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CHAPTER I

THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

Introduction

The fast paced growth of cellular phones has provided a lot more

conveniences today for all of us. Different applications are featured in almost all

smartphones. Technology has advanced enough more than we can imagine. Many

people today find it hard to live without their mobile phones or cannot stay away

from their computers and constantly viewing their newsfeed and notifications.

Modern cellular phones have countless applications that allow them to act not only

as mobile phones but also as music, video, and game players, cameras, global

positioning systems, and devices that provide access to the Internet and a host of

applications.

According to the International Telecommunications Union (2009), a United

Nations agency, there are currently around 4.6 billion mobile phone subscribers

across the globe, which is more than 50% of the world's population.

Texting has become an integral part of our lives; it has rapidly developed

throughout the world. It is most often used between private mobile users as a

substitute for voice calls situations. Popularity has grown to a sufficient extent that

the term texting has enticed the people. The rapidly growing rate of phone

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technology at this modernized generation is kind of disturbing. It seems that

anywhere you can see people glued to their phones’ screen, fingers typing away. On

sidewalks, school premises, even at the crowded places. Majority of these people are

teenagers.

Teenagers have adopted text messaging as their primary form of text-based

communication, preferring it even over e-mail. The introduction of SMS or Short

Message Service helps people around the world to communicate to their friends,

families and relatives instantly unlike before that they need to wait until a week or

two to receive a letter coming from their acquaintances. Today, messages are sent

instantly in a blink of an eye.

Many users often to shortcut their messages to save a little. Students prefer to

use the text messaging featured in cellular phones as a way to communicate for the

reason that it is hassle free and has a small charge. With these, people especially

students are most prone to addiction. Addiction in texting can affect the students’

ability in spelling. Philippines have been crowned as the texting capital of the world

due to the large volume of SMS traffic exchange in the country.

Almost all students nowadays have a smart phone. It is easy for them to

communicate online in two to three clicks using their smart phones. Smartphones

and Telecommunications companies made it easier to connect online through wifi

and mobile data connection.

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Based on the study of Myhra (2010), “Negative Effects of Texting in the

Classroom”, the over-use of texting has been damaging to the way students write

formally in the school premises and even in the society. The character limitations of

text messages have caused students to form their own style of writing and

terminologies. This style has caused them to carry it over to formal academic writing

projects. Students’ writings are little to no depth, terrible grammar, and are

abbreviating almost every word they write. Texting has negatively affected the way

students write.

Lutz (2010) stated that in the past, spelling was usually taught as a separate

subject; memorization was thought to be the key to its mastery. Invented spelling

refers to young children's attempts to use their best judgments about spelling and

children progress through certain stages of spelling development. Knowing this

progression allows teachers to compel development through their instruction.

“Aoccdrnig to rscheearch by the Lngiusiitc Dptanmeret at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a total mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.”

Translation: According to research by the Linguistic Department at

Cambridge University, it doesn't matter in what order the letters in a word are, the

only important thing is that the first and last letter be at the right place. The rest can

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be a total mess and you can still read it without a problem. This is because the human

mind does not read every letter by itself, but the word as a whole.

This paragraph has been widely circulated in the Internet since 2000 and it is

still referred to, either as a point of interest or to defend inconsistent (poor) spelling,

or choosing not to teach it.

Do people read whole words in an instant, or by sounds? The fluent reader

quickly perceives whole words, but the path to fluency is through mastering the

connection between letter combinations and the sounds they represent. The fact is

that our letters stand for sounds, not ideas. While some still debate "whole language"

versus "phonics" instruction, experts recognize that language has structure and

texture, and our students need to develop both.

Learning to spell helps to cement the connection between the letters and their

sounds, and learning high-frequency "sight words" to mastery level improves both

reading and writing. The correlation between spelling and reading comprehension is

high because both depend on a common denominator: proficiency with language.

The more deeply and thoroughly a student knows a word, the more likely he or she is

to recognize it, spell it, define it, and use it appropriately in speech and writing.

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Statement of the Problem

Text messaging, or texting, is the act of composing and sending brief,

electronic messages between two or more mobile phones, or fixed or portable

devices over a phone network.

The study aims to identify the effects of text messaging in the spelling skills

of the students. The study intends to answer the following questions:

1. What is the demographic profile of the respondents in terms of:

1.1. Age

1.2. Gender

1.3. Course

1.4. Year level

2. What are the text messages commonly used by the respondents?

3. What are the exact meaning of these messages?

4. What are the text formats of the respondents in answering questions?

5. How many among the selected college students uses complete sentences in

texting and answering?

5.1. User

5.2. Non - user

6. What is the spelling ability of the respondents?

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Objectives of the Study

The study aimed to determine the effects of text messaging in the spelling

skills of the selected college students of La Concepcion College. To better

understand the said study, the researchers formulate six objectives:

a. To know what are the commonly used text messages of the respondents;

b. To extract the exact meaning of the text messages;

c. To identify text formats of the respondents in answering questions;

d. To list down how many among the selected college students uses complete

sentences in texting and answering;

e. To know the spelling ability of the respondents; and

Hypothesis

HO: There is a significant effect in the use of text messaging among young

adults.

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Significance of the Study

The result of the study is a great factor for the academic institutions and

teachers in planning and providing strategies to improve the spelling skills of

students which will result to the institutions high promotion of outstanding

graduates.

In addition, this study is undertaken to elicit information and findings that

may prove useful to the following:

Students. Who are the subjects of this study; for they will be able to know

the significance of proper spelling of words and be aware of the effects of text

messaging on their communication skills. They can avoid excessive usage of

misspelled words as well as improving their literacy skills. They can create good

statements and conversations with other people because incorrect spelling of words

can create misunderstanding to the ones who communicating to. Learning the effects

of text messaging can help by improving the literacy skills of students which helps

them verbally express their thoughts and ideas effectively.

Parents. To be more aware of their child and its spelling difficulties and be

more knowledgeable of guiding them.

College Faculty. Who better understand the spelling skills of the students;

they may contribute by enhancing their teaching strategies to overcome the effects of

text messaging to students.

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School Administrators. They may use this study as a reference setting high

standards of the school to provide the students excellence in their literacy skills.

Writers. The findings of this study will help the writers to know and how to

lessen the effects of text messaging towards the spelling skills of the students.

Future Researchers. They may also derive certain information regarding the

subject matter that they can use, develop and turn into any advancement or new

knowledge that can be contributed to the society.

Scope and Limitations

This study was focused on the effects of text messaging in the spelling skills

of the respondents. It does not include the synonyms and antonyms of words.

The researchers chose to conduct the study at La Concepcion College in three

reasons, (1) the accessibility of the location, (2) the number of students who are users

of cellular phones; since La Concepcion College is a private institution, the

researchers assume that most of the students have a cellular phone, and (3) the

researchers’ limited resources.

The respondents were limited to bona fide college students of La Concepcion

College and were composed of the twenty (20) students each per different divisions.

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Definition of Terms

Non – user - one who does not make use of complete sentences in sending text

messages.

Orthographic – the methodology of writing a language. It includes rules of spelling,

hyphenation, capitalization, word break, emphasis and punctuation.

(Webster’s Third New International Dictionary 1,594)

Perception – the way of conceiving the correct spelling of jumbled letters.

Short Message Service (SMS) - a system for sending text messages from one

mobile phone to another. (http://dictionary.cambridge.org)

Spelling - the forming of words from letters according to accepted usage. (Webster’s

Third New International Dictionary 2, 190)

Spelling Performance. It is the ability to spell efficiently and achieve a desired

result.

Text messaging – it is the act of composing and sending brief electronic messages

between two or more cellular phone.

Textspeak - language regarded as characteristic of text messages, consisting of

abbreviations, acronyms, initials, emoticons, etc.

(http://www.oxforddictionaries.com)

User - a person who uses complete sentences in sending text messages.

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CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

This chapter presents the literatures and studies reviewed by the researchers

in relation to their own study.

Local Studies

Bainto and Esquejo (2010) conclude that texting habits affect the declining

spelling proficiency of students, text languages often confuse the students with the

correct spelling of the words leading to usually misspelled words.

Aclao et. Al (2013) stated that text messaging or texting is economical and

fastest means of exchanging written messages, hence, become popular and

affordable to students. Its limited characters make texters follow a system of texting

called “textese” as to its effects to users.

According to Joguilon (2010), texting has not just become a tool for

communication, but as an entertainment as well.

Abela, et al. (2014) found on their research is that instant messaging is

becoming an important literacy in kids' lives, and consequently one that needs to be

recognized by teachers.

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Foreign Studies

Palasick (2014) said twenty years ago, text messaging did not exist. Now, an

entirely new language has formed as a result of this new media. Humans are good at

adapting to the limitations that are given to them; therefore, as text messaging has

evolved, linguistics have evolved to keep up. The way that texting language evolves

is inherently and intricately tied to the medium itself.

Lee, cited by Myers (2012) suggests that reading traditional print media

exposes people to variety and creativity in language that is not found in the

colloquial peer-to-peer text messaging used among youth or 'generation text'. She

says reading encourages flexibility in language use and tolerance of different words.

It helps readers to develop skills that allow them to generate interpretable readings of

new or unusual words.

Wood (2014) said that texting can offer children the chance to practice their

understanding of how sounds and print relate to each other and put down to the fact

that text abbreviation was largely phonetically based.

Waldron, according to Kemp (2014) playing around with language in the

informal setting of texting provides the chance to practice alternative ways of linking

sounds and letters, an ability which is well known to underlie strong reading and

spelling skills.

According to McWhorter (2013), texting is developing its own kind of

grammar. For example, take LOL. It doesn’t actually mean “laughing out loud” in a

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literal sense anymore. LOL has evolved into something much subtler and

sophisticated and is used even when nothing is remotely amusing.

Crystal (2008) cited in Gorney (2012) explains that textspeak is like decoding

a message; they require a different interpretation of the language because of the

technology and the speed that messages can be delivered. There is a different

adaptation of symbols and punctuation that the traditional language does not use, and

it's a whole new way of thinking about language that has never been used.

Bryant and Nunes (2009) stated that most of children’s learning is generative.

They learn not just about specific facts or specific actions, but how to deal with quite

new experiences and new situations. Learning to read and spell is much the same.

What children learn about reading and spelling words should, in the end, make it

possible for them to read and spell reasonably well words that they have never seen

in written form before.

Cooper (2011) stated that in any classroom, you may find children at various

stage of spelling development and also using other conventions inconsistently. For

example, a child might be the transitional stage in spelling but apparently ignoring

punctuation altogether and still expressing him/herself with immature or nonstandard

language.

According to Joshi, et al., cited by Westwood (2014), students should be

taught about the lawfulness of spelling, even while irregularities are acknowledge.

Students can be encouraged to recognize, learn and use the patters in English

spelling through systematic, explicit instruction and activities. Such instruction

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requires careful planning, but is much more effective than memorizing words in a

rote fashion.

Stone (2013) explains that spelling is the manipulation of symbols according

to agreed-upon patterns that produce predictable results. Spelling errors also fall into

sets of predictable patterns. Success in spelling is not a product of intelligence. Many

people struggle to spell due to coping strategies developed in place of explicit

instruction.

Levine, cited in Lanir (2011) Spelling, or orthography, is a neurologically

demanding sub-skill of writing, involving a range of linguistic skills. Spelling

proficiency requires the acquisition of phonological knowledge, morphological

awareness, and orthographic rules. So, in order to spell, we need to have control

over the sounds and structure of a language and its spelling system.

Palmer (2000) cited in Ott (2007) opined that ‘every word has a story, and

that the stories are often enshrined in the spelling’.

Bowe (2014) states that in order to learn creative abbreviation strategies, you

need a good understanding of how sounds and letters are put together. For example,

when you replace or remove sounds, letters or syllables, this requires an

understanding of how the original word should sound.

Muhammad (2011) states that text messaging has been criticized for a

perceived negative impact on spelling skills of students and its increasing appearance

in formal school papers.

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According to Cingel, cited in Nauert (2012), when tweens write in textspeak,

they often use shortcuts, such as homophones, omissions of non-essential letters and

initials, to quickly and efficiently compose a text message. “They may use a

homophone, such as gr8 for great, or an initial, like, LOL for laugh out loud. An

example of an omission that tweens use when texting is spelling the word would, w-

u-d.” Cingel says the use of these shortcuts may hinder a tween’s ability to switch

between textspeak and the normal rules of grammar.

Wood and Waldron as cited by Kemp (2014) stated that the evidence in their

research suggests that grammatical violations in the text messages of children,

adolescents, and adults do not reflect a decline in grammatical knowledge. Young

people seem well aware that different types of communication require different ways

of writing. As long as young writers can maintain this awareness, then the violations

of grammar common in digital communication need not be perceived as a reduction

in writing skill, but rather as the addition of an alternative, casual style to the writer’s

repertoire.

According to Paton (2011), the association between spelling and text

messaging may be explained by the “highly phonetic nature” of the abbreviations

used by children and the alphabetic awareness required for successfully decoding the

words.

According to Moats (2005), many young readers are puzzled by the rules and

exception of spelling. Research shows that learning to spell and learning to read rely

on much of the same underlying knowledge.

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Leipzig (2010) in his article, introduces "Word Study", an alternative to

traditional spelling instruction. It is based on learning word pattern rather than

memorizing unconnected words. It is also designed to build word knowledge that can

be applied to both reading and spelling (Henderson, 1992; Zutell, 1998). Because it

is closely tied to reading instruction, it also develops students' abilities in phonics,

word recognition, and vocabulary. (Baker, 2000)

Edwards (2014) stated that Spelling is a major barrier to learning to write.

For many children, motivation and confidence, once lost, can never be recovered and

therefore, how all adults support spelling is crucial to success.

Montgomery (2006) argues that spelling and writing need to be given more

consideration in teaching and remedial settings especially if dyslexic pupils are to be

helped back up to grade level, and other pupils are to make more effective, quicker

progress. Helping teachers and student-teachers to understand the valuable

contribution spelling and handwriting makes to literacy development in primary and

secondary schools, this book shows them how to overcome existing barriers to

learning.

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Theoretical Framework

This study is anchored on Max Coltheart’s Dual – Route Theory of

Efficient Spelling.

Dual – Route theory states that the human mind has the capacity to store

information in its memory and at the same time retrieve it when needed. According

to Coltheart (1978), dual-route theory assumes that two separate and independent

routes for storing and retrieving information are essential for spelling: phonological

route and orthographic route. Phonological route involves establishing and recalling

the correspondence of sounds, letter clusters, and syllables with graphemes, while

orthographic route involves direct access to lexical-units (whole word in a mental

dictionary) stored in memory.

Dual-route models propose that to spell words following regular letter-sound

spellings, people tap into phonological route. However, when a word is irregular,

meaning the word has a very different spelling from the way it is pronounced, people

tap into the orthographic route where they rely on visual memory.

Dual-route theory, as represented by the findings of the studies cited by

Sawyer and Joyce, suggests that efficient spelling draws on competencies in both the

phonological and orthographic systems, and that poor spelling may result from

limitations in either both systems.

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Research Paradigm

INPUT PROCESS OUTPUT

Figure 1

The figure shows the research paradigm that governs around this study. The

input includes the data from the survey questionnaire given to the selected college

students of La Concepcion College. The process shows that the input data were

critically evaluated, analyzed and interpreted to come up with a conclusion about the

spelling skills of the students. The output shows the spelling skills of selected

respondents.

CHAPTER III

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

List of text messages

Urgency of the text message

Economical factors on the use of text messages

Analyzing the words used in text messages.

Interpreting the text messages

Spelling skills of selected college students of La Concepcion College.

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This chapter presents the methods and the procedures followed by the

researchers in conducting the investigation. It utilized the Descriptive- Correlation

method, it describes the phenomena being studied and identifies the relationship

between two variables. It is looking for variables that seem to interact with each

other.

The researchers made a random sampling where samples are selected through

simple counting so that everybody has chance to be the respondents.

To gather needed data the researchers prepared a researchers’-made

questionnaire. Aside from the instrument other system of data gathering were also

employed.

Research Design

This study will utilize the descriptive method of research to determine the

effects of text messaging in the spelling skills of the respondents in attaining their

spelling performance of college students of La Concepcion College, City of San Jose

del Monte, Bulacan.

A descriptive study, according to Posinasetti (2014), is one in which

information is collected without changing the environment (i.e., nothing is

manipulated). It is used to obtain information concerning the current status of the

phenomena to describe "what exists" with respect to variables or conditions in a

situation.

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Population and Sample

The researchers focused on the selected college students of La Concepcion

College as the respondents. A simple random sampling technique is use in the form

of structured survey to gather information about their spelling skills in relation to

spelling performance among selected college students.

Random Sampling technique is a sampling method in which all members of a

population have an equal and independent chance of being selected. This sampling

technique was used to choose the respondents of this study. The selected respondents

are consist of one hundred (100) college students among overall population; the

researchers got twenty (20) respondents from five (5) different divisions in La

Concepcion College.

Research Instruments

The researchers used a researchers-made questionnaire as instrument to

gather the respondents’ data. This questionnaire is consists of two parts. The first

part consist of questions that determines the respondents’ basic information such as

age, gender, course, and year level. The second part consist of words that will be

spelled correctly by the respondents. The survey intended to determine the

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respondents’ performance in spelling difficult commonly misspelled words. The

given misspelled words from the first column must be spelled correctly by the

students in the second column. The questionnaire had twentyfive (25) words to be

spelled correctly. All the difficult commonly misspelled words used on the

researchers’ questionnaire were from Anne Stillman’s book, “Grammatically

Correct: The Writer’s Essential Guide to Punctuation, Spelling, Style, Usage and

Grammar 1st Edition.” This book presented a list of difficult words that were

commonly misspelled by writers. The researchers randomly picked the difficult

commonly misspelled words from the list provided and then divided them into their

corresponding category.

Data Gathering Procedure

The researchers measured the gathered data through the use of a Researchers-

Made Questionnaire. The researchers secured a permit of the school for them to

conduct the study. The researchers conducted the survey immediately after securing

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a permit. As soon as the respondents are finished answering, the researchers

collected the questionnaire to ensure that all of the items were answered.

Data Analysis

After collecting the survey questionnaires from the respondents, and with the

help of a statistician, the researchers will now analyze and interpret the data being

presented.

Statistical Treatment of Data

For the statistical treatment of the data gathered, the researchers utilized the

percentage and ranking method and Pearson’s r method to quantify the data gathered.

To identify the level of spelling performance and awareness in identifying common

difficult spelling errors of the respondents, the researchers used the formula:

Percentage and Ranking

P = f x 100

Σf

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Where:

P = percentage

f = frequency

Σf = summation of frequency

Pearson’s r

Correlation is a statistical technique that can show whether and how strongly

pairs of variables are related.

N∑xy-(∑Xx)(∑y)

r =

Where:

N = number of pairs of scores

∑xy = sum of the products of paired scores

∑x = sum of x scores

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∑y = sum of y scores

∑x2 = sum of squared x scores

∑y2 = sum of squared y scores

Bibliography

Books

Bryant, P. & Nunes, T. (2009). Children's Reading and Spelling: Beyond the First

Steps. New Jersey, USA. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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Edwards, S. (2014). Supporting Spelling, Helping Hand. London, United Kingdom:

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