Nicola McGann BBC Scotland news website Tayside and Central reporter

Gr8t 2 c u...c u nxt wk....LOL

Failure to navigate around a mobile phone these days is tantamount to being a social outcast.

My long-suffering friends hang their heads in despair as their text messages never get an immediate response.

Texting is becoming a new modern language

It always takes me at least 10 painful minutes - sometimes longer - to get out a reply by which time I could have phoned them and spoken in person.

One friend's 11-year-old daughter in particular amazes me as I watch her ping texts back and forth to her mates as if she's having a normal conversation with them.

I bought an all-singing all-dancing phone which has an MP3 player, camera and video - two years on and I still haven't got to grips with all of its functions.

However a new course has been set up at Perth College is all set to change that.

The course, at the Pathways Learning Centre in South Street, Perth, has been set up to help people get to grips with the latest technology.

From learning how to send and read text messages to storing numbers in the phone's address book and using its answering machine, the two-day course even teaches people how to change their ringtones.

Encouraging response

It is designed for people who want to get more from their mobiles, regardless of the kind of phone they have.

According to the college's learning resource manager, Dawne Hodkinson, there has been an encouraging response so far.

She told BBC Scotland's news website: "The whole reason we did it was for more mature students because they find it difficult.

"They have all got mobile phones now and they just don't know what to do. We give them the confidence to use their phones and its a bit of fun too.

"Course participants will learn how to keep up with their children or grandchildren by text."

Ms Hodkinson said the course was filling up quickly but there are still some places left.

So the message is "Dont B L8, Still Time 2 Learn 2 Txt".