In this paper, we argue that second language (L2) reading research, which has been informed by studies involving first language (L1) alphabetic English reading, may be less relevant to L2 readers with non-alphabetic reading backgrounds, such as Chinese readers with an L1 logographic (Chinese character) learning history. We provide both…

A central claim shared by most recent models of short-term memory (STM) is that item knowledge is coded independently from order in long-term memory (LTM; e.g., the letter A is coded by the same representational unit whether it occurs at the start or end of a sequence). Serial order is computed by dynamically binding these item codes to a separate…

The aim of this paper is to present a concise coherent literature review of the Arabic Language script system as one of the oldest living Semitic languages in the world. The article discusses in depth firstly, Arabic script as a phonemic sound-based writing system of twenty eight, right to left cursive script where letterforms shaped by their…

The stereotypical view of English spelling as an awesome mess is no longer widely held by linguists. That view assumes that spelling should represent pronunciation directly and simply. Instead, spelling is currently understood as representing a more abstract level of language as well as reflecting etymology. Examples from a middle school spelling…

In this critique of current reading research and practice, the author contends that the extreme ambiguity of English spelling-sound correspondence has confined reading science to an insular, Anglocentric research agenda addressing theoretical and applied issues with limited relevance for a universal science of reading. The unique problems posed by…

The article replies to H. Stevenson (EC 162 649), who has interpreted his cross-linguistic studies as showing that differences in orthographies do not materially affect the reading-acquisition process or the prognosis for successful learning. The reply asserts that Stevenson's results derive from a faulty interpretation of comparisons among…

Catalogues the various diacritics that are used for spelling different languages, describing what they look like and what they are used for. Also analyzes the problems of using accented letters in a multilingual computing environment and discusses the extent to which these problems have been resolved, with particular reference to Unicode.…

Describes the fundamentals of Japanese braille and outlines the spacing rules now in general use. Points out the relevance of Japanese braille for the computer treatment of the Japanese language. (FL)

Examines the rendering of personal, commercial, and geographic foreign names in Chinese, in order to make some observations about Chinese script. (AM)

Discusses symbolic geography inherent in the coupling of divergent visions of the imagined community of a nation. Investigates linguistic debates in Bulgaria during the last century to display various representations of Bulgarian language, each of which offered a particular version of the shape and scope of linguistic boundaries. (Author/VWL)

Discusses the teaching of Chinese characters in the second language context. To demystify the difficulty of learning characters, a few myths that surround them are examined. (Author/VWL)

Outlines the structure of a printer driven program that converts Romanized texts, composed with the aid of standard word-processing software, into codes that enable a dot matrix printer to produce high-quality printouts in various non-Roman scripts. (Author/SED)

Describes some of the major structural features of the modern Japanese written language as they are manifested at the level of graphology. (FL)

Argues that a fast and effective writing system need not stay close to the phonemic detail of speech, and offers shorthand systems as examples of this. Some proposals for spelling reform are briefly evaluated in the light of this evidence. (HOD)

Examines how, under Western influence, punctuation was adopted in Japanese texts in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. (FL)