Texting as a language tool in academic writing: A study of EFL learners’ output at Qassim University, KSA

Leaners in the EFL paradigm struggle to achieve communicative proficiency with writing being skill most challenging them. However, technologically driven generation of learners, specialized register seen their texting language affords them flexibility lack compensated its features. This study verifies how far academic 48 Saudi male learners across three years undergraduate studies is affected by text messaging (textese) register. A deep analysis randomly selected class notes, assignments, and exam papers was underetaken. Results showed that learners' textese characterized vowel dropping (48%) phonetic replacement (32%) amongst other Textese apparent higher second year participants which occurred 580 times, followed third corpus appeared 552 times. Their occurrence least first groups. non-standard English 549 Finally, maximum this deformed modified (and abbreviated) spelling, heightened use abbreviated acronymical forms amounting free moving syntax. The absence establishes fact truncated form does not adversely affect learners’ performance, rather it used much like earlier shorthand difference former user need take any training. Thus, a affiliate more than substitute for may have beneficial learning outcomes long run.