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Colin_ORegan

Colin_ORegan

Brooklyn, NY
May 2006

NOV 27, 2006 10:38 AM

In order to seem cool, New Zealand has authorized its students the use of "text-speak" in national exams this year. Text speak, a language developed and adopted by mobile text message senders the world over, abbreviates thousands of words in order to make messaging more efficient. Popular examples are "LOL" to replace "Laughing out loud," "H8" is a shortened version of "hate," "BRB" for "be right back," or "CU" for "see you."

New Zealand's Qualifications Authority, the committee responsible for the decision, emphasizes that it still strongly discourages the students from using anything other that proper English, but feels forces to give credit when the answers demonstrate the required understanding. The Deputy Chief Executive, Bali Haque, stresses that answers should be as clear as possible and though the language will be accepted, anything other than complete English will be penalized to a degree.

Many critics are split over the decision allowing text slang. President of the Post Primary Teachers' Association, Debbie Te Whaiti, said the authority's move only reflects the current prevailing classroom situation. Others say the exam required for graduation, the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA), suffers a serious blow in reputation and respect.

One New Zealand blogger, Phil Stevens, responded to the decision in a way the NZQA is sure to understand but only give partial credit for.


"nzqa [New Zealand Qualifications Authority]: u mst b joking," Stevens wrote. "or r u smoking sumthg?"

private_grave

private_grave

Belgium
April 2005

NOV 27, 2006 09:12 PM

yeah, this is going to make people stupid.

Southside

Southside

Coraopolis, PA
September 2006

NOV 27, 2006 09:12 PM

Oh, god damn it.

Are you fucking kidding me?

That's all I can think to say.

punk

punk

Phoenix, AZ
January 2004

NOV 27, 2006 09:16 PM

New Zealand has just reversed human evolution by 10,000 years.

Thanks, New Zealand. We're all dumber by association, now.

MrStitches

MrStitches

Brooklyn, NY
November 2003

NOV 27, 2006 09:41 PM

deer nu zeelend. u suk. ftw.

Southside

Southside

Coraopolis, PA
September 2006

NOV 27, 2006 09:43 PM

deer nu zeelend. u suk. ftw.



IM IN UR TESTS

IM FUKIN UP UR LNGUAG

SmooshFacedLion

SmooshFacedLion

Houston, TX
April 2003

NOV 27, 2006 09:45 PM

OMG! 4 RL?

Margot_Dent

Margot_Dent

Los Angeles, CA
February 2004

NOV 27, 2006 09:45 PM

holy balls that is so sad.

_DictionaryGirl_

_DictionaryGirl_

NEWSWIRE

San Diego, CA

NOV 27, 2006 10:00 PM

Abominable. frown

ortho7117

ortho7117

Charlotte, NC
April 2004

NOV 27, 2006 10:01 PM

Chomsky should be thrilled.

burtlo

burtlo

Seattle, WA
May 2004

NOV 27, 2006 10:04 PM

I see nothing wrong with it. The tests are still looking for clarity and understanding - in whatever way they are presented, I believe that works.

Of course, I'm not one to prescribe rules for spelling and grammar.

adjunct

adjunct

Philadelphia, PA
July 2002

NOV 27, 2006 10:05 PM

But:

Confident that those grading papers would understand answers written in text-speak, Haque stressed that in some exams, including English, text abbreviations would be penalized.


So I don't think the sun is exactly setting on the Queen's English. I don't know the exams myself, but I haven't seen many calculus exams with points off for labeling your X axis "tm."

armyofrobots

armyofrobots

Orlando, FL
October 2004

NOV 27, 2006 10:10 PM

Southside said:

deer nu zeelend. u suk. ftw.



IM IN UR TESTS

IM FUKIN UP UR LNGUAG



lollerskates.

turin

turin

Denver, CO
October 2003

NOV 27, 2006 10:10 PM

in the eternal battle between linguists and english teachers, science has gained a beachhead.

toaster_coaster

toaster_coaster

New Zealand
March 2005

NOV 27, 2006 10:15 PM

A demonstration of understanding can include a picture, a graph, or a fucking shit smear on the page if it relates to the question at hand.

punk said:
New Zealand has just reversed human evolution by 10,000 years.



Bro, if I were you, I would be very careful before throwing around statements like that. all.Considering the intellectual state of parts of your country.... you know, people in glass houses....

Must be a slow news day at CNN. That is all.

MrStitches

MrStitches

Brooklyn, NY
November 2003

NOV 27, 2006 10:49 PM

toaster_coaster said:
A demonstration of understanding can include a picture, a graph, or a fucking shit smear on the page if it relates to the question at hand.

punk said:
New Zealand has just reversed human evolution by 10,000 years.



Bro, if I were you, I would be very careful before throwing around statements like that. all.Considering the intellectual state of parts of your country.... you know, people in glass houses....

Must be a slow news day at CNN. That is all.



People who use cliches shouldn't throw stone houses.

UmbraDigital

UmbraDigital

New Zealand
May 2006

NOV 27, 2006 11:15 PM

I am so fucking embarrassed right now.

But, then again - sure we may have dumbed down civilization by a few thousand years, it still puts us ahead of your average redneck american...

MoLi

MoLi

New Zealand
March 2006

NOV 28, 2006 01:58 AM

Oh my God, this is just embarassing. NZQA needs to stop trying to make kids "feel good" and instead stand up and say "you have got to be fucking kidding"
Stupidity is not a virtue!!!

DhD_No_Pants

DhD_No_Pants

Katy, TX
May 2006

NOV 28, 2006 02:07 AM

UmbraDigital said:
I am so fucking embarrassed right now.

But, then again - sure we may have dumbed down civilization by a few thousand years, it still puts us ahead of your average redneck american...



I really don't know where you would get that idea.

Wait, let me translate that for you.

OMGZ, whur wld u gt an id3a liek tht?

adjunct

adjunct

Philadelphia, PA
July 2002

NOV 28, 2006 02:15 AM

It's good to know that it takes you rednecks and sheep fuckers took about four posts to turn this into a retarded national pride fest, like any of you has anything to do with drafting educational standards.

DhD_No_Pants

DhD_No_Pants

Katy, TX
May 2006

NOV 28, 2006 02:26 AM

adjunct said:
It's good to know that it takes you rednecks and sheep fuckers took about four posts to turn this into a retarded national pride fest, like any of you has anything to do with drafting educational standards.



It is glaringly obvious that the whole idea is completely retarded to begin with. You want 6 pages of everyone saying "This is a completely retarded idea," fill them up yourself.

adjunct

adjunct

Philadelphia, PA
July 2002

NOV 28, 2006 02:39 AM

DancehallDreamer said:

adjunct said:
It's good to know that it takes you rednecks and sheep fuckers took about four posts to turn this into a retarded national pride fest, like any of you has anything to do with drafting educational standards.



It is glaringly obvious that the whole idea is completely retarded to begin with. You want 6 pages of everyone saying "This is a completely retarded idea," fill them up yourself.


No, I'd clearly like you goons to call each other rednecks and sheep fuckers for another page or two before someone closes the thread.

And actually, the idea isn't all that retarded, and merely saying so doesn't make it so.

DhD_No_Pants

DhD_No_Pants

Katy, TX
May 2006

NOV 28, 2006 02:54 AM

adjunct said:

DancehallDreamer said:

adjunct said:
It's good to know that it takes you rednecks and sheep fuckers took about four posts to turn this into a retarded national pride fest, like any of you has anything to do with drafting educational standards.



It is glaringly obvious that the whole idea is completely retarded to begin with. You want 6 pages of everyone saying "This is a completely retarded idea," fill them up yourself.


No, I'd clearly like you goons to call each other rednecks and sheep fuckers for another page or two before someone closes the thread.

And actually, the idea isn't all that retarded, and merely saying so doesn't make it so.



Since you are the only one referring to them as sheep fuckers, on behalf of the Redneck Goons, I'd like to welcome you to the group. I'd give you the badge, but it won't fit on your hallway monitor belt.

And to UmbraDigital, I think that my remark possibly came off quite a bit bitchier than I originally intended it to. I forget sometimes that people that don't know me might actually take my sarcasm to heart. Can a dumb redneck like me and a sheep fucker like you join hands and get a rousing rendition of kumbayah going on? I'm afraid I can't translate it into text-speak for you, but I'm sure such trifling cultural differences can be overcome. wink

adjunct

adjunct

Philadelphia, PA
July 2002

NOV 28, 2006 03:05 AM

DancehallDreamer said:

adjunct said:

DancehallDreamer said:

adjunct said:
It's good to know that it takes you rednecks and sheep fuckers took about four posts to turn this into a retarded national pride fest, like any of you has anything to do with drafting educational standards.



It is glaringly obvious that the whole idea is completely retarded to begin with. You want 6 pages of everyone saying "This is a completely retarded idea," fill them up yourself.


No, I'd clearly like you goons to call each other rednecks and sheep fuckers for another page or two before someone closes the thread.

And actually, the idea isn't all that retarded, and merely saying so doesn't make it so.



Since you are the only one referring to them as sheep fuckers, on behalf of the Redneck Goons, I'd like to welcome you to the group. I'd give you the badge, but it won't fit on your hallway monitor belt.


No, you see, you're all goons, it's just that some of you are sheep fuckers and some of you are rednecks. I'm just a damn Yankee.

James_

James_

United Kingdom
March 2003

NOV 28, 2006 03:08 AM

Isn't textspeak just a modern kind of shorthand?
Shorthand writing systems have been around for thousands of years. As long as grammar and understanding are preserved then I don't really see the problem.

It's no different than if they said they would accept an essay written in cyrillic or brahmic script. Unorthodox yes, but still correct language.

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