This paper reports on a study which investigated the relationship between Jamaican children’s texting practice, their knowledge of text messaging writing systems and their ability to write in Standard English. In this study 72 nine- to ten-year-old children from four different schools in the same parish in Jamaica provided information on their texting behaviour by writing an essay, composition, or a few sentences using a chosen text messaging writing system. They were also asked to translate this text message to Standard English.

The concern of West Indian educators for improvement in language-teaching methods and materials has been for the most part confined to the problem of teaching Standard English. Research seeks to determine the differences between Creole and Standard English, the nature of the post-Creole continuum, if it exists, and the effects of the vernacular on proficiency in learning the standard or, through it, other subjects.