Letter to the Editor - Blog Post

Blog Post – Letter to the Editor – Twtr? Majorly Bad! Leading headteacher condemns ‘Text speak’ for eroding schoolchildren’s language skill

Role: Concerned Parent

In your latest article, “Twtr? Majorly Bad! Leading headteacher condemns ‘Text Speak’ for eroding schoolchildren’s language skill” published on 24 March 2014, you discuss how students are using improper English in their tests an exams. You discuss how children’s texting and the language they use in those texting, is corrupting and diminishing the quality of their work in school. I feel like this article speaks the truth but is flawed. My kids text me and use some of the words that you pointed out like, “innit, LOL, GTG”, and many more, that as a parent, I just don’t understand. Your point, “English is always on display, often making the difference between landing a job and having a misspelled application filed in the bin”. I totally support this agreement. What I don’t support and I feel is rubbish, is that you quoted the headteacher saying that it is technologies fault for this text speak. You wrote the quote of the headteacher saying this write after you wrote about how students grammar and spelling is diminishing, applying that it is technologies fault for this. I am not saying technology is completely innocent, but technology has done so much for society. There was many points I fully agree with like Mrs. Jordan saying “I would like to see more attention paid to essential practical aspects such as finance and household management and clear understanding of the sometimes bewildering world of interest rates and mortgages” but there’s also some points I don’t agree with like the technology line that I already addressed. But As a concerned parent of kids that do text and have social media, what do you suggest I do?

Thanks,

Rainier Fourie

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