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CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

Wer r u? M hir olredi. Wt’s tkng u xo long???=) Pls. txbk. Are you familiar with this way

of texting? Here in Philippines, this kind of texting is common to mobile or cellular phone users.

Even I sometimes type a message this way. For me, shortened words consumed little space in

message pad and little time before sending.

Anyway, text speaks could be a new term for some readers, right? This is a kind of

texting like what is typed above. Unlike some studies about text messaging and spelling

proficiency, this is a novelty one. Realistic, complicated, yet informative; in the end, epiphanies

will encounter.

It is in 2006, when my mother gave my first cellphone. It is 6510, small, monophonic and

a second hand. I was excited, happy and inattentive. I was excited and happy, because it was my

first time to hold a cellphone, and my first time to experience unlimited chatting. My

concentration was not for my studies. I concentrated more in texting rather than listening to my

teachers. My grades became lower and it also affected my way of writing.

The first word I can remember that made me confused is the Filipino text auq which is

correctly spelled as ayoko, in English, it means I don’t like. I thought before that, that word is

acute; funny isn’t it? But I am using that shortcut now. Another is, re4t from a quotation sent to

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me. I did not understand it until I realized that it is read as re-four-t or report. I also learned that

to laugh in text is by typing hehe, jeje or ahehe, and to cry is by typing huhu or T_T.

Texting has not just become a tool for communication, but as an entertainment as well.

Now, it has become everyone’s habit and addiction, since we now have promos from networks

such as: unlimited texting, unlimited call and texting, text to all networks, etc. Moreover,

everything in cellular world has gone influential. There comes now the jejemons that styles and

add complications in comprehending a text message. Jejemon is very popular now in Philippines;

it is just by replacing morphemes to “j” such as jejejejeje (laugh).

However, I admit that I was a moderate jejemon before, and it had an effect in my writing

skills. I knew it was not healthy. Unconsciously, I wrote shortened words and even run-on

sentences. I almost forgot how to spell the word “tomorrow” correctly. My dad even got mad at

me when I texted him xan n ke0, which means where are you?, and I regret it because it affected

my writing skills somehow.

I find text speaks as a code that only few people understand. It is a selfish communication

that breaks its own definition. Many things are done to make texting fun, but that fun could

gradually kill a brain. I shall conduct this study, because it interests me a lot. This intends to

show the effect of text messaging on adolescent’s spelling proficiency. Does it have an effect or

does it not have?

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Statement of the Problem

At the end of the study, will adolescents finally be objective about their spelling

proficiency? Especially everytime they type a message, will they be thinking about its effect later

on their language development? This study has four main questions to answer, and these are:

1. How often do students unconsciously write in a text speak way?

2. Are they aware that how they text affects their spelling skills?

3. Does frequent texting really affect their spelling skills?

4. Should text speaks be significant problem in education or not?

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Significance of the Study

Throughout the history, Americans have perceived spelling to be the very soul and fiber

of education (Templeton, 1992). In the Philippine education, do young Filipinos perceive the

same way too? The aim of this study is to test whether text speak has negative effect on spelling

skills of adolescents, or if text speak has no effect at all. It is stated in my introduction that I

experienced a difficulty in spelling since I was somehow influenced by frequent texting.

If text speak affect adolescent’s spelling proficiency, is it now time to give credits to

conventional spelling? Further learning starts at the adolescence. “It is the time when adolescents

face a range of developmental issues”, taken in press, by Amundson and Borgen. One of this

study’s concerns is how teenagers value the importance of conventional spelling. It is important

especially to formality of word construction. Knowledge in linguistics, specifically spelling, is

important, for teenagers are just beginners in language learning; some worry that correct spelling

is losing importance (Deseret news, 2006); spelling is important in formal transactions such as:

schools and future business. Sara ring of “The Edutopia Poll” suggested “Is the prevalence of

text messaging something to worry about? Does text messaging harm student’s writing skills?”,

to be voted by the concerns. 52% believes that students are carrying over the writing habits they

pick up through text messaging into school assignments, 19% says maybe, 25% says students

can write one way to their friends and another way in class, and 3% for none of the above (as of

Oct. 19, 2010). Majority believes that text messaging is a significant problem for students.

Furthermore, if we allow people to misspell words, pretty soon, people will not care about

spelling our names correctly in our passport, contracts, diplomas, and other important

documents; perhaps only then we will realize that spelling does matter (Yanzon, 2005).

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Moreover, if text speaks does not affect adolescent’s spelling proficiency, then this study

has still its significance for it supported the evolution of language. One of the characteristics of

language is dynamic. Then, teenagers’ “text-speak” will no longer be a very significant problem

for some learners. Basically, what it is important to know is that texting has its unique style and

culture—particularly to teenagers and young people. Even Shakespeare wrote his legendary

plays in his own style before spelling was standardized in eighteenth century. Now it is 2010,

and the history seems to be repeating itself.

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Scope and Delimitations

This study has started in the middle of October 2010, and will be ended at the end of the

SY 2010-2011 second semester. The coverage is teenagers of age 13 to 17 years and frequent

text speakers. However, the study will be:

1. Conducted to 500 highschool students from Roosevelt College Lamuan and Marikina

Heights Highscool.

2. Students who frequently type text-speaks.

3. The test is just for an hour of the same day.

The activity to be used is the pre-test writing in their text-speaks and the post-test

enhanced “Mcgraw Hill Basic Goals in Spelling” and “Silver Burdett & Ginn, Spelling

Connection”, used in a study of Kathleen Gamble (1995) to test the knowledge of students in

Conventional Spelling. These tests are under Communicative Approach, a strategy used by

Second Language teachers.

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Definition of Terms

Below are the following terms used and to be used in this study.

• Cellular phone- a wireless gadget which purpose is for instant messaging by text and call.

• SMS- Stands for “Short Message Service.” Text messaging.

• Text speak- 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.

• Adolescents- a person who is no longer a child but is not fully adult. Usually starts at 12

years of age.

• Spelling Proficiency- Skills in writing the every single unit of a word.

• Morphemes- Smallest meaningful unit in the grammar of a language (Payne, 1997).

Ex: Unladylike- consists of three morphemes and 4 syllables.

Un- not

Lady- female adult woman

Like- having the characteristics of.

• Conventions- rules of language.

• “Mc-Graw Hill Basic Goals in Spelling” and Silver Burdette & Ginn Spelling

Connection“- a “which-among-these” exercise to test spelling proficiency.

• Communicative Approach- Theory of teaching through two-way process. The approach

will be introduced in theoretical framework.

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Organization of the Study

Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION

In this chapter, the “Background of the study”, “Statement of the problem”, “Significance

of the study”, “Scope and delimitation” and “Definition of terms” are placed.

Chapter 2 REVIEWS OF RELATED STUDIES AND LITERATURE

In this chapter, I have three topics to be discussed:

• How Spelling is Developed and Invented- Includes how a person invented a

spelling.

• How Text Speaks Affect Language Development- This chapter specifies spelling

affected by text speak. The studies that show no effect and negative effect of text

messaging are under this, and how text messaging started.

• Conventions- These are the rules of language. Though this generally discusses the

language, the topic is related to text messaging.

• Communicative Approach- This is a strategy to be used to test a learner’s

proficiency. The Mc Graw Hill and Silver Burdett Ginn word recognition are

under this.

Chapter 3 DESIGN OF THE STUDY

The theoretical/conceptual framework (Communicative Approach), Setting of the

study, Description of Population, and Description of the Instrument are under this.

Chapter 4 PRESENTATIONS, INTERPRETATIONS AND ANALYSES

Data gathered will be summarized in tables.

Chapter 5 SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION Data to be gotten here

could be an interview from teachers, students I will be tested, and my own analysis.

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CHAPTER 2

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

How Spelling is Developed and Invented

In this article, how a person invented a spelling and how a person spells a word will be

discussed. Templeton and Henderson are introduced here. They are also linguists who stated that

spelling is a major element of language acquisition.

When a teacher asks to spell "cat", the students will automatically answer "Capital C,

small A, and small T, CAT." That's the real thing whenever we ask a child to spell a word. What

is spelling anyway? How important is it to be studied? Spelling is a major component of

language acquisition, and it focuses on the written word (Temple, et al., 2005). Since spellers

learn through invented spelling, teens go through different stages as experimenting with words.

Moreover, to understand better how spelling is developed, we should be aware of its past.

The spelling is a repository of the history of the English language (Henderson, 1990). The

forces and the languages that have shaped English still reside in its spelling (Templeton, 1992).

Every word has its own spelling that reveals different semantics. It is sometimes identifiable

because of having phonological changes conditioned by or blocked at word boundaries, and the

spelling of a word depends on how it is stressed (phonology). In each word, morphemes are

introduced. A morpheme is the smallest meaningful unit in the grammar of a language. For

example: dogs; the word dogs consists of two morphemes. The dog, and -s that shows plurality.

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If the word dogs is spelled as dgs, no morpheme and phoneme is created. Therefore, there is no

word constructed.

According to an article entitled "Writing Process" of Bernadette Erwin, in order to

explore the spelling of a word, a person will undergo stages. The first stage is the "early phonetic

stage". Just like in children, we use letters to represent some sounds in words. Second stage is

"letter name", we are able to match written letters to the appropriate sounds, but is diverted to

conventional English spelling. Third is "transitional", we are already becoming aware of most

spelling sounds. Last is the conventional stage, wherein we use mostly correct spelling when

writing. In relation to this study, the statement of Templeton and Henderson shows that spelling

should not be ignored. Since it is a major component, it should be seriously acquired or learned.

However in Bernadette Erwin's stages of learning spelling, it is normal for a person to

invent spellings. In classroom practices, most children are becoming aware of the alphabet and

how a sound accompanies each letter. The teacher stretches the sound of each letter for the

children to identify the spelling. For students who are English language learners, this practice is

important as a help with their writing. There are suggested family strategies to help students

build the competency in spelling. It is “Reading a book together”, as an encouragement to try

new words and a help to build spelling proficiency. Another is, teaching to use dictionary as

early as possible. The dictionary can be used as a tool to find the correct spelling of a word.

Other strategies are through word and picture sorts, songs and finger plays, and scrabble games.

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How Text Speaks Affect Language Development

Among the Asian countries, interestingly, Philippines has the largest population of

cellphone users who use text messaging as a means of communication. Not less than the average

of 20 text messages is being sent daily by a subscriber. Because of this, Philippines has been

considered as the text capital of the world. In 2007, 42.70 million people who are users of

cellphone consider text messaging as a cheap and reliable alternative means of communication.

According to the Global messaging Survey conducted by Nokia, text messaging was proven to

be an addictive activity. It is also confirmed by the study of University of Queensland in

Australia (Umman, 2009).

In this topic, two sides are expounded. First, "Text messaging has an effect in language

development" and "Text messaging has no effect in language development at all".

There is a long history of trying to correct and change the illogical system of English

spelling. In Ammon Shea's article entitled "The keypad solution", Benjamin Franklin, Andrew

Carnegie and President Theodore Roosevelt tried to fix the issue of spelling change. Now, the

widespread change in how people spell English words appears to have come from a large group

of young people sending text messages. We can never please everyone to stick on conventional

spelling. Perhaps, the first most successful attempt at spelling reform was written by Noah

Webster. Somehow, it is a reliable source of conventional spelling.

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“It does affect, sometimes, how I do my schoolwork…” an interview with Margarete

Stether from Hartland. She said this as she stopped in a mall, where cellular phones as common

as low-cut jeans. “I do put, instead of a Y-O-U, I put a U” (Linguists Mixed on Effects of Text

Messaging, 2003). That way alarms some linguists who worry that the proliferation “text-

speak”—cellphone users type and send short messages—will enforce undisciplined habits.

Ms. Mildred Rojo-Laurilla of de La Salle University had a research entitled “Predicting

Text Messaging Style in the Philipines—A sociolinguistic Analysis”. The results have revealed

that the texter’s age, sex and work are predictors of texting styles. In terms of the discourse

features, certain politeness markers, role, topics, speech acts and cotexter texting styles are also

predictors of texting style, same to perception and texting profile as weak predictors. The texters

and co-texters’ shared field of experiences through symbolic interaction, as realized via texting

over time, that allowed them to overly participate in texting culture. The shares of these common

texters have the same interpretations of the discourse markers that produce a unique Filipino

texting style.

It is also stated in the article that problems arise when people use quick-casual language

in different forms of written communication, such as e-mail, in which the sender may not receive

the message for some time. Moreover, text messages, e-mails and the push for faster and more

efficient communications are taking people’s knowledge on grammar (Text Messages are Killing

Grammar: Linguists, 2004). In line with this, people using e-mail and SMS were unconcerned

about grammar and punctuation (Carr, J. 2004). “Grammar and Punctuations, through SMS and

e-mail, have been increasingly underused around the world.” said Sue Butler, editorial

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committee member of Macquarie Dictionary. She also added that they are now getting a failing

in standards of punctuation that can be disconcerting. Mediums such as television advertisements

and public billboards often sacrifice grammar and punctuation to attract audiences in the possible

shortest time. “It was also being sacrificed on radios and t.v. because often, presenters have to

speak faster.” She added. Even the 98% of her first year students did not know about apostrophes

(Carr, J. 2004). Text messaging phenomenon impacts not just what youth say but also on how

they spell; should we push back on conventional spelling, or allow a new generation to develop

own standards? (Enie, M. 2010)

However, on the other way around, some believe that text messaging has no harm. There

are several studies that are saying “Text message is not harm to poor written language…” In a

study of Plaster, Wood and Bell in 2008, entitled “Txt Msg n School Literacy: Does texting and

knowledge of Text Abbreviations Adversely Affect Children’s Literacy Attainment?” the findings

suggest that children’s knowledge of textisms is not associated with poor written language

outcomes for children in this age range. Also, Maria Enie, the author of “The Gr8 Spelling

Revolution: Texting’s Impact on the English Language” said that as long as she does not see any

inconvenience in writing what are you doing or WRUD in keypad, the shorthand may feel more

natural to others. What important is, communications should remain open to emerging trends,

she also added.

Jesse Shieldower, principal of the U.S. office of the Oxford English Dictionary also

agrees that text messaging goes through the natural progression of language, and text-speak was

even first used in instant-messaging programs, it has been used for decades. As text messages

explore and share new abbreviations and acronyms, the language is no longer unfamiliar to an

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increasing population of cellphone users. This is a proof that language and languages change as

said by Carolyn Adger, director of the Language in Society Division of the Center for Applied

Linguistics in Washington. Besides, text messaging is making it easier for people to

communicate and innovating with language is not dangerous, she added.

In the study “Does Text Messaging Affect the Spelling Skills of the Students?” by Edison

Yanzon, a pre-test and post-test were done to grade 5 students of Xavier Highschool to test their

spelling proficiency. It says there that the misspelling is just characterized mostly by

typographical non-conformity and not by incompetence.

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Conventions

This part discusses the rules of Language, particularly the Spelling. How conventions are

followed, and what are those changes that do not follow conventions.

Where are conventions coming from? Some we know as formal conventions such as rules

of grammar (Fiske, 1982). All rules like predicate agreeing to its subject is not some law

established by nature, but a social convention. Grammar adjusts with the social situation and

involved group. There are some famous commercials that are not are not following conventions

such as: “Toys R us” and “we B toys”, that proves informal conventions.

What happens to what we so-called conventions of language?

Nonetheless, language users of a particular group can identify and generally accept

certain formal conventions. There are also less formal conventions like director’s words to imply

intimacy. It is probably apparent that informal conventions are far more numerous that formal

conventions. Some persons who are in formal designation find a person who says “He ain’t got

no hammer” and “We B toys” as uneducated.

However, it is included in informal conventions that signs and codes (including text

speaks) are arbitrary or flexible. These codes link signs together in ways that reflect a particular

interpretation of a community system. A sign system may not be shared by many people; it is a

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way of understanding the code of the group of people who share it. Signs are the basis for

defining the community.

Codes reveal the view of society a person has. Person learns how to talk from their peers

and limitations of language around, and adopting the language of majority used. In relation with

the “text-speaks”, since SMS has just arisen this 2000, different codes and signs are done by

adolescents to make language not a very serious matter.

Spelling Convention:

A site called “KS3 Grammar” is a tutorial in grammar for teachers of English at KS3.

KS3 is the terminology used by UK for ages 12-14, 7, 8 and 9. The average 12 y.o may know

about 12,000 different English words. This may look like a large number to learn how to spell if

each is to be memorized by rote, but the task becomes a lot more manageable when memory is

supported by understanding. Pupils need to be able to call on their knowledge of patterns and

conventions to support their spelling. They also need a range of learning strategies, knowledge

and skill to spell words they want to use but have no seen in print before. There are two kinds of

knowledge to spell a word: phonological and morphological knowledge.

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Communicative Approach

In classroom settings, there have been two approaches used in English language, the

“Natural Approach” and “Communicative Approach”. The “Natural approach” is a result of

Krashen’s work, “Monitor model 1982”. It emphasizes only after a period of extensive exposure

to the target language. On the other hand, communicative approach uses a set of methods with

the purpose of the student practice of the target language (Lee, J. 2000).

From Jongbok Lee’s study of communicative approach, learners move toward the target

language through a process of hypotheses and testing. The hypotheses are based on their general

knowledge of their native language. This topic is related to the Conventions of language, because

this approach includes rules of the target language. However this generates the question of

fluency versus accuracy, anyway most theories contribute to the order thinking skills of learners.

Under this approach, students communicate in a conscious way, and one of the activities that I

got is the “Mc Graw Hill and Silver Burdett & Ginn word recognition test”. (The use of text

speak is the acting native language, while the word recognition test acts as the target language.)

The communicative approach could be said to be the product of educators and linguists

who had grown dissatisfied with the audio-lingual and grammar-translation methods. They said

that students were not learning the whole language realistically. They said that students did not

know how to communicate using appropriate social language, or in brief, they were at a loss to

communicate in the culture of the language studied (The Communicative Approach in English as

a Foreign Language Teaching, 2007).

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In 1970’s, the use of Communicative approach became popular and interestingly learned

by students. In the intervening years, the Communicative Approach has been adapted to all

levels, and the approach has been named differently. The communicative Approach is different

from repetition of drills; this can leave students with an exercise that will be just varied

according to their reactions and responses. No preparations and no memorizations. “Language is

interaction; it is interpersonal activity and has a clear relationship with society” (Berns, M. 1984)

In real classroom scenario, teachers using communicative approach will find themselves

talking less and listening more. Students are more responsible managers of their own learning

(Larsen- Freeman, 1986).

William Littlewood, a user of Communicative Language teaching and engaged in an

English Language Training (ELT) project of Institute of Language Education in Hong Kong, said

that Communicative Approach is a valuable guide for helping teachers broaden their repertoire

of techniques, so that they can enable learners to use a foreign language more effectively.

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CHAPTER 3

DESIGN OF THE STUDY

Theoretical and Conceptual Framework

Since this study involves testing proficiency, Communicative Approach will be used to

gather data. Communicative Approach as Selinker (1972) started to test English learners on an

“Inter-language continuum”, it means learning between native language and the language being

used. According to this theory, learners learn through a process of hypothesis construction and

testing. In line with the testing of highshool student’s text speak, and “Mc graw Hill andd Silver

Burdette & Ginn”, spelling proficiency will be analyzed with an interference text speak. Will

students be able to recognize the right spelling if they had just text a message in their own way?

Text speak is a destruction that is why it will be conducted before the spelling proficiency test.

The study is primarily based on testing Spelling proficiency. For reliable result, I choose

tested “Mc Graw Hill third basic goals in spelling, eighth edition” and “Silver Burdette &

Ginn”. It is found effective in a study conducted by Kathleen Gamble entitled “A Comparison

between a Formal Text-Based Program and An Integrated Approach”. However, in this study,

the word recognition tests are enhanced. The words are appropriately chosen from New

Webster’s dictionary to fit the highschools’ proficiency. It means, it is more difficult than the

eighth edition.

Through this activity, students will be able to know how they are when it comes to

spelling proficiency. The conduct of the study will be anchored on the research paradigm that

follows:

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Test Construction

Test Validation

Pre- test
MHS Students
RCM Students

Instruction for Post

test administration

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Setting of the Study

The schools to be used in this study are Roosevelt College Marikina where I graduated

highschool and Marikina Heights School where I transferred in grade 5 and 6. In Marikina, there

are public schools in each district and MHS is one of those, while Roosevelt College has seven

branches out in Luzon.

Description of the Population

In RCM, each classroom in highschool has a minimum of 45 students, while in MHS is

60 students or more. Since my target population is 500, I will get 63 respondents in every

highschool level, so 21 respondents each classroom. Spearman-Brown Prophecy formula will be

used for item analysis, and so on. Only 27% of the 500 respondents will be analyzed.

Description of the Instrument

All students in this study will be administered by a pre-test writing text speaks, and post-

test McGraw Hill and Silver Burdett & Ginn word recognition.

Text Speaks concerned about student’s way of shortening words, and how they

understand and correct text speaks.

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