Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Blog 13: “Flipping the Switch: Code Switching from Text Speak to Standard English”

By Elizabeth Hileman

In her article, “Flipping the Switch: Code-Switching from Text Speak to Standard English,” Kristen Hawley Turner examines the place of digital language in the Standard English classroom. When she first encountered text speak, Turner was concerned that it would be the main contributor to the ruin of Standard Written English; however, instructors, like herself, could not ignore the wide use of this informal English on the internet or through texting. Some developed worried attitudes, while others accepted that this “new” language could become the normal means of written discourse.

Turner takes a different view on the situation by utilizing a method created by Rebecca Wheeler and Rachael Swords known as Code-Switching. The method enlists the thoughts and experiences of students, so they are able to learn when to use formal language and when to use informal speech. This method is normally applied to dialects and other informal languages used outside of school; however, Turner and her graduate students have applied this method to secondary classrooms in attempt to teach code-switching to these students of the digital age.

In code-switching, students must first recognize that they utilize alternative languages in varying situations. Turner suggests that the instructor asks the students to propose situations that they encounter daily. Using these situations, the instructor combines the four most common situations, which in the article include the classroom, home, playground, and the internet. Then the instructor supplies sample sentences that the students are to place in the correct category. For example: “Hello. How are you?” is placed in the classroom category. Once the students understand this concept, they create there own sentences to place in these categories. They also are asked to alter each sentence so that it would fit in another category. They discuss the idea that all forms of informal language are acceptable in different situations. Finally, students create a “grocery-list” of common problems for which to search as they edit their future, formal writings.

Turner also considers the idea of class blogs and the extent to which informal grammar should be accepted on these. She suggests allowing the students, at first, to decide what type of speech to utilize on the first posting; then, the instructor is to identify the varying speech and have a discussion about which speech is more appropriate for the classroom setting. Most students, she assures, will choose Standard Written English as opposed to text speak and will come to correct their classmates’ posts. Students should also be encouraged to write first drafts and classroom journals in the manner that comes most naturally to them.

However, she warns that this should not be a one-way task. Instructors should not only encourage switching text speak to Standard English but also allow students to alter Standard English to text speak. This will enhance their language abilities and allow them to better understand classic themes in contemporary society. Students should also be informed that text speak is appropriate to use in digital discourse, but Standard English is appropriate to use in the polished, final drafts of papers. While she admits that this is a difficult task to teach, she, herself, has managed to learn how to code-switch effortlessly and how to connect with her “digital native” students.

Having noted the increasing effects of text speak in the written language of the students I tutor, I must agree that they are having difficulty understanding when to switch to Standard English; however, I must also count myself among these students. The first year I was allowed to have a texting plan, I was surprised to discover my once polished papers littered with informal text speak. I had effortlessly imported my digital language into my written language. By simply becoming aware of the issue, I was able to correct it with editing and eventually, without thought. With this first-hand knowledge, I would like to try to utilize this method with my future students and view the results.

20 comments:

  1. This article was first and foremost one of the most relevant things that I have read recently on the subject of the English language. I was attending college for the first time when texting was starting to enter the scene of mobile phones. As an English major I cringed at the lack of capitalization and punctuation that frequented social network sites and text messages alike. Like the author describes, I remember when my English teachers talked about the impending “fall of standard English” as we know it. As an English tutor, I too feared this outcome. But the question then arises, is it really a problem? Students are much more aware of context then we perhaps realize; “flipping the switch” of their language usage. How they talk to friends, family, teachers and through texting are all different. Students need to know how to “code-switch” to proper English when necessary. There is nothing wrong at all at text language in the proper environment.

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  2. This article should be read by everyone who uses any kind of texting or instant messaging! I had teachers in high school tell our classes how their student's papers have become so poor in the grammar aspect because of how much they use improper grammar in texting. It's silly but when I write papers for my classes I find myself wanting to put "LOL" at the end of a sentence or not even using correct punctuation. I have to proofread my papers several times to make sure there is no text speech. I think students need to realize when they are supposed to use proper English but I also think text speech is okay in certain situations.

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  3. I find this article to be extremely relevant to our generation of students. As an English education major, I find that it would be extremely beneficial to teach this type of lesson within the first couple of lessons of the class. By teaching the students which form of English is acceptable, they will know what your expectations are for the class. From a personal stand point, I have always been able to distinguish my use of "text speaking" versus correct English, which would be used in the formal classroom and paper writing settings. I would like to hope that other students would be able to make this distinction as well; however, I know that it is possible that I am mistaken in this thought. By utilizing this type of lesson which the author has given us, we can help students to make the correct distinction between the two types of English speaking.

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  4. I would say that i do feel like this has been a common issue these days with students and their writing and even in my freshmen year this was an actual issue that my teacher had and she did have us do this code switching activity which actually really did help me out in the end.

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  5. Though texting and speaking "lazy english" has become all too familiar to us as students and a generation of technology, people know the difference. The article proposes a great argument about "switching" back and forth between proper English and short hand or slang. Though, I catch myself using texting language sometimes I think most people can tell and differentiate bewteen the two. Its almost like learning a whole new language that you become familiar with and cant help but sometimes to confuse the two.

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  6. I think it is very important for teachers to teach students Standard English. Schools should never stop teaching Standard English to students or requiring students to write assignments in Standard English. In order to help relate to students and assist students to converting to Standard English, comparing Standard English to test speak or even slang is a good idea. Comparing the different ways to speak and write will really get students involved and thinking. All hope is not lost for the upcoming generations. I don't understand why older generations always freak out when the younger generations live life differently than them. Every generation is different from the previous. People evolve. There is no reason to freak out just adapt and keep moving.

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  7. I found this article the most relevant of all we have been assigned to read thus far. There are certainly signs I personally see in my own writing as a side affect of text messaging. I not only see them in my writing, but also in my everyday speaking. I find myself wanting to say, "TTYL", "LOL", and even "LMAO." This language through a simple text is perfectly acceptable, but in my opinion during a casual conversation it makes anyone (including myself) sound unintelligent. The writing a student uses during text messaging is usually filled with lots of slang words and incomplete sentences. I think this article would be great for anyone who commonly texts to read.

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  8. Since text messaging has been around, grammar has gone down hill for many people. I think younger people really fall into this problem because the 15-25 age group texts the most. I thought it was really smart for the teacher to do the blogs in the classroom. This form of teaching really helped the children learn. They can now see that "text lingo" is okay for texting, but it is not okay for the classroom. It is also not okay for speaking. This article was relevant. I know sometimes when I have typed a paper that I find myself using "text lingo." This article was a great one for us to have assigned.

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  9. I believe that teachers should only teach their students standard English not text messaging language. I find myself writing emails to my teachers or other important figures and I use this language! I can not seem to adapt and this texting language is destroying my English. This is not going to get me to stop texting though..

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  10. While texting has become a large part of today's society, it should not be taught in schools. Texting in itself is almost a complete language used by many people all over the world. Although I myself do use text messages, I still continue to write out all of my of my sentence in order to clearly get my message across. "Text" terms are like writing in short hand and should not be seen as a ligament way of writing.

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  11. I think this article is the most relevant article that we have read so far. It's sad that the Standard Written English is in jeopardy because kids are either too lazy to write properly or don't know how to write properly. I think the way this teacher is trying to incorporate "text-language" and Standard Written English is a good idea. Teaching the students when the proper time to use the text language is going to benefit the students dramatically. Showing them ways to change the language to fit into the different categories seems like a very good way to teach the students.

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  12. I personally can really relate to this article. Texting is becoming more and more common and I think more people are forgetting to flip their slang mode off whenever paper writing time comes. I always forget to add the ay in okAY. In texting, it doesn't matter how you spell anything as long as it's quick and to the point, however it turns into such habit that when I'm writing a paper it's hard to remember to add the extra letters.

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  13. Honestly, I had no idea this was a common problem these days. I suppose it's because I only recently started using texting, so it hasn't really come to be ingrained in my system. I have been on the internet for a long time, but even there I never had the desire to use heavy chat/text speak. The only abbreviation I really use is "lol" and I would never dream of sticking that in a paper.

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  14. I actually think that people should be taught to flip the switch as far as english goes, because I'm guilty of not using punctuation and correct grammar when I'm texting or even if I'm just talking to my friends. But at the same time I know when to turn it off, because at times I will be faced with situations where I would have to be professional.

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  15. I would agree that teachers should only teach English and should never focus teaching students on texting language. I have a bad habit, when it comes to writing papers, sometimes I will catch myself using text language instead of English language.

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  16. This article is particular true for all education majors. I work with fifth graders and they just worked on young author books; where they each had to write their own stories. You would be amazed how many of the students had a hard time using Standard English. Most of them used abbreviated words such as: k, dnt, idk, etc. All of them forgot to use apostrophe's and commas in the correct places because when texting or chatting online they never use proper grammar. I think the code-switching method should be used at all schools across the U.S., if students could see what they were doing wrong they could easily correct it.

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  17. I can't tell you how many times people have said "lol, lmao, wtf, or TMI" to me even when I am talking to them!! It's like they forgot how to say the whole thing in English, and it is kind of annoying. I find that the younger generation is more guilty of this problem. Even when I text, I try to use the whole words for things and the proper way to say them. But it doesn't really seem like there is much you can do to prevent this problem in the future.

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  18. This article touches on alot things that students and teachers are experiencing right now. Personally, I do have a hard time switching texting language to standard English. By me texting so often, Im using going so fast that i forget that I am writing for an educational purpose instead of a personal one.

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  19. This article really points out the problems that may arise from cell-phone texting. When texting became available to me, I would spell everything out but it would take so much of my time. People would text me back before I had texted back the response to their previous text messages; So finally I gave in to short-hand text messages (LOL “laughing out loud”). I do agree there is a place and time when to use this type of language. Students should realize when it is proper and improper to use barbarous language so they become aware that the use of this language is not okay in certain occasions.

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  20. I know I have problems punctuating sentences and words properly sometimes because on a cell phone it is hard to use apostrophes or commas. I think that students try to use digital speech in homework without even realizing it. However, I believe it is an easy fix. If you just proofread your papers you can easily spot text lingo in an otherwise Standard English paper.

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