Grammar Interventions in Gaming Forums: Intersections of Academic and Nonacademic Standards

Abstract

Not long ago, a 23-year-old student came to my office concerned about her English 101 grade. As the composition director, I gave “Amy’s” writing an honest read, and I soon found myself agreeing with her teacher, who said many sentences were loosely connected and too informal. Amy explained that her style was the product of the majority of writing she had done since the seventh grade—instant messaging. “Tons and tons of it!,” she claimed. “When I sit down now to write a paper for class, I see the same keyboard and same computer screen I use to IM, so the same sort of language just seems to pour out.”