THE IMPACT OF SMS LANGUAGE AND SPELLING SKILLS OF TEXTER AND

NON-TEXTER USE OF MOBILE PHONES IN GRADE 5 PUPILS OF

STARTFORD INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL
SY 2020-2021

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

Many technologies have been developed throughout centuries and

there are many ways on how we communicate to each other. From the first
mobile phone invented until to the well-known powered by smart phones and
android. When it comes to communication mobile phone is the most popular in
technology because it was easy and it is light to carry everywhere. Text
messaging is the fastest way to send a message to your parents, relative, and
friends and to everyone than writing letters, by the use of mobile phone it
became so easy to send messages without waiting for how many days to
received it. The use of text messaging among pupils has been increase day by
day that concerns between teachers, parent and the researcher even the public,
it damages the use of language in speaking and writing that affects the standard
forms in the long run. The focus of the study is to find out how does the way of
communication of texter and non-texter on formal writing of the pupils of Stratford
International School that affects their spelling skills on how they write the proper
words.

SMS language or texting language is the abbreviated language and slang

commonly used with mobile phone text messaging, or other Internet-based
communication. This became popular among pupils nowadays because it is short
and easy to type. Short Message Service (SMS), more popularly known as text
messaging, developed as an initial by-product of the cell phone industry
(Faulkner & Culwin, 2004). According to Goldstuck (2006) mobile phones were
introduced to the youth market in the late 1990s. During 2004, 500 billion SMS
messages were sent worldwide. And also, this kind of language influence the
way of writing of young ones nowadays they intended to shorten or change the
spelling to make the message shorter.

This affects the language and the spelling skills of the pupils and some of
them cannot understand what word is it, unlike on how the pupils write their
thoughts and opinion in essay or their writing, there is, possibilities that the pupils
may confuse the proper spelling and the right word and also the English
educators may face a big challenge of this situation to correct their grammar and
spelled words. Therefore, this study aims to know the impact of sms language in
the spelling skills of the texter and non-texter.

Statement of the problem

The main purpose of this study, was to determine the impact of spelling
skills of texter and non-texter of the grade 5 pupils of Stratford International
School.

Specifically, it sought answers to the following questions:

1. What is the profile of the pupils in terms of:

1.1 Gender

1.2 Age

2. What are the differences of standard language and the SMS language?
3. How SMS language does affects the spellings skills of the texter and non-
texter?
Significant of the study

The result of this study will give valuable insight to the following:

To the School Principal, the result of the study will give awareness of the
possible effects on the way on how to write the correct words or spelling skills of
the pupil.

To the English Educators, the result of this study may serve as a guide
on how to correct the proper way of writing the correct words or spelling of the
pupils, to know the correct grammar and usage of English language.

To the Parents, the result of the study will be the awareness of the
changes on how the pupils change their way of writing and to be a notice to all
that this may affect the spelling skill of a child.

To the Future Researcher, the outcome of this study will be serve as

their guide and basis of substantial information that would be helpful to the next
related study.

To the Researcher herself, may the findings of the study be a guide and
basis to her profession as a teacher in the future.

Scope and Delimitation

This study is delimited to the impact of SMS language and spellings skills

of texter and non-texter only. The study is delimitation to the texter who use

shortcut words as a texting style or jejemon that became phenomena texting

style in the Philippines. The respondents of this study are the selected grade 5

pupils of Stratford International School.

Definition of terms

To further understanding of the study, the following technical words were

defined operational:

Texter- a person who uses and send shortcut or short messages and jejemon.

Non-texter- a person who does not use or send short message.

Jejemon- a phenomena texting style in the Philippines and commonly used of

young ones.

SMS- short message service is a texting style and abbreviated language that

make the word shorter and commonly used with mobile phone and

communication.

Spelling- the process or activity of writing or naming the letters of a word and the
way a word is spelled.

Standard language- a particular variety of a language that is regarded as the

most correct way of writing or speaking the language.