ABSTRACT
This study was carried out to examine the effect of text messaging abbreviations on the writing skills of secondary school students of Ovia North East LGA of Edo state. Two research questions were raised to guide the study.
The study focused specifically on 100 students purposively selected from five secondary schools in the LGA. Based on a content analysis, it was discovered that the writing skill of students are not free in any way from various abbreviated words, which are of different forms, ranging from initialisation, contraction and acronyms, it was discovered in the diagnostic test of the students, that they are familiar with the abbreviations as they got the answers (full or correct form of the abbreviations) correctly. Also the response from the 30 teachers questionnaire, shows how text messaging abbreviation has affected the students negatively and that it poses a threat to their academic writing.
This study concluded that since the day to day activity of the students involves chatting and texting, which create a means for them to make use of abbreviations in other to make them faster and charge low. Therefore, it is recommended that students should be more and more sensitized on the need to avoid SMS language in formal context of communication such as examination through special programmes conceived for such an objective. Also, exam organisation services should motivate the use of Standard English in examination situation by recompensing SMS slang-free essays with marginal marks. Adequate time should be given to students in exam situations as some of the cases of unauthorized use of SMS language often stem from the fact that students do not have ample time to answer questions. Teachers should help the students dedicate more time to practicing writing skills. This will enable the students discover the right spelling patterns, the rules of grammar, correct system of punctuation and generally help them to drop the long-acquired bad habits of writing. Lastly, parents and teachers should help guide the students in their use of mobile phones both at home and in school in order to avert addiction.
