TXT language allowed in exams.

**crashe** · 9th November 2006, 17:23

Originally Posted by MSTRS

Where was Hitcher?
Sorry Buffy, and I know it seems petty, but teachers, especially, must attain the highest standard.
What is this facsination with making things as easy as possible? Is it to ensure that as many as possible get to pass? I always thought that the point of school and exams was that approximately 50% would pass and the other 50% would fail. Scaling was there to ensure this. Yes, the world has changed since I was at school, but life will always have winners and losers, with graduations of success within each group. Lowering the bar to have more 'winner' is a recipe for disaster, as others have said.

Its common knowledge that teachers are the worst spellers around....

As to this text stuff in exams, I am personally against it.
We will end up with a country that has no idea on how to spell words the correct way.

Hell, sometimes I get a text message and I have no idea what the person is saying. I wont waste 20 cents to ask them to repeat it in english, so I just delete it.

Sure we can all abbreviate certain words, but when you can not decipher it...

Text words can mean so many things.

**Scorpygirl** · 9th November 2006, 17:30

They really do have enough probs. I mean problems...

with NCEA wthout addng this to it!! I can just imagine the digital immigrants tryng to decipher this foreign lngage!!!

Where is ET!!!!

PS Sorry, sorry Hitcher

**Hitcher** · 9th November 2006, 17:50

Originally Posted by MSTRS

Where was Hitcher?

Hitcher was blinded by tears after reading this effort from said teaching aspirant.

Originally Posted by BuFfY

Hitcher, I am apposed to it! And I am ALMOST a teacher.

**diggydog** · 9th November 2006, 17:59

will i'm against it, they talking about bring this in to schools and for tests as well, they dont have any guide lines let alone no dictionary to check against, which is correct you do'nt know. having definitions for these words we wo'nt know which word goes with the meanings, we have words, that mean so many things.

**MidnightMike** · 9th November 2006, 18:12

Originally Posted by bugjuice

f'in stpd. wtf is teh wrld cumin 2?

I knw its knda stpd hh, whtz th pnt, sriusly. Ts wd hve 2 b th stpdsd ide snce mrkaklnd.

Translated:

I know its kind of stupid isnt it?, whats the point, seriously. This would have to be the most stupid idea since MarkAuckland.

**Phurrball** · 9th November 2006, 18:14

Small point: Do not most modern cell phones have predictive text?

There is no excuse for 'txt spk'. Surely such data-saving in these enlightened predictive text days should be consigned to the dust-bin of history. Case-in-point: two digit computer dates (anyone remember the Y2K hysteria?!?!) We can use an indulgent 4 digits worth of data for dates these days! Surely we can use proper English to text one another?

With many SMS messages available for little coin, and the possibility of concatenation, text messaging could IMPROVE spelling if predictive text dictionaries are used. I know that if my phone doesn't know the word I just tried to input...I need to revise my appalling spelling (Or revise my gumby finger operation). I also love the fact it is so easy to use apostrophes on my phone with predictive text

(Trying to get a hyphen makes me weep...I have taken to using commas)

My mission for Christmas is to show my 50 year-old mother how to use predictive text. This morning she asked me "Hows u?"

My reaction to this appalling language was similar to Hitcher's upon receipt of this 'Exm txt spk OK' story.

**Phurrball** · 9th November 2006, 18:16

Originally Posted by MidnightMike

I knw its knda stpd hh, whtz th pnt, sriusly. Ts wd hve 2 b th stpdsd ide snce mrkaklnd.

Translated:

I know its kind of stupid isnt it?, whats the point, seriously. This would have to be the most stupid idea since MarkAuckland.

Close MM:

I know it's kind of stupid isn't it? What's the point, seriously. This would have to be the most stupid idea since MarkAuckland.

Your syntax is fine, but the apostrophes need work.

**MidnightMike** · 9th November 2006, 18:23

Thannks for that, it could mean the difference between fail and pass I guess.

**mstriumph** · 9th November 2006, 19:12

pahhhh

on the one hand, language evolves

and it is not unknown for civilizations to last hundreds of years without a written language

.. irritating as that probably is to the world's historians ..

on the other hand, personally i'm not convinced that txt is anything other than an evolutionary cul-de-sac along our linguistic road ........ similar to pig latin and similar 'secret' methods of communication adopted by cliques of one sort or another to set them apart from [and thereby make them feel superior to] the rest of us common herd

it would be as wrong for the "powers" to give txt any official recognition as an acceptable means of 'general' communication [as, from the debate raging here, it ISN'T 'generally' understood] as it would be for them to recognise bed-wetting as an acceptable means of washing sheets.............

....and because, like bed-wetting, the perpetrators will probably grow out of it in time ......

**Brett** · 9th November 2006, 20:49

Well hearing this astounds me. Who was the dumb twat that passed this off as ok? Does anyone care about correct grammar and spelling anymore? One day we will be forced to hire idiots who only know how to write in this new form of shorthand.

CONVERTED

Wl hrng ths astnds me. Who ws da dmb twt dat pssd ths off as k? Duz ne1 care abt crct gramr & spelng nemore? 1 day we wl b 4cd 2 hyr idiots who only no hw 2 wryt in dis nw frm of shrthnd.

**Beemer** · 9th November 2006, 22:10

Originally Posted by MSTRS

Where was Hitcher?
Sorry Buffy, and I know it seems petty, but teachers, especially, must attain the highest standard.
What is this facsination with making things as easy as possible? Is it to ensure that as many as possible get to pass? I always thought that the point of school and exams was that approximately 50% would pass and the other 50% would fail. Scaling was there to ensure this. Yes, the world has changed since I was at school, but life will always have winners and losers, with graduations of success within each group. Lowering the bar to have more 'winner' is a recipe for disaster, as others have said.

Pot. Kettle. Black.

**yungatart** · 10th November 2006, 07:09

I am appalled! I guess, though, that it does allow the less literate among us to feel some success - heaven forbid that in this enlightened age, anyone should fail at anything. The risks to one's self esteem being irreparably damaged by failure are legendary and well documented.
On a brighter note, it appears that principals in Hawkes Bay are opposed to the idea, and are insisting on correct English for all assessments.
Sanity prevails, if only in one small area.