By: OCHORO, GEORGE OMONDI, ATONI, ROSE, and PILIYESI, ELIZABETH
Essay writing is an essential skill that enables learners to communicate thoughts and persuade audiences. However, the use of non-standard linguistic forms, such as abbreviations and acronyms, has become increasingly prevalent. This study examined the extent to which these forms influence English essay performance among learners in day secondary schools in Kisumu West Sub-County, Kenya. Anchored in Social Learning Theory, the study adopted a convergent parallel design, involving 520 students and 35 teachers. Data were collected through structured questionnaires and document analysis, with quantitative data analysed using descriptive statistics and Pearson Chi-square, and qualitative data through thematic analysis. The findings revealed a significant negative relationship between the usage of abbreviations and essay performance. The study concludes that the transfer of informal digital shorthand into academic work hampers grammatical accuracy and formal fluency. Consequently, it is recommended that educators emphasize the distinction between language registers and that school policies be developed to promote formal language proficiency.
