N.Z. Students Can Use Txt Speak on Tests

N.Z. Students Can Use Txt Speak on Tests WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) - New Zealand's high school students will be able to use "text-speak" - the mobile phone text message language beloved of teenagers - in national exams this year, officials said. Text-speak, a second language for thousands of teens, uses abbreviated words and phrases such as "txt" for "text", "lol" for "laughing out loud" or "lots of love," and "CU" for "see you." The move has already divided students and educators who fear it could damage the English language. New Zealand's Qualifications Authority said Friday that it still strongly discourages students from using anything other than full English, but that credit will be given if the answer "clearly shows the required understanding," even if it contains text-speak. The authority's deputy chief executive for qualifications, Bali Haque, said students should aim to make their answers as clear as possible. 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. Post Primary Teachers' Association President Debbie Te Whaiti said the authority's move reflects the classroom situation. Teachers would have concerns if text slang became acceptable in everyday written language in classrooms, she said. Critics said the National Certificate of Educational Achievement or NCEA, the main qualification for high school students, would be degraded by the authority allowing text speak use in exams. Internet blogger Phil Stevens was not amused by the announcement. "nzqa(New Zealand Qualifications Authority): u mst b joking," Stevens wrote. "or r u smoking sumthg?"

A sample of what this article might look like if written by a New Zealand student under the new rules:

NZ!1!!!1 WTF STUDENTS CAN UES TXT SP3AK ON TESTS W3LNG2N NU ZEALAND (AP) - NU ZEALANDS HIGH SKOOL STUDANTS WIL B ABL3 2 UES TAXT-SPAAK - TEH MOBIEL PHONE TAXT MESAEG LANGUAEG BLOVED OF TENAEGRS - IN NATIONAL 3XMS THES YAAR OFICIALS SADE!111! WTF LOL TEXT-SPEAK A SECOND LANGUAEG FOR THOSANDS OF TENS UESS ABR3VIAETD WORDS AND PHRAESS SUCH AS TXT FOR TEXT LOL FOR LAUGHNG OUT LOUD OR LOTS OF LOVE AND CU FOR SE U!11!!1111 OMG WTF LOL TEH MOVE HAS ALRAADY DIVIEDD STUD3NTS AND ADUCA2RS WHO FAAR IT CUD DMAEG DA ANGLISH LANGUAEG!111111 OMG WTF LOL NU Z3ALANDS QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY SADE FRIDAY TAHT IT STIL STRONGLEY DISCOURAEGS STUDANTS FROM USNG ANYTHNG OTH3R THAN FUL ENGLISH BUT TAHT CREDIT WIL B GIEVN IF TEH ANSWER CLEARLEY SHOWS TEH REQUIERD UNDERSTANDNG 3VEN IF IT CONTANES TEXT-SPAAK!11!1111 LOL DA AUTHORITYS DAPUTY CHEIF EX3CUTIEV FOR QUALIFICATIONS BALI HAQUE SADE STUDENTS SHUD AME 2 MAEK THEYRE ANSW3RS AS CLEAR AS POSIBL3!!1!! WTF LOL CONFIEDNT TAHT THOSE GRADNG PAEPRS WUD UNDERSTAND ANSWARS WRIT3N IN TEXT-SPEAK HAQUE STRES3D TAHT IN SOME 3XMS INCLUDNG ENGLISH TAXT ABREVIATIONS WUD B PENALIEZD!!1!1 OMG POST PRIMARY TEACHERS ASOCIATION PR3SIEDNT DEBEI T3 WHATEI SADE DA AUTHORITYS MOV3 REFLECTS DA CLASROM SITUATION!!!!1!1 WTF T3ACH3RS WUD HAEV CONC3RNS IF TAXT SLANG BCME ACAPTABLE IN EV3RYDAY WRITEN LANGUAEG IN CLASROMS SHE SADE!!11!!! OMG CRITIS SADE TEH NATIONAL CARTIFICAET OF EDUCATIONAL ACHEIVEMENT OR NC3A TEH MANE QUALIFICATION FOR HIGH SKOOL STUDENTS WUD B DAGRAEDD BY TEH AUTHORITY ALOWNG TAXT SP3AK UES IN 3XMS!!!!!1 LOL INT3RN3T BLOG3R PHIL ST3VENS WAS NOT MUESD BY TEH ANOUNCEM3NT!!!1!1!! NZQA(NAW ZAALAND QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY) U MST B JOKNG STEVENS WROTA!!!!!11! WTF LOL OR R U SMOKNG SUMTHG???!!? OMG WTF LOL

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