Text messaging 'boosting literacy standards'

The popularity of text messaging is not having a negative effect on young people's literacy skills, according to academics.A study at Coventry University showed that using SMS technology could in fact be having a positive impact on their grasp of reading, vocabulary and phonology.The research, which was published in the British Journal of Developmental Psychology, concluded that concerns over "text speak" among education professionals could be unwarranted.Dr Beverley Plester, one of the researchers behind the study, commented: "The alarm in the media is based on selected anecdotes but actually when we look for examples of text speak in essays we don't seem to find very many."Speaking to BBC News, she added that when children have more exposure to the written word via media such as text messages, they actually become more literate.However, a recent study by Teachers TV found that nearly two-thirds of teachers are letting pupils use text abbreviations and slang such as "gr8" and "l8" in coursework and essays.

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