Death of full sentences in classrooms: ‘FR’ (for real) crisis as abbreviations are failing students
Telegraph | 18 December 2025
The increasing use of abbreviations by children in both casual and official settings has raised concerns among parents and teachers.
The adoption of such brief forms starts in the formative years. Despite their prevalent use in messaging and social media, the resultant effect is felt in the advancement of the language and the difficulties students encounter while writing, said teachers.
"A considerable reluctance to write is evident among this generation of learners. Their preference for short forms and abbreviations is so pronounced that they find it challenging to create proper, grammatically correct sentences," said Pratima Nayar, principal of the junior school at Calcutta International School.
"Despite creative writing classes, schools face difficulties in motivating students to write. They tend to overlook the importance of spelling and argue that if a response includes the key elements or the essence, there is no reason to strive for a polished, error-free written work," added Nayar.
Some of the abbreviations that parents and teachers come across more frequently are: idk (I don’t know), fr (for real), ttsm (thank you so much), ttyl (talk to you later), ik (I know), brb (be right back).
They also have a language of their own, which makes their conversation sometimes incomprehensible to adults, a father said.
Uno reverse, pointed out a teacher, has been derived from the card game and means a sudden comeback or a way to "turn the tables" on someone, sending an action or insult back to the person who initiated it.
“It is difficult to keep pace with their language now. Earlier, it was 'U' for ýou', but now how would you understand 'idk',” said a father whose daughter is in Class VI.
The use of short forms or abbreviations is no longer limited to high school students, said teachers.
"Earlier, students used shorthand to take down notes. For instance, 'devep' would denote 'develop' and 'develpml' would signify 'developmental' for convenience, with a clear distinction that such abbreviations were not to be used in formal writing. However, that level of respect for language seems to be lacking now, as students as young as Classes I and II are beginning to use short forms," said Jessica Gomes Surana, principal of Birla High School Mukundapur.
Some things are still permissible in their casual conversation, but not on answer scripts, said Terence John, director of education and development at Julien Day Schools.
“We have to remind them before every examination, whether assessments or term exams. But if they still do, they are penalised for it,” said John.
“By the time they are in Class III, they start using such short forms without understanding how much they are diluting their language,” he said.
Gomes Surana said there is a gradual deterioration in the way they write English.
“There is scant regard for the grammar rules," she said.
Rodney Borneo, principal of St Augustine’s Day School Shyamnagar, said such language is accepted in the “garb of evolution of language.”
“However, if you are answering Shakespeare with a small ‘s’ then you are putting into question a genre of English for what it is,” said Borneo.
“The lines between formal and informal language have blurred,” he said.