R.I.P. English?

OMG I cnt blieve ppl rly rite like diz. lol. Wats up wit dat??? SMH. :(

Millions of Americans communicate on a daily basis via text messaging, often using a cryptic new language filled with abbreviations and acronyms. And while technology has allowed people to communicate and stay in touch with friends and relatives, it may also be bringing about the downfall of the English language.

There was a time when kids went to school and were taught one simple rule about writing: You can't break the rules until you've learned them. Unfortunately, the texters and grammar "rule breakers" are getting younger and younger these days. So young, in fact, that they are breaking the rules without giving themselves an opportunity to learn them.

This leaves no chance for learning actual English.

"As a writing teacher, I can tell you firsthand that it [texting] definitely is hampering the kids' ability to spell, first and foremost," said Keysha Smith, a seventh-grade language arts teacher at Robert T. Hill Middle School in Dallas. "Number two, students don't have a good grasp of grammar or a complete sentence because they don't write in complete sentences. Sentence structure is out the window."

There is also a problem with kids incorporating texting lingo into their academic writing.

"When they write for me, they write how they text, and they text in their own secret code," said Laschinda Thomas, another seventh grade teacher at Robert T. Hill Middle School, who also sees problems with misspelling and grammar in her class. "Often what happens is that they bring it over into their formal writing for their classes."

Texting has made a huge impact on the writing abilities of children, but this problem is also making its way to the older generations.

"It's affecting their spelling and use of correct word choice," said Caitlin Stanford, a Developmental Writing teacher at Eastfield, proving that texting language is not only affecting 12-and 13-year-olds.

With the explosion of technology, this issue has accelerated at a rapid rate.

 Smith has been teaching for nine years and said within the past two to three years, the change in the quality of her students' writing has been drastic. She said that in her fourth year of teaching, students were doing fine because they had more verbal communication skills and heard correct language every day. She said these are the building blocks of basic grammar, but because students would rather text and not get the interaction that would help build a proper foundation, they can't even tell when something written doesn't "sound right."

"It would be fine if they were able to transition," Thomas said. However, this is not the case for most seventh-grade students. With each text message sent, this text language of emoticons and "lol's" carries over into their writing in the scholastic setting.

Both Smith and Stanford have encountered the problem.

Smith, who recently was grading benchmark tests, noticed that "a lot of the language is very shorthand or written phonetically." Stanford added that although improper word usage is "eradicated early on," what does stick around is the "u" for you.

"We have to go back and correct a lot of things that they already know to try and undo their own language that they've created in their texting," Smith said. "I just don't think that they understand that it's important, and that it's going to make a big difference."

Teachers aren't the only ones who are concerned about the growing impact texting is having on the quality of the English language among young students.

"Since they're around it a lot, they think it's socially acceptable. Everything they learn doesn't register with them because they've embraced their social circle's rules," said Carlos Ramirez, a music major at Eastfield.

Then there are people who think this problem should just be cut from the root.

"You shouldn't have a cell phone until you're capable of reading and writing correctly," said business management major Breanna Kerst.

If these are the effects seen now, what can be expected in the future? How will the use of texting as a primary source of communication affect future generations? The quality of publications, some say, will suffer greatly, and the interest in educational or sophisticated publications will also decrease. Kids who text and have learned the language of text are not exposed to an extensive vocabulary, and when they don't know the words used in some publications, the interest in reading dies because they feel they can't relate.

Stanford, who majored in journalism, worries that this will "erode the English language further than it already is" and "some words will be lost" because they will be so seldom used.

Teachers are concerned, but they remain positive that they will be able to put a halt to this problem.

"Hopefully, there will be some way that we will be able to convince them that there is a difference between formal writing and texting, and informal writing and texting," Thomas said.