SMS: A THREAT TO LANGUAGE?

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SMS: A THREAT TO LANGUAGE?

1.0 INTRODUCTION Short Message Service (SMS) is the text communication service component of mobile communication systems, using standardized communications protocols that allow the exchange of short text messages between mobile phone devices. SMS text messaging is the most widely used data application in the world, with 2.4 billion active users, or 74% of all mobile phone subscribers.1 SMS is widely used in our daily life, from as young as primary students till the golden age of the grandparents, all of us communicate through this technology that is simple, fast and easy because it is money saving for long distance communication and only took a few seconds to receive a SMS. However, some people think SMS has become a serious problem in language, not just affected our national language Bahasa Melayu, but also in English language. 1.1 PURPOSE OF STUDY 1.1.1 1.1.2 To study whether SMS will corrupt languages or not. Discover the factors that lead to shortening words in SMS. 1.2 METHOD OF INVESTIGATION In preparing this report, information regarding this topic was obtained from the internet sources, newspapers, magazines and also from books. Other method of investigation is from the survey analysis of SMS survey questionnaire. A survey was done to 30 people in Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu. The results and analysis of the survey will be explained in the next chapter.

Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SMS, 20 June 2010.

SMS: A THREAT TO LANGUAGE? 2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 AGREED SMS WILL CORRUPT LANGUAGE In Malaysia, more than 21 million people use mobile phone as a communication tools to connect with each other.2 SMS has been commercially introduced in Malaysia in 1995,3 and now the technology had become multi functional uses, not just for communication but also for voting in reality television shows. Most of all SMS users shorten up the words in their text message, which is usually used in informal message, randomly created by users as long as it is fit with the 160 message characters. Shorten up words in SMS had become worrisome problems by some people that think it will corrupt our language. Director of Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP), Dr Awang Sariyan said the problem arise when SMS language is used in official conversation also by shorten words in an official letter, memo or article.4 Another study by David Crystal in Oxford University Press has countered the claims that SMS has a deleterious effect on language with numerous scholarly studies.5 The uses of symbols, codes and shorten up words in SMS is also become one of the reason of corruption of Malay and English language among community and school students. In Peperiksaan Menengah Rendah 2003, many students used shorten up words in their essay just like when they were chatting or SMS.6

Siti Rohana Mohd Thani, a lecturer of Fakulti Bahasa dan Linguistik Universiti Malaya, said SMS is clearly damaging the uses of Malay language in the spelling, pronunciations and also of the language terminology. Many words that were shortened are confusing and sometimes only several of people understand it. As an

Fadzli Fadhilah, Rosakkah bahasa kerana SMS?, http://mstar.com.my/berita/cerita, 20 June 2010. 3 Panduan Singkatan Khidmat Pesanan Ringkas (SMS) Bahasa Melayu, Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, 2008. 4 Nazmi Yaakub, http://aplikasi.kpkt.gov.my/akhbar, 20 June 2010. 5 SMS Language, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SMS_language, 20 June 2010. 6 Nazmi Yaakub, http://aplikasi.kpkt.gov.my/akhbar, 20 June 2010.
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SMS: A THREAT TO LANGUAGE? example, the word pun and puan is shortened to pn which can means both of the original word.7 2.2 DISAGREED SMS WILL CORRUPT LANGUAGE However, there are also several people that disagree with this issue. A lecturer from Institut Alam dan Tamadun Melayu (Atma) of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Prof Madya Dr Supyan Hussin, that conduct a research study on SMS that is believed to corrupt Bahasa Melayu. He disagree on this issue and stated that SMS can give an opportunity to Malay language users to be more creative in text messaging by shorten the words because it can save more space (in text message) and money. He added, with control creativity, Bahasa Melayu will be more relevant with the latest century but still can maintained their identity and language. SMS language is only used in informal language; it would not corrupt our language.8 Barbara Bleiman, an education consultant at the English and Media Centre in London, believes that most young people do know what form of language to use in what circumstances. It is an exaggeration to say that texting or abbreviated forms are undermining language generally. People have always found ways of shortening language to meet their needs, whether it was in writing telegrams, or in everyday use such as writing a shopping list.9 Miss Bleiman added, the important role for schools is to inform pupils in what contexts these different forms should be used and what is appropriate, depending on the audience. Take into account the amount of writing they now do, on their mobile phones and computers, young people are probably reading and writing more now than they ever were.10 Mark Rogers, an English teacher at The Jo Richardson Community School in Dagenham, Essex, believes it is up to teachers to ensure that young people know how to adapt our language to their needs. As a teacher, they always pick pupils up on slang or incorrect English, whether it is in written or spoken form. Where schools are
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Hariyati Ariffin, http://detikdaily.net/v5/modules.php?name=News&file=print&sid, 20 June 2010. 8 Supyan Hussin, http://supyanhussin.wordpress.com/2009/07/11/bahasa-sms/, 20 June 2010. 9 Lepkowska D. , 2 Txt or not 2 txt, TES Magazine, 6 February 2009. 10 Lepkowska D. , ibid.

SMS: A THREAT TO LANGUAGE? worried about text messaging it must be because they are not teaching properly in the first place. In fact, many schools are embracing the use of mobile phones for communication in class. At Crossways Academy in Lewisham, London, at the end of the lesson, teachers told to pupils at the end of lessons if they have any suggestions on how the lesson could have been better for them, they can text or SMS to their teachers.11 According to its principal Dame Ruth Silver, this gets children to think about teaching and learning even after lessons are over. There is also evidence that schools that use phones a lot in class tend to find bullying by text disappears.12 Miss Klacey, who teaches at Queensbridge School in Birmingham and is a member of the National Literacy Association, said, young people have always had a code through which they communicate, and texting is just part of that for this particular generation. She believes that text messaging is a rite of passage for young people, who are often experimenting with their individuality.13 2.3 CHAPTERS CONCLUSION Based on the literature review, there are several people agreed and disagreed on this issue. Several of opinions and arguments arise by teachers and professionals regarding on this issue. To clear on this issue, further study will be done by conducting a survey to the public towards this issue. The report of the study will be discussed in the next chapter.

3.0 ANALYSIS OF SURVEY

Lepkowska D. , 2 Txt or not 2 txt, TES Magazine, 6 February 2009. Lepkowska D. , ibid. 13 Lepkowska D. , ibid.
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SMS: A THREAT TO LANGUAGE?

3.1

Findings

A small scale study was done to 30 people in Kuala Terengganu about SMS is corrupting our language. The data is analyzed and the reports will be showed in frequency distribution. 3.2 Chart 1: Age Distribution

Chart 1: Age distribution Chart 1 showed the age distribution of respondents to survey by age categories. The highest numbers of respondents are 40 years old and above which are 30% of them. The second highest number of correspondent which is 23% is from two categories of age. They are people who are between 15 to 20 years old and 21 to 25 years old. Moreover, the lowest age categories are peoples who are 36 to 40 years old which are 7%. 3.3 Chart 2: Status of Respondents 5

SMS: A THREAT TO LANGUAGE?

Chart 2: Status distribution According to Chart 2, most of correspondents status is working, which is 14 people from 30 respondents. Next highest status is studying categories; respondents who are studying are 40% from all of 30 respondents. In the studying categories, most of them are high school students and college students that are from 15-20 years old. There are 4 people who does not studying neither working that take part in the survey. However, none of the respondents is currently working and studying at the same time.

3.4

Chart 3: SMS Will Corrupt Language or Not. 6

SMS: A THREAT TO LANGUAGE?

Chart 3: SMS will corrupt language or not Chart 3 showed the percentage of respondents that agree and disagree with the issue whether SMS will corrupt our language or not. The reports showed that majority of the respondents were disagreed that SMS will corrupt language which is showed 64% from 30 respondents. In other hand, 35% were agreed that SMS will corrupt language.

3.5

Surveys Responses 7

SMS: A THREAT TO LANGUAGE? Responses It will influence in formal writing due too much time spent on SMS. Faster and easier to communicate. To save cost of SMS. Will influence the young generation. No. of Respondents 4 6 7 1

1. 2. 3. 4.

The main reason for shorten up the words in SMS is to cut the cost of texting. Cost for SMS is around RM0.01 to RM0.50 for 160 SMS characters. People send SMS at least to 10 persons for a day, and sometimes can go to 20 to 50 SMS for a day. An interview done to several students who did take this survey told that they can spent from RM2.00 to RM4.00 for SMS in a day and most of them already shorten up the words they were using during texting to their friends. Later when they were questioned what if the shortened words were misunderstood by the receivers, they answered they just explained the corrected words and later when the shortened words are used again the receivers already understand it. Faster and easier to communicate means the users find it faster to shorten up the words compared to key in the words in full spelling. While easier means, compared to other type of communications such as internet communication system like emails and online chatting, SMS is faster and the receiver and sender only use a small gadget to view it compared to emails that need to switch on the laptop or computer that isnt mobile. There are also respondents that think SMS will influence in formal writing due too much time spent on SMS till sometimes they tend to forget the original and correct spelling should be used in formal writing. A respondent who is an accountant said she sometimes sends mixed languages and shortened words in SMS to her manager and sub-ordinates that can confused the receivers.

3.6

Chapters Conclusion

Based on the study, most of the respondents shorten up their words to save the cost of SMS and to time spent to type in the words. They also think it is easier to

SMS: A THREAT TO LANGUAGE? communicate with each other by shorten up the words. Somehow there are also respondents that agree SMS will corrupt our language because it can influence younger generation and also the shorten words are used in formal writing. Based on literature reviews on Chapter 2 and the analysis of this study, the writer concludes that SMS will not corrupt our languages. Further explanations will be review in the next chapter.

4.0 CONCLUSION Based on literature reviews on Chapter 2 and the analysis of this study in Chapter 3, the writer concludes that SMS will not corrupt our languages. There were several 9

SMS: A THREAT TO LANGUAGE? issues arise on Short Message Services (SMS) that can corrupt our language by shorten up the words and it also can create up problems in understanding the words and also the pronunciation of the words. However, based on the research done for this report writing, most of the respondents used SMS language only during texting with friends and family not in formal writing. Prof Madya Dr Supyan Hussin think of SMS language as a code just like Braille a system of writing and printing for the blind, with patterns of raised dots or like Morse code in which letters are represented by combinations of long and short light or sound signals. SMS language can be seen as a new creativity in language that can be used in informal situation. People has been using shorten words in many other situation such as taking notes in class and lectures, and the reason of shorten up the words is same as in SMS, to make it fast and time saving. SMS language will not corrupt our language as long as it is used only in informal situation only. People shortened up words in SMS only because they want to cut the cost of SMS and only take a short time compared to key in the whole full words. However SMS language also should be monitored by the responsible people or team such as Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka so it would not be used in formal writing.

5.0 RECOMMENDATIONS Director of Jabatan Bahasa Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP) said to prevent formal language mixed up with SMS language among students, teachers should give more 10

SMS: A THREAT TO LANGUAGE? attention to the students so that they know how to differentiate formal and informal language. Various studies suggest that children are the growing users of mobile phones and Internet; hence their exposure to such language makes them learn this faster than their conventional lessons in schools. Thus, the only way to keep them away from the eerie drift is by ostracising the use of wringed language.14 Parents also should monitor their childrens SMS and homework so that they would not used it in essays. This also should be applied to employers and workers so that it would not be used in formal letters.

6.0 REFERENCES Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SMS, 20 June 2010. Fadzli Fadhilah, Rosakkah bahasa kerana SMS?, http://mstar.com.my/berita/cerita, 20 June 2010.
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http://www.merinews.com/article/sms-threat-to-english-language/148062.shtml

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SMS: A THREAT TO LANGUAGE? Panduan Singkatan Khidmat Pesanan Ringkas (SMS) Bahasa Melayu, Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, 2008.

Nazmi Yaakub, http://aplikasi.kpkt.gov.my/akhbar, 20 June 2010. SMS Language, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SMS_language, 20 June 2010. 20 June 2010.

Hariyati Ariffin, http://detikdaily.net/v5/modules.php?name=News&file=print&sid, Supyan Hussin, http://supyanhussin.wordpress.com/2009/07/11/bahasa-sms/, 20 June 2010. Lepkowska D. , 2 Txt or not 2 txt, TES Magazine, 6 February 2009.

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