Influence of TXT Slang on Junior High Students’ Writing Skills

This study was intended to determine the influence of TXT slang on the English writing skills of Grade 10 students. Specifically, it assessed students’ frequency of TXT slang usage in online communication and evaluated their proficiency in vocabulary and grammar, guided by the Language Transfer Theory. The study utilized a descriptive-correlational research design. A total of 108 Grade 10 students participated through total population sampling. Data were collected using a validated survey instrument consisting of a frequency checklist for TXT slang usage and a multiple-choice English writing proficiency test focusing on vocabulary and grammar. Descriptive statistics were employed to analyze slang usage and writing proficiency levels, while Spearman’s rank-order correlation was used to determine the relationship between TXT slang usage and English writing skills. The major findings of the study revealed that students often used TXT slang, including group acronyms, Filipino slang, and internet expressions, in their online communication. However, there was no significant correlation between the frequency of TXT slang usage and students’ English writing skills in vocabulary and grammar. Most students were categorized under the “Emerging” and “Developing” levels of writing proficiency, indicating a need for further support in formal writing skills development. It can be concluded that while TXT slang is pervasive among Grade 10 students’ digital communication practices, its frequent use does not significantly affect their formal English writing skills in vocabulary and grammar. This suggests that students are generally capable of distinguishing between casual online language and academic writing norms. Nevertheless, explicit instruction in grammar and vocabulary remains essential to reinforce formal writing skills among junior high school students.