teenagers spelling and grammer getting worse and worse

@cher913 (25782)
Canada
May 15, 2007 3:17pm CST
I overheard a co-workers conversation at work the other day...seems her friend is a teacher that teaches grade 6 and the reports that they had handed in were at a grade 3 level... case in point...my 14 year old daughter likes to chat on msn...here is a typical conversation that she would have with a friend... hey howz it goin? wat u doin? n2m u? (not too much, you?) n2m wats nu? ...and so continues the conversation... i feel that both texting and the net are too blame for kids poor spelling and grammer (my 14 year olds spelling is horrible!) Is there anyway to remedy this? What do you think?
3 people like this
22 responses
@eyewitness (1575)
• Netherlands
16 May 07
Well in our country we have that same problem.Fact is they can spell good but they get mixed up by the " teenage language" Also children age 10 are already spelling horrible.We know they can do it but everyone is doing the modern language of teenagers.In fact it will be a big problem to deal with this because they will continue chatting with their friends like this. I think it will pass over when they get older,i used to talk like that too,but as soon as you have to work you cannot speak or e-mail in that way.
• India
16 May 07
Ah well.. we live in changing times. English has always been one of the most adaptable languages (just consider the dialects and words English has borrowed from other languages).. surely it can and has to adapt to the changing lifestyle. Rather than GRAMMAR and SPELLING being something absolute, it is all right to let it change and take new shapes according to the needs of the Gen Y... As long as Wassup? and HRU? r universally understable and enhance our convenience, why don't we promote it instead of being a spoilsport ;?
@huilee (1005)
• Singapore
16 May 07
Yesh, its getting worse and really horrible at times... For example, wat is LMAO? I dun understand the language at time... Keke...
@huilee (1005)
• Singapore
16 May 07
I see... Thanks for telling... Yesh, i think they do it because it's faster for chatting... Sometimes i tend to use short forms too... Too absorb in the cyber world... =)
@magica (3707)
• Bulgaria
16 May 07
That`s because of the mixed cultures +the usual Internet language. And they have worse vocabulary, what is a problem in their daily contacts. Mmm...another risk of the progress nowadays.
• United States
15 May 07
I am sorry to say but the reality is teachers are responsible for the teens not being able to write a paper and spell correctly. Afterall that is their job and what they are specialized in. When my son left public school he was almost three grade levels behind in reading and writing but the school wouldn't hold him back because it could hurt his feelings. Well after one year home with me doing the paper proofreading and giving the spelling tests my son has finally caught up. But he and I fought and struggled this whole year. I also do not allow my son to use those crazy abbrevations in his communications because I feel it helps him learn how to write and talk.
@cher913 (25782)
• Canada
16 May 07
yes, with teachers collective agreements and them not wanting to work a minute over their allotted time...i have to wonder if they really do care about the students at all? i would have failed grade 10 math except for the teacher who actually took the time (his own) to help me...i wonder if they still do that...
19 Jun 07
Do you know that some day the english dictionary will actually count that as a language? Text language was made up for making words smaller and easier to use in text messages (sms) but now these days even people talk like it. ~joey
@cdejac (98)
• United States
16 May 07
It drives me crazy to see anything misspelled! It's not just the texting that is to blame, but the schools. Spelling isn't as important today like it was a couple decades ago. Today, they want to allow the kids to spell as it sounds. That's crazy! It helps to have a good vocabulary. The pronunciation is important also. Spelling always came natural to me. I don't have to think about it. I just know. Quite often, if I am in a restaurant, department store or somewhere else, and I see something that isn't spelled correctly, I tell them. What really irritates me is when I see the closed captioning on TV misspelled. Well, enough of my rambling, but I do wish that everyone knew how to spell.
@stevej90 (134)
16 May 07
nuthink the m8ter wif dat n it cu l8ters
@angelicEmu (1311)
16 May 07
Firstly, and I don't mean any offence by this, your question contains some dubious grammar, and spelling (ie grammar not "grammer" - as good an actor as Mr Kelsey Grammer is, he's not re-defined the spelling of the term:-)). But that pretty much makes my point for me. For decades now, adults and society have been getting very lax in their grammar and spelling standards. The fact that this descent has taken a speedier plummet in recent years (due as you say, partly to texting and internet communications slang and jargon) just makes it harder to ignore. There's also the fact that when the ability to communicate and take in ideas through language, is eroded, the ability to formulate and structure intelligent thought also diminishes. You notice that your daughter and her friends' "conversation" is not only unintelligable by English standards, but that it actually communicates little other than the fact that they're both alive. Meaningless conversations, and the lack of ability to have and communicate ideas of their own, are a by-product of dumbing-down, and the constant bombardment with sales soundbites and slogans which every child, teenager and adult takes in all day, every day (and to an even greater extent now with the internet and mobile phones). If you want to shock your daughter out of her intellectual slumber, give her a copy (maybe of the DVD first, if reading isn't her thing) of 1984. Not only will she relate to it more, being a teenager, but it will make her care about free thought, and the ability to express it. Where in 1984 torture is used to keep people who aren't brainwashed in line, nowadays, society is cultivating an apathy and a conformist attitude which does exactly the same thing. All the best, and here's to the art of communication!
16 May 07
Literacy rates are falling at an alarming rate due mainly to txtspk. Children cannot string together half a dozen words, cannot write or read, and cannot hold a sensible conversation. I can see only a steady descent into totally illiteracy in the future unless steps are taken to halt the slide.
• United States
16 May 07
Yes, it is sad that spelling and grammar seem to be on the back burner these days. I think that texting and IM do have some to do with that, but I also think that there are a lot of children out there in the world who could do better if they wanted to and if they had the help in their studies. I have friends who believe that is all the teachers fault that their children are not learning, so I ask them if they sit with their children and help them with their homework. Common response is no that is the teachers job! I think that the teachers are responsible for kids learning during school time, but we as parents are also responsible for kids learning at home. I try to help my son with his homework every night, but still there are times when he doesn't bring his homework home and those missing assignments hurt their grades,too.
@katkat3 (425)
16 May 07
I know exactly wht you mean! My little brother who's 17 is sometimes quite difficult to understand when he talks because of his 'street talk'!! He chats away and then I completely loose the conversation because of the words he comes out with! Texting is another story, I'm not too bad with that - If you say it out loud it often makes sense. I don't think there is anything that can be done about it, it's just the way it is!! :0)
@barehugs (8973)
• Canada
16 May 07
Sure.....I'm 73 and love the chats. I see the short forms continually! I love it. The kids are changing the world.... This is so Great! The only constant is change. Why do we insist that everything stay the same? (its impossible!) See the changes and run with them! Life goes on! Surly you can see the mess we are in today? What has our generation done to make Anything Better? The world is a HUGE mess and WE are it! I'm ashamed of Us!...Our only Hope is the Kids, God Bless em! Does anyone think like I do?
@masud3 (3)
• Bangladesh
16 May 07
teenagers may mistake spelling and grammatical mistake and teachers should make understand theirs wisely.
@gemini88 (34)
• Philippines
16 May 07
I agree that texting and im can be factors that teenagers are getting worse in spelling and grammar. But let's face it the people around this young are to blame too. First they have exposed the children to what we call the new generation without them learning of how it came to that and of course the guidance should never falter so the children will know the right from wrong.
@kgwat70 (13388)
• United States
16 May 07
Not only is spelling and grammar getting worse with teenagers but it is also a problem with adults as well as some of my instant messaging friends also spell things incorrectly or email has lots of spelling and grammar issues. I definitely agree that instant messaging and text messaging and chat rooms are causing part of the problem as well as people not caring as much about using correct grammar or spelling properly. I think society has become lazy and do not care as much.
@mimpi1911 (25464)
• India
16 May 07
i agree totally with you cher. easy availability on internet has coined in some typical net specific spellings and acronyms. kids are even using it in schools and this is sad!! saddest being, when someone tries to rectify and gets a blast!! a few days back, i got bit emotional in posting that we should use correct english with proper syntax and grammar and not to mention we should try less typos. and guess what, some one meddled in saying that i am not right. this forum is not for that!! it's very hard to rectify cher, since there is no such e-regulations. the consciousness can only come from within and family can help in inculcating this. thanx.
@joyce959 (1559)
• Philippines
16 May 07
I know this is very true nowadays because of the advent of sms or texting. Because of space, we tend to make shortcuts in words and sentences in sending text or sms. Many kids and teenagers dont really give a damn about the spelling and grammar. But I guess it would be different in school. Spelling, grammar and punctuation should always apply in report writing. The teachers are there to teach the kids correct speeling and grammar and they must do their work properly.
@gegegelay (933)
• Philippines
16 May 07
I think most people have been so comfortable with using 'text' language that's why they oftentimes misspell some words and the wrong usage of grammar. Because of the rise of technology, specifically the use of cell phones and the internet, people talk to one another using text shortcuts.. and then sometimes they also use it in conversing with other people.. that's why the correct usage of grammar is not put into practice anymore.
• United States
16 May 07
I don't think that text messaging has anything to do with teens or childrens grammar for that matter. I text all the time and as you can see my grammar and communication skills are above average. I think that most of the children and teens these days are just being lazy, and they don't want to do the work. Its not the software, technology, or hand held messaging to blame. I think that its simply how our children are being taught, if they're writing at a 3rd grade level its because the teachers didn't teach them enough to get to a higher level.
@RedRaven (39)
• India
16 May 07
I think that includes me.gotcha!