How do you text your instructor?

[Possum]

You know the type: He's older. He's stronger, smarter, and wiser, and is "liberal" with his bamboo sword. He can beat the crap out of you with ki and a glare. He doesn't speak English very well. You don't argue with him, or you'll feel the wrath of his bamboo stick and ki glares. He's omnipotent and a deity or a demi-god. Generally, you fear (and respect...) him. Your response to everything ends with a formal "Sir", "Sabumnim", or whatever protocol is required for your school.

But you're his senior student and/or instructor, and must communicate with him regularly.

And he JUST got himself a smartphone for his birthday from his family, and he's JUST learning how to text, and isn't very good at it, though his young children are trying to get him up to speed.

And he texts you - constantly. Even at work and in the middle of dinner, and makes you feel guilty the next day because you didn't respond right away.

What formal protocols must you follow? Usual texting abbreviations, of which he knows little (and/or makes up his own)? Abbreviated conversations? Formal greetings and salutations?

His own texts, due to broken English, have funny autocorrects, and is otherwise extremely formal and lengthy.

Do you respond with "Ty", or "IDK", and use "u", "4", and "b4" as words?

I am told you should respond similarly as you would in class in person; others say you would respond as if you were his son or daughter. Others say, he has descended into the texting world all by himself, and it's a lesson he has to learn himself, so be the one to teach him.

What do you think?

By the way, I have already learned that smiley faces and other emoticons are not appropriate for him, he'll text back asking what those things mean... he just doesn't get the western world's punctuation characters I guess...

Oh, and his 3rd grade kids are teaching him some "colorful" words. They've already gotten him to drop an F-bomb a few times, and while he knows the "F" word, they were smart enough to disguise the "F" with a "PH" and confuse him. So his kids are having a lot of fun at his expense, but it is driving me nuts (and laughter...)

Do I correct him?
LOL Last night, I tossed a 14-year old under the bus: I told the instructor the kid knows more than me about texting and using the phone, and has time to help. He gladly accepted the offer, and I also told him the lessons have to be "informal". He agreed. With regards to the pranks, that subject hasn't come up yet, but the kid knows and I asked him to help the instructor through it. I'll report back in a few days about how that's working. But over the last month since he got his phone, I get nagging texts, and I can't stand the formality or the lengthy responses expected. I'm not even sure if formality is expected, I'm working on that with the helper.
Yeah, well "yes sabumnim" gets tedious after awhile... when I text others ABOUT him, I'll use "sbn".
The kid quit after 2 days. He says the instructor will never get it. It takes the instructor almost 20 minutes to type in a single sentence. His spoken English is not very good, but his written is worse. The only advantage I have now is that the kid convinced the instructor that texting needs to be informal, and misspellings are okay as long as the reader can figure out what you're trying to say. I will take your advices on dropping hints about appropriate times, and expectations of responses.

[Kokoro]

Turn off auto spell, dam thing mess me up on my ipad as it is. I need to turn it off on this thing

Text abbreviations that's easy. I only know three so I don't use them too much. Respond in full words, and keep it short.

Do you correct him, that depends do you want to be beaten I to submission with his bamboo staff. If your lucky the staff is bamboo and not a jo made from ash or oak, or he may just use you as his uke for the next month. If he does make sure you shave, being thrown by a beard is painful, I had it done to me once, just once. I recommend shaving before he gets the idea.

I would try and gently break the news to him about his grandchildren s pranks, or maybe tell his son or daughter about them and have them deal with it.

Good luck you will need it

Edited because of stupid auto spell, I hate that thing


You could print out a simple list of text abbreviations, not too many just a few

[Karate Dave]

I have a full pull out qwerty keyboard on my phone, so I tend to use full sentences and words. I don't know, I guess I am old fashioned in a way but IDK, B4, and the like coming from an adult just does not impress me, For that matter it doesn't impress me from a teenager either.
To answer your question, I would answer the same way I would in class or any other time that I encountered him. I would also casually drop something about what time I usually eat supper and that family time was important to me. Not in an accusing way or even connecting it to him in any way, just subtle hints. Now as for work, I would just explain respectfully that I have to be selective on when I can reply while I am working as there are times it just isn't appropriate.

[SiFu frank]

I just answer yes Sifu

[talldesk614]

Be patient. He will learn.

Also, set the expectation level for responses. Once he sees your response time, he will eventually expect and respect the fact that you cannot always answer instantly.

[LIONDANCER]

This is hilarious. Thanks for the reminder why I do not have texting on my phone. I got two good ears and can listen and if I am busy there is voicemail and I will get back with the caller when I am available. Works for me, all my teachers and students.

[J]

Personally, I hate that texting crap, so I don't. My Hapkido instructor uses twitter for the younger students who might have questions so they can write him, as well as school updates. Twitter only allows like 140 characters, so if the question or answer is long, formality pretty much has to be lost. He prefers formal writing, and urges everyone to do so, but he makes it an exception for long messages for the sake of space.

I have some Japanese friends who use Japanese "emoticon" in place of English ones. They're not acronyms like LOL, or emoticons like , but instead it's usually (笑) which is pronounced warai (meaning smile, or giggle), or they just use w (for warai). It's sort of a blend of both lol and .

He'll learn it over time, but you should help correct him when you can. You really need to do something about the kids teaching him bad things. It's not exactly like giving a monkey a gun, but he could use it wrong. Manners, etiquette and morality should stil exist even in cyberspace. I know very religious folks who use OMG. Despite what it means, they still defend it as being okay so long as it acronymed. It's no different than saying "gosh", or "shoot". You and everyone else know what you're saying, regardless of any substituted word.

[jwbulldogs]

There is no good answer her. It is hard to text anyone that is not comfortable with texting. Especially if there is or will be a language barrier. I wouldn't use text language like LOL, BRB, IDK. I'd keep it as simple as I could or just give him a call when I have the opportunity. I'd have to explain that I was at work and couldn't respond.