Blaming Bad English On Text Messaging
There have been plenty of stories about teachers in schools complaining that students are writing in “text” speak. Well, now, the Education director-general (what a title!) in Kuala Lumpur is blaming SMS and the internet for people failing their English exams. There was only a small increase in the percentage of students who failed the exams, but it’s enough that they’ve decided to do something. Fortunately, it sounds like, rather than trying to ban the technology (something that simply won’t work), they’re looking to improve how they teach English. In other words, they’ve realized that the problem isn’t the technology, but that the students haven’t been taught how to properly use it – or to distinguish when certain language is appropriate and when it isn’t.
