8/17/2007

R u a text expert?





If you live in this world, you most probably have a cell phone, send text-messages and communicate with your friends via MSN. But do you go to extremes like the girl we can see in this British advert?


I hope not. If you don't have a clue about what this girl is saying, you lack information on new technologies and internet lingo. Here there is a very comprehensive article and listening from the BBC on Instant Messaging. Now, that you have all the information you need we can proceed.
If you are a regular user of instant messages, you are aware that you have to be economical with words. For that reason, people have found very creative ways of getting their messages across by combining letters and numbers. You already know how to do this in Spanish, but do you know how to read text messages in English? Here you have a webpage with all the information you need. You can translate from txtmsg lingo to English or the other way about (from English to txtmsg lingo). There is also a very complete list of emoticons, txting words and acronyms.
Let's have a bit of fun with all this. Can you translate these text messages into plain English? Leave us the translation as a comment...

  1. C U L8R M8
  2. AFAIK
  3. W8 4 ME, I’M L8, SOZ
  4. KIT
  5. HAND
  6. TMB
  7. C U 2NITE O 2MORO
  8. Evtings funny as long as its nt hapNg 2 U.
  9. The best wA 2 gt rid of doZe past memries is 2 brng somit nu 2 Rplce it
  10. Ive a pen wich S blue, Ive a pal wich S u. flowers wl di,e waters will dry, but r Fship will nvr say gdby

You can also create your own text messages by translating them here from plain English into txtmsg lingo. Give it a try and leave your messages as comments...We will be waiting for them.

21 comments:

Anonymous said...

dEr Federico!: hw r u? I`m fyn. wauu2 dis wk? DY prefr 2g2 d cnema or 2 d theatre? RU ph my plz?? gud bye, gdby! CU nxt poets dy!!

Macarena.-

Challenge Education said...

Dear students,
Remember that the comments are moderated, so you will have to wait till I see them before they are posted. They won't appear immediately. Be patient. Send them only once, that's enough.
Lots of kisses and I'm really looking forward to your txt msgs.

Anonymous said...

dEr cllagenge. I'm vry hpE 4 challnG page.
See you
Sofia

Challenge Education said...

TY Sofi!!!! I'm vry hpE 2. Go on participating!!!!!

Anonymous said...

dEr Florencia R. n Celeste F., I realy Njoy d classes W u. kip on workin as uv done so fr. wotU planin 2 do @ d w/e? I'm sure Ull av plenty of fun. CU on tues n Wednesday. Lots of }xx. yr teacha (Sabrina)

Anonymous said...

dEr Belen, hi! Hw r u? I hope ur ok. Id lk 2no somit bout yr wintr hols.
}XX
Gaby

Anonymous said...

dEr Micaela M: I12 u tel u dat ura gr8 pRsN I hope u read dis ! X Florencia

Anonymous said...

dEr Macarena, I 1ly av got 2 advices 4 u:
1, d less impt, Ud hav2 undRst& wich surrounds TU.
2, d most impt, u must spk mor lo bt eql Ull break d ears 2 us.
yr old pal, Mr. YO.

Anonymous said...

dEr gabriela, hw r u? w@ r gunA do dis w/e? I go2the disco. RU gunA go?

Anonymous said...

dEr u, 2day S sunday. I slept +Iwatchd tv a lot. Sry bt I couldn’t go2the disco. Wich 1 DdU go 2? Bye!!!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Hi Micaela G. hw DY do? DY do yr hmwrk? w@ DdU do on satdy n evng? CU on Wednesday!
:K!!
Cele

Anonymous said...

dEr Sabrina I tnk d same bout d classes.I don´t knw dat I do d w/e bt Im sure dat I must stdy :(
CU on Wednesday!!
:K!!!

Anonymous said...

Hi daniel hw r u? I hope dat fyn . wel idk w@ 2 sA .... I tnk dat yr r a vry gud pRsN .... av u did d hmwrk?? wel i must go 2 do my hmwrk SYS

Anonymous said...

hi mati HRU ? WUD ?. I fun u do d hmwrk . 2moz I go2the cnema 2C d simpson FEDERICO

Anonymous said...

hi Aldana hw r you?. I`m hpE +I tlk w/u heaps of +I tnk... u r my pal. w@ DdU do dis w/e? Ive heaps of homekork +I studyd a lot. Ok I haven´t got wrds sou I rt 2 do hmwrk. Bye n CU on thu Matias

Anonymous said...

dEr Leandro, My favourite colour S wyt. dis wk I play ftbl, C n went2 d cnema. w@ DdU do dis wk? C u. Nahuel

Anonymous said...

dEr nahuel, dis wk Im gunA go 2 play football,too. my favourite hue S red. CU leandro

Anonymous said...

dEr Flavia, hi hw r u? Im gunA tel u sum of my favourite tings dat I do n my fre tym . I lk listnin 2 muzc 4 xampl: Green dy, gud Charlotte, Marilyn Manson. I lk blk clothS bt I nvr uz it. My prsonality S VrI weird

abracadabra said...

Flavia,

I have been using tranl8it.com with my students for a long time, to promote writing skills. See some of my games in my teaching folder. I think you will love them, normal / pop song and dialogue versions. Students have to decode the text message into standard English. Get them here on EFL Classroom http://eflclassroom.ning.com/forum/topic/show?id=826870%3ATopic%3A7088

or through my resource website www.ddd.batcave.net

Hola!

Challenge Education said...

Hola David!
Thank you for sharing! I will definitely have a look at your games and use them with my students.
Keep in touch

Anonymous said...

dEr Nahuel, Hi, hw r u? wuz yr fav ftbl team? I lk boca juniors bt I dnt remMbR yrz. nxt cls tel me, plz. }xx, Belen