IM speak is the least of our worries

B4 reporting on the decline of grammar, check the log in UR eye.

KENNEWICK, Wash. - It is called text slang or IM speak. It is a way people communicate on the Internet or through text messaging on cell phone.

Teachers said the slang is appearing in students work in the classroom

The language is shorter and abbreviated. For example, B4, the letter "B" and the number "4" stand for the word before. Another example is UR which stands for your.

Teachers from around the country said they are finding this type of slang in students' essays and homework. Many young people use the lingo in emails and on their cell phones to talk to other kids.

Kamiakin English teacher Kathy McGuinness said she does not find it in her older students work but has seen it before. She said, "When I scored the WASL I saw a lot of the text slang all through the writing that we grade."

Some Tri-City teachers said the text slang in schoolwork has a negative affect on a students ability to learn the English language.

Emphasis added. Irony noted.