people carry it to such an extreme that it takes the place of other contact such as the phone or in- person conversation.
I personally know people who have so totally misunderstood the messages they have received that they have gotten lost, arrived at the wrong time, been angry unnecessarily, and even broken up over text messages. The problem seems to be that you can’t see the face of the person who is text messaging you nor can you hear the tone in their voice. Teenagers will text message during class or try to get away with it because they set their phone on silent or vibrate and believe the teacher won’t detect what is going on. What is going on anyway? That’s hard to say but a good guess would be it isn’t good.
First of all, they aren’t paying attention in class or doing class work. Secondly, they could be cheating. Thirdly, they could be simply making social plans but for certain they are being rude to the teacher. Being rude? You know how annoying it is to be out to dinner with someone who takes every cell phone call they receive during dinner? Text messaging isn’t any more polite in my opinion. The point is, it still requires a lack of attention to what is going on around you, and specifically in this case the conversation you are having with your date, your boss, your spouse or child.
There is no excuse for rude social behavior. Text messaging has become so rampant that it has become another negative thing to do while in a social or business situation. I’m not suggesting to never text message. I am suggesting that it isn’t necessary to text constantly and in situations that are dangerous, rude or risky. Put the phone in your pocket and keep it there once in a while. You’ll not only live, you will enjoy the company of others more often. (www. helium. com,nd) Negative Aspects of Text Messaging EL PASO — Frances Thrush sends 100 text messages a day and a total of about 4,000 a month. When my phone service is cut off, I feel completely lost and anxious because I am not able to text,” Thrush said. She is a 16-year-old junior in high school admitting to being addicted to text messaging and could not picture her social life without it. “It’s a very quick and simple way to keep in touch with all my friends at once, I love it,” Thrush said. The consumer research company Nielsen Mobile, which kept track of 50,000 individual customer accounts in the second quarter of this year, found that Americans each sent or received 357 text messages a month, compared with just 204 phone calls.
That was the second repeated quarter in which texting significantly surpassed the number of voice calls. Text messaging or Short Messaging Service is a short form of sending messages in text form using mobile phones. It can send up to 160 characters or fewer; newer phones can hold up to 20 pages of 160 characters. Text messaging is the cell phone phenomenon that is changing the way people communicate through cell phones. T-Mobile sales representative in El Paso, Chris Yakubovsky, reports that well over 60 percent of all their cell phone communication is now being done via text messaging.
He said that text-messaging plans are among the highest selling and most demanding of all the plans the phone company offers on a national basis. “We offer plans to be able to text all you want for a convenient low price, as technology advances and phones are now being designed with texting in mind, it will only grow from here,” Yakubovsky said. Cell phones are not being sold in the traditional form with number keypads. They are now being built with “QWERTY” type keyboards, thus making it easier for fingers to be able to text away at a moment’s notice. Here in the U. S. texting has grown in the last few years, as the technology has improved with the introduction of products like the Apple iPhone or the popular Blackberries. In June 2008, 75 billion text messages were sent in the U. S. , compared with just 7. 2 billion in June 2005, according to CTIA, the Wireless Association, the leading industry trade group. Psychology major Dania Diaz said that text messaging can be negative, “text messaging is dangerous, not only does it ruin social interaction between humans, writing skills and expression. Everything becomes so impersonal and simple. Psychologist Cecilia Holguin of the University Counseling Center at the University of Texas at El Paso reports the effects of texting on a person’s communication skills. “It does seem people are more comfortable text messaging rather than actually talking with another human,” Holguin said. “There is no awkwardness or vocal response involved when texting. Young people could virtually say anything through texts and don’t have to commit to engaging into the effects through a vocal conversation. ” Texting is used because of its facilitation with multi-tasking.
College engineering Major Darko Marquez admits to using texting rather than actual phone conversations. “The thing I like most about texting is that unlike the phone where you have to sit and concentrate into a long, boring conversation with one person,” Marquez said. “With texting, you can be watching TV, surfing the web, playing videogames, and talking to as much people as you want all at once. ” Terms such as “lol” meaning laugh out loud and “btw” meaning by the way are terms that only daily text-messaging users understand. Teenagers use the term “POS” to let each other know when a parent is over the shoulder.
Linguist professor at the University of Texas at El Paso Richard Teschner believes texting does affect the way young teenagers linguistic development goes. “Young people using this form of communication; their brains get accustomed to picturing words in the short text forms,” Teschner said. When asked about the long term effects of text messaging, Teschner said he doesn’t believe young people will be affected in speech or in any major lexical development, but there are certainly no benefits to spelling words incorrectly and shortening the language itself.
One of the main problems with texting is how easy it makes it to communicate in a subtle form in classrooms and meetings and such. Communications professor at the University of Texas at El Paso Frank Perez says, “Texting is a frustrating part about college students nowadays. I rarely give a full lecture without having to remind students not to be text messaging while I am speaking. If I catch someone texting, I will give them a warning and the second time I catch them, they must leave the classroom. He compares texting to other distractions, “It is just like students who use their laptops during classroom lectures, they are either chatting away in messengers, and their minds are not focused on the lecture. ” Perez hopes students would follow the turn cell phones off sign and reminders on syllabi throughout classes for their own good. Texting while driving is the cause behind many car accidents today, claims Officer Jay Coves of the El Paso Police Department said. It is becoming more and more common to hear about people being distracted behind the wheel while they are driving,” Coves said. Coves was not able to give exact numbers but claims there is a significant rise in the number of accidents caused by people being distracted while texting. There are now anti-texting laws while driving around the country, just like there is anti-phone talking while driving laws around the country. Texting while driving is more dangerous than using a cell phone because it requires drivers to divert their hands and eyes.
Bills going through in Washington are making anti-texting laws “primary,” meaning a cop can stop anyone they catch texting while driving. They don’t need any other reason but to see the driver texting to stop them. The fine in Washington is $101. This is a hefty price to pay just for answering your friends’ text while you should be concentrating on the road ahead. Over the last two years, news programs across the country have recorded the death or serious injury of people who walk into traffic while texting or while driving.
Police reports from New York said that a crash in 2007, which killed five cheerleaders in upstate New York, may have very well been linked to texting. Another example of measures being taken against texting while driving is the California Public Utilities Commission announcement of an emergency measure temporarily banning the use of all mobile devices by anyone at the controls of a moving train. The ban was adopted after federal investigators announced that they were looking at the role that a train engineer’s text-messaging may have layed in the country’s most deadly traveler rail accident in four decades. A recent Nationwide Insurance survey of 1,503 drivers found that almost 40 percent of those respondents from 16 to 30 years old said they text while driving. Parents like Mercedes Thrush cannot stop their children from texting. While she has learned to text herself, she is frustrated with the distraction texting has caused her family. “There are times when we are all sitting around the table for dinner and everyone will be easily distracted through texting,” Mercedes Thrush said. It is very difficult for us to maintain a pleasant, normal conversation because they are eating and texting. ” When she first started texting with them, they would shorten words in rare form. “I asked them what those abbreviations stood for, I started learning the lingo myself, and it’s like a whole different language to me,” Mercedes Thrush said. Companies like Verizon Wireless are putting forth technology where texting can be regulated throughout various times of the day. For example, parents who don’t want their children to be texting at night can prevent that. Mercedes Thrush uses this regulation texting tool. I used to wake up in the middle of the night and find my children texting away at 3 in the morning, now with this regulation, we can all sleep peacefully without being disturbed with a text at improper times at night,” she said adding that the next step she thinks would be creating a device inside cars to prevent texting while driving. Text messaging is being used as the number one form of communication through cell phones. With new phones and plans designed to accommodate text messaging, this form of communication will only grow. While texting can be convenient and quick, it can also be dangerous and distracting. www. borderzine. com/2009/10/ ) The negative side of text messaging I was quite late in joining the mobile phone party. To begin with, I couldn’t really see the need for one. If people wanted to speak to me they could phone me at work or at home and during my commute I didn’t really want to be disturbed from reading a book or listening to music. However, there are sometimes occasions when it is very useful to have a communications device, easily at hand all the time. I have, therefore, been won over. I don’t make many calls but I do like checking the football scores and I quite requently am in communication with my fiance via text. The positive side of texting (and mobile phones in general) is that it adds another layer of convenience to inter-personal communications. You try phoning someone but their lines engaged. No problems, you can send a text. Or maybe you can’t be bothered with the 20 minute conversation that will ensue if you phone your chatty friend, so you text them instead. You can also carry out a conversation reasonably surreptitiously, which may sometimes be handy if the subject matter would be embarrassing on a crowded train.
However, there are definitely negatives to the text craze. These include: 1) Deterioration of spelling and grammatical standards. Perhaps I’m old fashioned but I like to see apostrophes and capitalization in the proper places and words that have been spelt correctly. There are constraining factors, such as screen size and character length restrictions that have led to the development of text speak. I don’t have a huge problem with text speak in text messages but we are seeing it carry over into other forms of written communication.
There are many people out there who would still be horrified to see text writing standards applied to websites, e-mails, or letters. The English language is not a constant thing but, rather, is always evolving. I’m aware therefore that what is considered wrong’ today may be perfectly acceptable in future decades. However, I do feel that some of the basic constructions of grammar need to be preserved. 2) Possibility of texts being misconstrued: There is much less chance of a message being misinterpreted where two individuals actually speak to each other.
In that environment, we can hear the intonation of the words as well as the words themselves. Texts don’t offer this and their truncated nature (and the fact that no all recipients will understand some if the text abbreviations) means that there is a real risk that the sender’s intention will not be clear to the receiver. (www. helium. com,nd) Cell Phones and Text Messaging in the Philippines In America, I had no need for a cell phone. I was usually at work or home. For me a wired phone or here called landlines was my preferred form of communication. One time I had a cell phone.
This was because being ignorant of the free phones included with a service contract. Well one year my mom told me, she wanted to have a cell phone in case of an emergency while out of the house. I was thinking I would be nice and offer to buy her a phone. Off we went to the mall and walked up to a kiosk selling phones and service. We were informed not only was the phone free with a one year service contract; they were offering two phones for the same package deal. Well, mom convinced me to take advantage of the deal and there I was a new owner of a cell phone.
I had to keep the service for one year or else I would have to pay a penalty and surcharge for canceling. I had received a basic deal with was $18 a month for 15 free minutes. In that year, I used the phone once. I was invited to my mom’s house for dinner. On the way, there was a bad accident and traffic was at a complete stop. Therefore, I used my unused phone and called my mom that I would be late. Once I arrived, I asked my mom “if I was late and did not call her, what would she think? ” She replied, she would have figured there was bad traffic and would wait. Therefore, see, using the phone had little need.
At the end of the year, I canceled the service and put the phone in a drawer to be forgotten. I had seen many people in America where a cell phone was a necessity. My clients in the building construction business needed the cell phone to keep in touch with the sub-contractors and the office. It did bother me when we could not meet for lunch or in a meeting without the phone going off every five minutes, but they had large projects to manage. Before moving here, Elena told me I should buy a cell phone in the States since they are cheaper there than in the Philippines. It had to be unlocked and tri-band to be used here.
Being confused, I spoke to a neighbor who worked for Motorola and he assisted me in getting something I would like. Once I got to the Philippines, I learned about text messaging. Not only is it an inexpensive way to communicate, it is a way of life here. I think as soon as your old enough to spell a Filipino gets a cell phone. No matter where a person is, or what they are doing, reading a text message is #1 priority. As a friend jokes, to drive a Filipino crazy is to ignore the fact you just received a text. To a Filipino, there is nothing as important as reading a newly received text message and then replying.
One time I was in the Sala having a cigarette and we heard my cell phone in the bedroom make its sound that I had received a message. Each member of the family at home had to tell me I received a text. I would answer I knew and would check it after I was finished with my smoke. They would respond “but you got a text message. ” Again, I would reply I knew and there could not be something so important that I had to read and respond immediately. Finally, one of my nieces brought me my phone. I thanked her and put the phone on the table. This drove them crazy until I read the message.
Here in Davao, you might be walking in the mall or on the street and a person in front of you will just stop walking to read a message and then stands there or walks at a snail’s pace as they reply. I often joke Filipinos hearing shuts off as they read a message since they will not listen or respond until they are finished. In addition, a complete question is never asked in one message. The messages go back and forth many times. At the last message, if you do not reply “ok” or “k” you will get another message asking if you received their last message.
For me, I carry my cell phone, but there are sometimes days I never send or receive a text. Recently a new friend who moved here mentioned he did not have a cell phone, he was tied to it in America and did not want one here. I thought how I would get a hold of him if we were out and planned to meet somewhere. Then talking to him, he mentioned his wife was out with friends one night and did not return until late. He then told her she could not go out without each having a cell phone to get in touch. I do agree, with many people without landline phones and being out and needing to get in touch with people, a cell phone is a necessity.
However, with my never having a cell phone in America and seeing the overuse and addiction to many people here, it does upset me seeing how some people spend hours and money texting constantly. I am sure there are times there is a choice between food and cell phone load and the cell phone wins. At times, I wonder, in the past, business was conducted, people would meet and stay in contact and there was no form of cell phones. Now it all the cell towers got destroyed, how many would go insane without the ability to be “connected. ” (http://americanindavao. om/blog/2010/01) Text Messaging: Is it having a negative impact on communication? Convenience. Who doesn’t love making life simpler? I sure do, and I’m the first to admit I’ll take the easy road as long as it doesn’t compromise me or anyone else. I like convenience, even in communicating. Abbreviations and acronyms were the beginning of writing convenience. Now we have texting. Everyone does it; well, everyone in the ‘in’ generation, and even some of us older folks who just have to give in and partake, even when it still seems strange and unfamiliar.
The question, though, requires us to take a closer look at our language skills. Have you seen the commercial on television that ‘talks’ in text lingo? Every time I see it, I have to stop and ask, “Huh? ” I remember over a decade ago when email colloquialism ruled. A bunch of us at work sat around and talked about it one day, how in business communication we often had to stop ourselves from adding an ‘lol’, for laughing out loud. Then there were the online chat rooms and trivia games, where cutting back on words and phrases were required.
Who wanted to wait for a minute for a response that could come in thirty seconds, if what is now text lingo could be used? “How r u? ” became standard. The problem was when that abbreviated chat started to spread into our letters and other communications. More and more, shortened version of words became the norm. What departed was good grammar and easy understanding, not to mention the occasional reprimand from a supervisor. Texting grew from those early days of online chat rooms and games. It’s evolved from email slang. I’m all for the speed and convenience, but I can’t ignore the cost.
Young people today are so used to using these shortcuts that I have to wonder if they really know the actual words and proper language use. The state of our education system and quality of graduates would seem to indicate there is definitely a problem. Texting is now a language of its own. It has its own syntax and rules. It’s not even close to Standard English. That commercial I mentioned is proof of this. When a portion of the population (I’m sure I’m not alone), watches an ad from a major company that plays over and over again and has to ask, “What did they just say? ” there’s a problem.
I’m not say texting is wrong, but it has come at a cost to the young people who think that writing in such shortened speech is okay and who have a hard time getting more than a C-grade in English. Unfortunately, it’s our norm now, and I don’t think it can be reversed. Worse, as one author wrote about this, people use texting now as a way to talk more than … talking. Does anyone remember a decade or so ago when a large portion of a town turned off their televisions for a summer? Those families actually grew closer because instead of sitting in front of the TV, they ended up eating dinner together and learning how to communicate once again.
What a novel idea – talking together over dinner. People today text everything. Texting instead of calling is growing by leaps and bounds. The art of speech is giving way to it. The dangers here are enormous, especially since the written word can’t always express the tone of voice or true mood of the communicator. It lends itself to error, and that means problems. Convenience is great, but in this instance, it’s coming at a cost to the younger generation, and we may never forgive ourselves for allowing it to happen. (http://www. bukisa. com) These are all the information we have read and are basically the basis of our study.
These data/stories/news we have gathered essentially support our pursuit to the negative effect of text messaging especially when abbreviation in frequently used. Though these data tell more than the negative effect of text messaging using abbreviated words, these information has given great substance to our study. Text messaging through the power of technology indeed dramatically reshaped the world of mass communication. It has many beneficial effects so as the negative ones. Speaking of the negative effects of text messaging, our team strongly stands to fight one problem; the English spelling proficiency of the Filipino people.
We used the fourth year students of Bacolod City High School as our subjects with hopes that our study will not only be beneficial to our subjects but to any concern citizen of this country. Chapter 3 Methodology Our data gathering process will begin by interviewing randomly selected 4th year students of Bacolod City High School with our prepared set of questions. Those questions basically aim to know about our subject’s opinion about our topic; their idea about text messaging, how much they do texting, f they use abbreviation in texting, why they use abbreviation, and if they are aware of the negative effects of text messaging using abbreviated words especially to their English spelling skills. After we checked on our subject’s point of view, we have the idea, if permitted by their principal and English teacher to have a look on their quizzes or test papers if indeed, English spelling proficiency is a thing to reckon with especially if it affects their academic performances and its underlying threat to their literacy as a whole. If not permitted, we will conduct a spelling test ourselves.
Subjects & Respondents of the Study The Fourth Year Students of Bacolod City High School through random sampling supported with their academic performances through their quiz and or exam results as our main basis. Stratified Random Sampling n = ____N____ 1+Ne2 Questionnaire 1. How important is texting for you? 2. How frequent do you text? 3. What do you use text messaging for? 4. Since text messages are limited upon typing on your cell phone, do you use abbreviation to make it short? 5. Is abbreviation okay? And accepted and understood by your contacts? 6.
Do you prefer abbreviation completing the spelling of the words you are using? 7. What do you think is the advantage of using abbreviated words in text messaging? 8. What do you think is the negative of using abbreviated words in text messaging? 9. Do you experience the negative effects of text messaging using abbreviated words? 10. Have you experienced being wrong spelling in writing and is possibly influenced by text messaging? 11. Do you think poor spelling skills will lead you to poor English vocabulary skills? 12. How do you think poor spelling proficiency will affect your future? 13.
In texting, are there words you cannot spell and you use abbreviation to cover up your ignorance or to avoid misspelling the word? 14. Have you experienced writing and not knowing the spelling of the word you are using and you tend to shift on the nearest and simplest synonym? 15. Don’t you think this attitude stops you from improving your vocabulary? Table of Contents Page TITLE PAGEi Chapter 1Introduction1 Statement of the Problem3 Objectives of the Study3 Hypothesis3 Null hypothesis3 Theoretical Framework4 Conceptual Framework5 Scope and Limitation6 Significance of the Study6 Definition of Terms7
Chapter 2Review of related Literature8 Chapter 3Methodology35 Subjects and Respondents of the Study35 Stratified Random Sampling35 Questionnaire36 The correlation of frequent text messaging using abbreviated words on the English spelling proficiency of the Fourth Year students of Bacolod City High School for the 3rd Quarter of S. Y. 2011-2012. A Thesis Proposal Presented to the Faculty of the Carlos Hilado Memorial State College Talisay City In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Bachelor of Arts Major in English Edsky Lopez, Carl Jeje Quiamjot, Jojieline Salazar
October 2011 Bibliography Internet A US-based technology and social media news blog statement about the Philippines as the texting capital of the world, citing collated data from Reuters, the New York Times, CTIA. org, UPI. com, Pew Research, Kvue. com, Matzav. com, and Portion Research retrieved from www. gmanews. tv,nd. Study about the people of the Philippines’s particular relationship with text messaging; a vital tool for daily communication, a bonus for commerce and government as well as a formidable political weapon retrieved from www. textually. org,nd
An article about the effect of text messaging on spelling, texting culture and its processes retrieved from http://www. growingkids. co. uk,nd An article about the Philippines wrestles with ‘Jejemon’ cyber-dialect as Education Secretary Mona Valisno believes it could blunt the Philippines’ edge in English proficiency retrieved from http://www. abs-cbnnews. com/lifestyle/06/16/10/. A story about text messaging and its impact to life economy and business retrieved from www. businessweek. com,nd. A foreign article about the negative effects of text messaging despite its accessibility and cheapness retrieved from www. elium. com,nd. A written point of view of a person about the negative aspects of text messaging retrieved from www. borderzine. com/2009/10/. A personal point of view about the negative side of text messaging retrieved from www. helium. com,nd. An article about the Cell Phones and Text Messaging in the Philippines compared to America retrieved from http://americanindavao. com/blog/2010/01. An article about Text Messaging and its negative impact on communication as quality is compromised by convenience retrieved from http://www. bukisa. com.
