ABSTRACT
The advent of the technology called Global System of Mobile Communication (GSM) has brought in a paradigm shift from the conventional English Language Writing, to what researchers now call Texting system of communication. This has been observed in many places as well as Nigeria. English language being an official language in Nigeria and fast becoming a global language cannot diffuse into un-intelligibility through such influences like Short message services. The importance of language generally to man is such that any virus that portends catastrophe to it attracts special attention. Some research works have been carried out to trace the influence of the emerging trends on the users of this technology; this project is one of researchers aims at identifying the influence of Short message services on the writing performance of secondary school students, in Owerri North Area of Imo State, Nigeria. An extensive literature review has been carried out on the GSM technology, its special features especially in phone texting that brought in this encoding of English language through text message, computer mediated communication, the importance and dynamics of language and other relevant aspects of the project topic. From the foregoing it is obvious that SMS influences students’ writing.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of study
In the past, formal writing was one of the most respected, reliable and effective means of communication. Learners from all walks of life relied on writing on the floor, clay tablets, papyrus, slates, wax, scrolls, plant leaves, wood, and many other old ways (Baron, 2002). This helped the learners to be familiar with formal language in formal academic writing such as compositions due to frequent formal writing and practice (Bloom, 2010). As technology and economy improved, paper and books became common to every pupil in school to use when writing. Nowadays, it is not a must for pupils to use a pen and paper to write, store or send information in order to communicate either within a given town or abroad. This is because cell phones, Computers, iPods and many other social media gadgets are available than ever before and people send information via texting in form of abbreviations (Crystal, 2008). This situation has brought the genesis of abbreviations language in formal writing. It is therefore worrying that this SMS language is filtering into formal compositions for learners (Dogbevi, 2008). The current study intends to find out the learners and teachers’ perceptions on the use of abbreviations language and its influence on composition writing in order to find a lasting solution rather than just remaining worried.
In addition, it is not surprising that not many books have been written on the subject yet in Nigeria. This is because cell phones came on the Zambian market after 1992 (ZICTA, 2014). Apart from that, manufacturers of cell phones first originated from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, China and then United States of America (Aziz, Shamin, and Faisal &Avais 2013). This situation rekindled a hot debate in the above mentioned countries on how SMS language impacted on formal writing skills among students (Geertsema, Hyman and Deventer, 2011). In spite of the apparently huge volumes of similar research work already done on this subject abroad and in Africa, the local literature is silent on the phenomenon of abbreviations use and its influence on formal writing in Nigeria. This is because SMS language pertains to a regional technical tertiary institution where it has not yet been covered in some African countries like Zambia where English is not the mother tongue (FL) of the students. This study seeks to fill in the gaps by finding out whether some of the claims made in the literature holds true for learners who are of a younger upcoming generation.
Moreover, O’ Conner (2005) one of the scholars expressed her concern about the use of bad grammar, poor punctuations, and improper abbreviations in academic writing due to use of text language. Like O’Conner, some other scholars have been pushed by their wariness about SMS language use in formal writing to do more research on this phenomenon. Many researchers showed their concern that SMS messages may cause unintentional harm to Standard English. This in turn will cause communication barriers among readers and learners. It is unfortunate that SMS language has taken over the lives of pupils as they write. They are able to do it almost anywhere and anytime be it home or school formal or informal settings (Henry, 2006). This has brought a problem of influencing their academic composition writing.
A study at Delta State by Ochonogor, Alakpodia&Achugbue on “The Impact of Text Message Slang (Tms) or Chartroom Slang on Students Academic Performance” found that students who texted more abbreviations performed worse on grammar tests. Not every texting convenience had the same effect, however: “Word adaptations” — think abbreviations and slang — had a negative impact on examination, but “structural adaptations” had no significant effect (Ochonogor, Alakpodia&Achugbue, 2012).
According to Taiwo, (2014) there was a hoax school essay produced some years back which was entirely written in texting abbreviations. Unfortunately, many were taken in by it. Taiwo opined that teachers were asked to show examples of text abbreviations in examination answer papers and was noticed of a single instance of rushed writing (Taiwo, 2014). Taiwo further stated that when asking the students themselves would they ever use text abbreviations in their writing. The answer was “Why would one ever want to do that?” said one to Taiwo. “That would be stupid.” Quite so. You would have to be pretty dumb to not see the difference between texting style and essay style Taiwo said. Similarly, Ugot, (2010) opined that when asking many examiners whether they have seen text abbreviations in examination answers. The answer was no. Ugot further said, but conducting research and asking if students use text abbreviations in examinations, there is an almost universal yes. Though many including students themselves don’t believe that students uses abbreviation in examinations. It’s extraordinary how these myths take hold of the public imagination (Bomodo, 2009). A further myth is that texting is harming student’s literacy. Well of course, according to Essoh, (2011) once one see the reality, this myth disappears. What is interesting is the recent research which is showing that the more students text, the better their literacy scores. Because reading and writing improve with practice. Texting provides that practice but the issue is when depending on using abbreviation more often than necessary (Essoh, (2011).
1.2 Statement of the problem
Balogun, (2013) maintained that many scholars has found out and believe that a text message among secondary school students is “full” of abbreviations. In fact, Balogun stated when collecting a corpus of messages from secondary school students and analyzing them, the average number of words per message that are abbreviated is around 10% in a sentence. That means that most words are in standard spelling. This is especially true of messages between adolescents, now constituting about 80% of all text messages (Balogun, 2013). As opined by Babalola, (2013) some countries had actually ban abbreviations, because of their possible unfamiliarity or ambiguity and threat on examinations regarding students usage.
It is undeniable that the language of the text had a profound impact on the English vocabulary, one of the main components of language change. While abbreviations and slang might not have a place in professional writing or academia, they have permeated daily life, with terms like cray and YOLO making it into dictionaries (Odey, 2014). More so, Awoyemi, (2013) maintained that old standards like BRB and LOL are so well known that some people even speak them aloud. And if one includes Twitter lingo as an offshoot of text speak, consider the prevalence of the term hashtag, which among young people has become a synonym for the hash sign itself (Awoyemi, 2013).
For Babalola, (2013) language also changes through the way people write and form sentences. Texting has a notoriously lax set of rules — no one complains if a text doesn’t end with a period — and that attitude has taken seed in the rest of the language. Babalola further maintained that according to linguistics professor Naomi Baron in an article in Educational Leadership, people have grown less and less concerned about following the rules of English grammar over recent years. Texting wasn’t the beginning of this shift, but as Baron writes, “computer and mobile-phone technologies add fuel to the linguistic fire.” (Babalola, 2013)
However, According to Odey, (2014) texters might not care about periods, commas and apostrophes, but that doesn’t mean that texts are grammarless. Odey went on to say that English professor John McWhorter once claimed that one of texting’s best known terms, LOL, is actually a form of grammar. The term almost never actually means “laughing out loud.” Instead, it serves a grammatical function, giving a message an air of levity (Odey, 2014). As stated by Essoh, (2011) McWhorter compares “LOL” to the suffix “-ed” in that it denotes past tense “rather than ‘meaning’ anything.”
1.3 Objective of the study
The general objective of this study is to determine the influence of short message services on Writing compositions (a study of three secondary schools in Owerri North Local Government Area)
The specific objectives of this study are:
1. assess students understanding regarding short message services
2. identify the effect of short message services on Writing compositions among secondary school students
3. determine the extent to which short message services influences the writing performance of the sampled population.
4. expose other users (parents/ teachers) of short message services to the menace of the influence of short message services on secondary school students.
1.4 Research Questions
2 To what extent do students understand short message services?
3 What is the effect of short message services on Writing compositions among secondary school students?
4 What is the extent to which short message services influences the writing performance of the sampled population?
5 How will other users (parents/ teachers) be exposed of short message services regarding the menace of the influence of short message services on secondary school students?
1.5 Significance of study
The identification of the menace of short message services on Writing compositions by secondary school students is significant in the following ways: it will reveal the level of effect of short message services on students during examination in English. It will provide teachers with enough technique to employ to meet the massive and evolving need of so desperate students for information and learning. It will help parents interpret some abbreviations of forged text messages to confuse their understanding of certain content, such as “CPC” which means “Keep Parents Clueless” and also help them check their children’s performance in English. It will allow teachers to be alert to the challenges posed by students unrestricted dependence on short message services and its backwash on their writing ability. The results of this study will add to the existing literature and will as well provide reference materials for the academic society and further research.
1.6 Scope of the study
This study will be an investigation of the menace of short message services on Writing compositions among senior secondary school students in Owerri North Local Government Area. The focus will be on the effect of short message services on the writing performance of this group of students.
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