A new language is taking center stage in the classroom and every hand-held device that students are stuffing into pockets and purses knows it well. When I asked a student to write her name on the top of her paper the other day she wrote out a version of it that I can only imagine is a screen name. It had letters that were backward and symbols. It resembled the shape of her actual name on the attendance sheet. It was a reflection on the times. The students of this generation have become so familiar with the informality of language that they even write their names informally. I changed it quietly after she left, and read an article relieved to find that I’m one of many teachers facing this surge of informality.
Now in my classroom it seems that students now longer feel the need to switch into best manners or formal learning mode. This informality is unique to this generation, and it may be the beginning of their demise economically. If they are competing in the global job market against young people who did learn to have both formal and informal language then they are at a disadvantage. They will not retain jobs, and they will become the future cheap labor force. They may not be able to afford the phones they love to text message on when that economic labor shift happens. We cannot stress this reality to them enough. They don’t see it. I hope to give them outlets to express both formal and informal writing, so that they can see the benefit and contrast of both.
Here are several text messaging clues for the clueless:
AYOR At your own risk
NFW No *freaking* way
NFW Not for work
BRT Be right there
BSF But seriously folks
BSTS Better safe than sorry
RTSM Read the stupid manual
RHIP Rank has its privileges
RIP Rest in peace
RL Real life
RLY Really
RME Rolling my eyes
