This page contains the titles and abstracts of the researches and studies which I have conducted. If you want to use any of the information here or get the findings of these studies, please do email me at kabadethc@yahoo.com or simply leave a comment.
- GenTxt: Text Messaging and Students’ Writing, 2001
This pioneering study was done to find out the effects of text messaging language, otherwise known as GenTxt lingo, on the writing skill of the students. It was also aimed at finding out if transfer of learning of GenTxt lingo occurred in the students’ journals. A descriptive analysis design was employed. The journals of 18 students studying in a private IT college were the main tools for the gathering of data. Results of the study revealed that (1) text messaging language has a negative effect in the writing competence of the students; (2) a negative transfer of learning occurred in the journals of the subjects ranging form 7% to 100% as shown by the results in the analysis of transfer; (3) there was a negative transfer but it did not tremendously affect the accuracy and appropriacy of the students as shown by the small percentage of negative transfer in the analysis of words which ranges only from 0.4% to 30.7%; (4) almost all word categories were transformed into GenTxt lingo except Adjective and Conjunction.
Based on the findings, the following conclusions were obtained: (1) text messaging has penetrated the society and people from all walks of life for only two years yet it has negatively affected the subjects’ writing competence; (2) text messaging language has transferred negatively in individual entry in small amount, yet in a very remarkable percentage in the overall entries with “Generation Text’ lingo; (3) text messaging language has not tremendously affected the students’ accuracy and appropriacy as shown by the small percentage of transfer in each journal entry, which can only be attributed to students’ carelessness; (4) Adjectives and Conjunctions were the only word categories which were not transformed into “Generation Text” lingo.
Finally, since this study is a pioneering effort, the following applications are recommended: (1) that the study be replicated to the students in other areas of discipline; (2) that the future research may be done using a formal piece of writing to confirm the students’ accuracy and appropriacy in the use of English language in a formal situation; (3) that a future research must also be done on two groups of students: those who are owners and non-owners of mobile phones with text messaging feature to find out the degree to which the language has affected the students’ writing competence and to clarify insinuations that mobile phone users are prone to use GenTxt lingo in written documents; (4) that a study be done also among high school students; (5) that a future study may come up with a manual or guide on how to read, comprehend, and write text messages in English; (6) that a future study be done also in Tagalog or Filipino text messages to find out how our native language is transformed into the language of the young; (7) that a thorough study on the classification of errors or on category of errors in using text messaging language be likewise done.
“SPEAK ENGLISH? YOU’RE HIRED!” This is just one of the numerous slogans circulating in various universities and colleges in the country promoting the use of the English language as a medium of communication. “The
