Synopses & Reviews
Reading in Asian Languages is rich with information about how literacy works in the non-alphabetic writing systems (Chinese, Japanese, Korean) used by hundreds of millions of people and refutes the common Western belief that such systems are hard to learn or to use. The contributors share a comprehensive view of reading as construction of meaning which they show is fully applicable to character-based reading.
The book explains how and why non-alphabetic writing works well for its users; provides explanations for why it is no more difficult for children to learn than are alphabetic writing systems where they are used; and demonstrates in a number of ways that there is a single process of making sense of written language regardless of the orthography. Unique in its perspective and offering practical theory-based methodology for the teaching of literacy in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean to first and second language learners, it is a useful resource for teachers of increasingly popular courses in these languages in North America as well as for teachers and researchers in Asia. It will stimulate innovation in both research and instruction.
Synopsis
The major Asian languages are becoming increasingly important in business, travel, and academia. Although they share a common history, outside of Asia there is little understanding of how character-based writing systems work for their users and why these systems have endured. At the same time, there is little research that attempts to relate modern views of the nature of the reading process to these languages. This book offers a comprehensive view of constructing meaning through reading and argues that there is a single process of making sense of written language regardless of the orthography.
The authors of Reading in Asian Languages share a high level of knowledge about language and literacy, and the majority of them are native speakers of the languages they are writing about. In this volume, they combine their insights as users of character-based writing with their scientific knowledge to create a book that is unique in its perspective and bound to stimulate innovation in both research and instruction on this topic.