Mrs Thomas said she enrolled in the Adult and Community Education cellphone course so she could text her grandchildren. Last week, she sent her first message.
‘‘I sent my friend a message. It said ‘Hi'. Now, I am looking forward to sending my grandchildren messages.''
Despite preferring to talk on the telephone, Mrs Thomas said she decided to enroll in the course, held at The Taieri College, so she could text her grandchildren.
‘‘I told them I will learn to text, but they have to learn how to speak English. I can barely understand what they are writing about".
Tutor Aimee Dodds, who sends more than 600 texts a month, said the course began last year after several Mosgiel residents suggested the idea.
‘‘Everyone seems to enjoy the challenge of learning how to text. It is a useful way to communicate, particularly with younger people.''
The one-off course taught students how to text and retrieve messages. Students had to take along a fully charged cellphone - and plenty of patience.
‘‘It is a pretty easy skill to learn, as long as they concentrate and stay focused,'' Miss Dodds said.
Student Margaret Simpson said she had owned a cellphone for three years and had not yet sent a text message. ‘
‘I am excited about sending one. The hard part is remembering what to do next, and reading the buttons.''
