Chapter 2

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

This chapter contains the gathered studies from different sources. These

studies will guide and support our research.

Related Literature and Studies in Local Setting

The International Data Corporation (2016) reported that among Association

of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Philippines became the fastest-growing

market place for cellular phones and smartphones. The Philippines has been

described as the "TEXT" capital of the world due to its large size of text messages-

exchange in the country, with the estimated number of over 23 million users and

subscribers of cellular phones and is still growing and increasing at a fast rate

(Senate, S No. 2512).

Montiel and Estuar (2006) made a study about the usage of mobile phone

nowadays. And they concluded that text messaging is the most effective way of

communicating with other people. Aside from that, it is the fastest and the cheapest

among the communication technologies of the new generation because of its

sending shortened messages (SMS) or texting feature. This feature, allows people

to communicate with each other regardless of how far they are from each other.

Thus, this texting feature made mobile phones or cellular phones very popular in

our country, that even the youth are getting hooked up to this new form of

technology.
 Estuar’s research (2003) showed that there is a high rate of ownership and

high rate of usage of cellular phones regardless of what school or gender the

students belong. “Private school students were more frequent users of cost-

incurring features, whereas public school students were more frequent users of

no-cost features of mobile phones”. The former also have a higher rate of texting

compared to their public school counter parts. In addition, the number of days one

can survive without a cellular phone or without having to exchange messages is

higher among males and public school students (p.103). This goes to show that

cellular phones are very popular, regardless of the age.

An example that would show the rapidly growing popularity of cellular

phones is the report from Sify News (as cited in Proysen, 2009) about a 13-year

old girl from California who had sent 14, 528 messages in a month (13, January

2009).

These communication gadgets are used by adolescents not only for

communication purposes but also for maintaining their relationships with other

people. Cell phones provide them the ability to show who they are and to express

what they feel through texting feature. According to Pertierra et al. (as cited in

Estuar, 2003), the cellular phone is like an extension or an expression of one’s

self. Compared to other forms of communication that the new world offers like the

telephones and electronic mail, mobile phone technology greatly augments the

non-confrontational nature of Filipinos. As what is said earlier, in texting, people

can send messages to a person even without knowing where the person is, what

the person is doing, and who the person is with. “The mobile phone’s predecessor
regular telephones require a fixed location for their use. But with the cellular phone,

being primarily mobile, people can now establish contact with another person,

regardless of where the caller and the called are” (p. 104) .

According to Estuar et al. (2006), aside from the internet, mobile phones

were used in “pro-democracy movements”. Mobile phones were relatively cheaper

and more affordable and accessible, especially to a larger group of people

belonging to the poorer groups in the society. The mobile phone made

communication so easy and possible regardless of time and space barriers by

increasing its utility in “political mobilizations and mass persuasions”. As evidenced

from the Philippines, for example, optimal use of mobile phone’s texting capability

helped in bringing down a corrupt president through the People Power II that

occurred last 2001. According to Villamor (as cited in Estuar, 2003), by using the

cellular phones, rally organizers have united and mobilized the crowds in front of

the historic Edsa Shrine just an hour after the Senate have vetoed the opening of

the bank evidence against the supposed-to-be reigning president Estrada (p. 105).

Estuar et al. also said that during those historical moments, the use of

cellular phones had filtered through Filipinos’ everyday life, especially to the youth

and Metro Manilans. Texting through mobile phones as a new technology hence

played a vital role in the swift alignment of political consciousness, especially

among the multitude of young Filipino people.

Pertierra, Ugarte, Pingal, Hernandez and Dacanay (as cited in Estuar,

2003), wrote an all-inclusive account of the social consequences of commonness

in mobile phone use in the Philippines, with the conclusion that “cellphones have
become a major icon in Philippine life, in that it has extended the scope of social

relationships” (p. 149). And from 1994 to 2002, “cellphones in the Philippines were

mainly used for texting” (p. 150).

Because cellular phones became a popular icon in the world, several

consequences were prophesied. Some of these are the increased number of

people who are fascinated with the features of cellular phones, particularly its

texting feature. Some were obsessed that they allot greater time for text

messaging, which leads to the use of shorthand method of texting, and will

eventually contribute in the deterioration of the students’ spelling and grammar

skills. But is there truth to these claims?

Like Guerra, Laurilla (2009) obtained varied facts from her research

titled A Preliminary Investigation on the Linguistic Aspects of Text Messaging. She

implied that the use of mobile phones are common to the younger sector of the

society (p. 9). Report from “Media use statistics” said that almost two-thirds of the

teenagers today are cellular phone owners (as cited in Laurilla, 2009). The youths

are expected to be frequent texters, since they grew along the modernization and

technological innovation of cellular phones. Because of this, “There is a raging

national debate about the state of writing and how high-tech communication by

teens might be affecting their ability to think and write” (Guerra, 2008, parag. 1).

This research by De La Salle University-Manila’s Department of English and

Applied Linguistics (DEAL) Assistant Professor Nudred-Laurilla found that there is

no significant effect and difference between the spelling and grammar efficiency of

students who own cellular phones and those who don’t. And from that, it can be
implied that the respondent’s proficiency when it comes to spelling and grammar,

is independent to whether they have cellular phones or not. Also, among owners

of cellular phones, their frequent text messaging does not affect their spelling and

grammar proficiency (p.11).

Aside from Laurilla, a research on the use of the shorthand method of

texting was conducted by Tiempo (2006). He said that another form of

communication in texting is code-switching. This is common to a number of

Cebuano people. Tiempo says that code switching is a natural bilingual behavior

that usually happens in any informal conversations, whether it is direct or indirect.

Through his qualitative method of analysis, this study of Tiempo titled Cebuano

Code Switching, Text Jargon, and Fricative Production in Short Messaging

Services (SMS) found that there is no significant differences between the texting

styles of both males and females (p. 74-75).

Another research on the use of the shorthand method of texting by Banton

et al. (2010) said that same assumptions rose about the negative claims on text

messaging. Banton with his group researchers conducted a study by giving out a

pre-survey on those students who were cellular phone owners and non-owners

and their daily time allotment for cellular phone use. After that was the spelling and

grammar tests given the 3rd year high school students of St. Paul’s School of

Ormoc Foundation Inc. The research resulted with the following: Students who had

greater time allotment for text messaging had lower average scores compared to

those who were not frequent texters at all. Among cellular phone owners, those
who were frequent users of shorthand method of texting appeared to have poorer

scores in both spelling and grammar tests (p.29).

Foreign Literature and Studies

It may accordingly be expected that the introduction of what is today known

as textism (see section 1.9 for full definition) would have followed the introduction

of the mobile telephone and greater Internet accessibility following the

aforementioned technology explosion. However, the following poem by Charles

Bombaugh (1867, p.69), published in the late 1860s, proves otherwise:

Amy Tunison Everett (2016) study “The Influence of Text Messaging on

Measures of Student Writing: “A Analytic Review” identified Standard English

primarily by appropriate vocabulary, grammar, and spelling. According to Johnson

(2012), textism is most often known as somewhat different, something inferior.

Lenhart (2012) clarified that the dialect of text messaging frequently understood as

having a corrupting influence on the supposed ‘standard’ of formal English.

Table 1 shows the characteristics of textism.

 The characteristics that describe textism are also the examples of informal

or non-standard English. Any of these groupings could be an independent variable

on its own; however, textism indicates any or all of the characteristics or features

listed in Table 1.

Other observers (see Zimmer 2010), however, place the origins of textism-

related writing conventions as early as 1813. Textism may also be likened to

telegraphese, the language of telegrams used following the invention of the

telegraph around 1800, which also features abbreviations to minimise costs by

using words economically (Barton 1998, p.39).

The concomitant question is then why did textism, to use an anachronism,

not catch on in the nineteenth century? The answer is simple: because there was

not a functional or social need for it. However, that has changed following the

technology explosion and the introduction of cellular, Internet and electronic

communication technology.

The evolution of textism is therefore driven by functional and technological

demands (Shortis 2007a, Crystal 2005, p.363), in turn resulting in language doing

what it has to for efficiency, and being as it is because of what it has to do (Halliday
2003, p.309). Since necessity is the most probable driver of language change

(Aitchison 2001, p.145), a change in the manner in which we communicate will

thus necessitate an attendant change in our language to keep on meeting our

needs (Crystal 2005, p.462).

The language proficiency of the students are important for effective

communication. Language, according to McKee (1939), will successfully help

people in different activities, which involve communication, various types of

interaction, or even writing. Whether we are students or not, there is a need to use

language appropriately. McKee goes on to say that the ability to write effectively is

still important regardless of the influential and incredible effects of technology on

man’s activities (p.3).

One of the most common issues of text messaging is its effects on

education. Some educators say it is negatively affecting the spelling proficiency of

the students. According to Dolch (1942), “Children must spell if they are to write”.

When we write, we are really writing down our thoughts. These thoughts are

expressed using words, and these words need to be spelled correctly. Therefore,

writing would require appropriate spelling (p. 1).

Writing, in addition, is very important, because it is one form of

communication. According to Shidle (1965), “writing skills are needed

everywhere”. In his book The Art of Successful Communication, he states that it is

hard to find works which no longer needs communicating skills. Anywhere, man

can connect ideas through written communication, which exists in any level. Every
person has the need to communicate effectively, and writing them down is one of

the most efficient way (p. 11).

Also, according to Quattrini (1985), the best way to show these ideas is

through writing because it is like “shaping” what you are thinking. This “shaping”

also includes choosing the right words for your thought (p. 2-3). These words would

bring the message of your thoughts (Cruse, 2000). However, nowadays, there are

educators who have been complaining on papers handed by their students.

One of these educators is Kate Ross (2010), who stated that the use of

cellular phones are affecting student’s spelling and grammar proficiency

negatively, as evidenced from their use of abbreviated words. This resulted in

extensive use of electronic chatting. The students are producing worse

assignments, creating incorrect subject-verb agreements, and misspelling.

. Ross is an instructional coach for language arts teachers in her own

district, and she often see shortened words or sentences in text messaging

dialogues on students’ compositions. She said that this might have changed the

attitude of the students towards writing, and it seemed that they want everything

done as fast as possible. But before mobile phones became a problem to some, it

used to be a connector between people.

Russell (2010) stated that there are different effects of frequent text

messaging. He cited an educator in Edutopia.org saying that “I teach 9th and 11th

English, and regardless of the age, my students’ spelling is atrocious. Texting does

not and has not helped”. Some teachers believed that shorthand texting is killing
the English language because students have been writing compositions in bad

spelling and grammar (parag. 2-3).

Russell also said that some teachers, on the other hand, took it as a positive

effect. According to the teachers, because of texting and other ways of

communicating, students have started to write and edit more text (parag. 4). Lee

(as cited in Proysen, 2009) also said that some teachers encourage their students

to use instant messaging if it really helps them develop creativity when writing.

Others also think that texting has no effect on English grammar.

Students may learn the language of texting, but they too, should not forge

that the language of texting is different form the English language, and that

shorthand texting is different from the correct English grammar (parag. 5).

Recent news from United Kingdom reports about a Scottish pupil

who submitted an essay in shorthand form like texting. According to Cramb (as

cited in Pryosen, 2009), this is because of frequent use of mobile phones and text

messaging. The student said she found it “easier than standard English”.

The Scottish Qualifications Authority said that “text messaging language

was inappropriately used” (parag. 4). Gillespie (as cited in Proysen, 2009), the

Scottish Teacher Parent Council, said that the deterioration in spelling and

grammar proficiency of the student is an effect of frequent text messaging. She

went on to say that:

There must be rigorous efforts from all quarters of the education system to

stamp out the use of texting as a form of written language so far as English study
is concerned. There has been a trend in recent years to emphasis spoken

English. Pupils think orally and write phonetically. You would be shocked at the

numbers of senior secondary pupils who cannot distinguish between their and

there. The problem is that there is a feeling in some schools that pupils' freedom

of expression should not be inhibited (as cited in Proysen, 2009).

Others also disagree with the negative effect of text messaging. Petrillo

(2006) quoted Dr. Beverly Plester, “Newer research shows a stronger casual

relationship between text abbreviations and literacy skills”. Plester here is saying

that text messaging is giving an exposure to the written words, which relates to a

higher literacy attainment. In addition, according to Helderman (2003), Gloria

Jobobs, a doctoral student studying the relationship of teenagers and instant

messaging, said that students are fluent with online writing, so probably it could

help them improve their writing ability.

Myhra (2010) believed that people of the present generation have grown

advanced together with the innovation of technology, specifically the cellular

phone, which is said to have affected the students’ spelling and grammar

proficiency. People have started sending messages in abbreviated or shortened

form. Students who are frequent “texters” have developed a new form of writing

that is unacceptable to school-related works (parag. 1). He added that students

are no longer practicing the proper use of punctuation, and upper and lowercase

letters (parag. 3).

Myhra (2010) concluded that frequent sending of text messages

could affect the students’ way of writing. Students have developed the habit of
writing in shorthand form, which caused them to write informally. Texting has

affected the students writing and grammar proficiency negatively (paragraph. 9).
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