Y – y is it gr8 to write like this?

Y is it gr8 to write like this? IDK

Minna entered the lunch room with a piece of paper in her hand. She was not a happy person. “Why don’t sixth graders write in English? Just look at this note I found on the floor in my class”

Was up! btw jsuk ur gr8.Sry I rlly hve 2 go.TTYL.

Lina looked up from her lunch and read the note out loud. “What’s up? By the way, just so you know, you’re great. Sorry I really have to go. Talk to you later.”

“Okay, I give up,” Minna said. “How did you figure that out from all those letters and numbers?”

“I text message a lot, and my class taught me.” was Lina’s reply. “Texting shortcuts are being used a lot by kids, which is why in my class I teach them the appropriate time to use shortcuts in writing.”

Minna questioned, “But what about this note? Is it appropriate for a writing class?”

“Based on the content of the note, I would say yes and no. No, if that was not part of the lesson being taught. If I was teaching poetry, this would not be appropriate. However, If the students were doing a writing piece in which the characters that they were writing about were texting each other, then it would be appropriate. Based on what is written in this note, it looks as if it is just a casual note between two friends in class and had nothing to do with school. As long as it wasn’t passed around while teaching was going on, then I see nothing wrong with it.”

Minna was still irked. “I think that all this texting shortcut writing is ruining students literacy/language skills and should be banned!”

Lina did not agree. “Text speak is just another language. As with any new language, it is important to teach students when a language should be used and how to use it within the context of that language. So for formal writing don’t use shortcuts, for texting between friends it’s okay. It’s an important lesson to learn.”

Minna asked, “Don’t most people know that already? Why encourage this new language?”

Lina answered, “One, because it already is a mainstream language. Sometimes you have to keep up with the times. And secondly, not everyone does realize when to use it. When I was student teaching, my college supervisor made a point of the difference. He stated to us that some of us students, when sending him progress reports, were using text shortcuts in their emails. This is not the way to establish a professional relationship with a college professor. And an important lesson to learn when seeking employment in the real world.”

“Then I’d better start learning how to use texting language,” Minna said thoughtfully. “By the way…How do you text on a flip phone?”

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There are lots of discussions online about ‘literacy’ and ‘text shortcuts’. Just do a search.  If you don’t want to bother to do your own search, read the following article that I found in my search:

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/05/140519160531.htm