Slang, texting and emojis: IELTS essay ideas

Slang, abbreviations and emojis are widely used in text messages, and some people think they are damaging young people's language skills. I disagree with this view to a large extent, although I accept that there is a limited risk.

The concern is understandable. Young people who spend hours writing short, informal messages may carry these habits into their schoolwork, producing essays with missing punctuation, text-speak abbreviations and careless spelling. Teachers in several countries have reported seeing this. If students rarely practise formal writing, their grammar may weaken, and they could struggle to produce the polished text that employers and universities expect.

Nevertheless, I do not think the evidence supports the claim that language is being damaged. Language has always evolved, and every generation develops its own slang; the words that older people consider incorrect today often become standard in the future. Texting language can also be seen as creative and efficient. Inventing abbreviations or using an emoji to express tone requires imagination and an understanding of the audience, and some linguists have found that regular texters are actually more aware of spelling, since they know how a word should be written before shortening it. Above all, most young people are able to adjust their style to the situation. Just as someone speaks differently to a friend and to an interviewer, a teenager can write a casual message in the evening and a formal essay the next morning.

What matters is that schools continue to teach formal writing and make clear when it is required. If students are given regular practice and feedback, informal messaging will not prevent them from mastering the standard language.

In conclusion, texting language may occasionally appear in formal writing, but it reflects the natural development of language and does not seriously harm young people's abilities, provided that formal skills are still taught.