Many students seem to forget that terms like “LOL” (Laugh out loud) and “ROTFL” (Rolling on the floor laughing) don’t belong in academic assignments. In fact, nearly two-thirds of 700 students surveyed in a recent study said their e-communication style sometimes finds its way into their schoolwork, according to the New York Times.
Students said they sometimes omit proper punctuation and capitalization, use text shortcuts, and emoticons, according to the study. But while schools seek to assimilate new modes of writing, some experts see it as a non-issue.
“I think this is not a worrying issue at all,” said Richard Sterling, emeritus executive director of the National Writing Project, who views students’ e-communication as an opportunity to discuss proper usages of English.
Most of the students in the survey didn’t view their e-language as “real writing,” but Sterling makes this prediction: “As the English language evolves, some e-mail conventions … may well become accepted practice.”