Chat speak or text speak is the modern day language for young people. They use it in emails, speaking with friends and sometimes in homework or essays. Kids can use whatever language they want when interacting with friends and peers but I would not allow them to use chat speak in my classroom. The classroom is a place for kids to be themselves but speaking and writing in proper English are necessities. They have to know how to do these to be successful in college and in the working world.
When I was in high school we had just started using instant messenger and texting wasn't popular yet. We didn't have the problem of using text speak in the classroom and knew how to form clear, coherent sentences. One worry I have that Linda Howard shares in the article is, " Students may very well become so familiar and comfortable with chatspeak that it will be difficult to switch gears...". Students become accustomed to using chat speak through many mediums every day that it becomes common place in their vernacular and seeps into their writing. As teachers, we must talk to our students about this and tell them that while in the classroom, this language or speak is not acceptable.
This brings up a question, how can teachers and educators talk to their students about chat speak? Also, do kids try to incorporate it in the classroom because they are trying to get away with it or is it because they have a hard time switching gears?
Hi Matt! I enjoyed your post. I too remember in high school where using the text speak wasn't really a problem either. Sure we used it in chatting online, but not anywhere else. I wouldn't think that it should be hard to switch gears for kids today, but I haven't been in a classroom in a while and I don't know how much of a problem, if any, chatspeak is. You bring up an interesting question as well. Its not that we just need to tell kids "stop using it," but rather how do we go about showing them the difference. Thank you for that blog post, it was awesome.
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