TXTNG - new language - new literacy

But maybe we should also ask: would Shakespeare have been a txter?

Even if students concluded that Shakespeare translated more readily into Hip Hop and rap rather than txt messaging they would still be exploring the new literacies and testing their limits. And far from being evidence of their inability to work with the language, such creative uses of the old and the new genres would expand their insights and understandings - and their use of the full range of literacies.

Who knows - they may prove to be as creative with Shakespearean text as they were with the mobile text. 2 b or not 2 b!

The end of spelling

Many critics who argue that txtng undermines or destroys spelling are ignoring the basic patterns of language change. Language has always been modified to make processing simpler and “faster” (a growing pressure in the information age): we don’t get the same media moans over CSIRO, VIP, NY, BBC, UNICEF, and so on, that are part of our everyday world.

There are no headline stories about the way the use of ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) or Mrs (Mistress) is impacting on spelling. It cannot be said that those who txt can’t spell any more than it could be said that those who use shorthand can’t spell. Formal spelling is one code, txtng is another! Both are based on symbols standing for words. And while formal spelling may have been an asset in a print-based society, shortened versions are perfectly suitable in a digital one.

Besides spelling errors are much more likely to be present in handwriting than txt messages as most modern phones have spell check.

And as for the claims that txtng makes it impossible to understand the message - the txt can speak for itself:

f u cn rd ths thn wats the prblm

Abbreviations, initials, acronyms

This is another source of irritation to those who find it difficult to appreciate the value of txtng or to decode txt messages. They themselves may be able to write their own traditional abbreviations - Mrs, Mr, Dr (to name but a few) - but they object in principle to any new forms.

Likewise they may each day use GFC (Girls Friendly Society?) CBA, ABC, am or pm - or even VIP or RIP without even noticing the abbreviation. These contracted forms become the symbol or the code - just as txt does.