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A Reexamination of Protoliteracy through an Analysis of Modern Chinese Character Use

University of California, Berkeley

Chinese characters are often viewed as a premodern or incomplete form of literacy. Authors with an autonomous view of literacy view Chinese as a concrete, homeostatic language inadequate for use in abstract thought and movement toward mass literacy. Even those with an ideological model framework propose that the intrinsic nature of Chinese characters identifies it as an elite language of gentry and political rulers. This study reexamines this view of Chinese characters as a protoliteracy by investigating recent national literacy rates, economic trends, and relevant literature for East Asian nations that use Chinese characters as an integral part of their written language. The author argues for caution in using the protoliteracy paradigm for Chinese language reform because modern Chinese is associated with high levels of mass literacy and economic prosperity. In addition, recent cognitive and historical literature suggests Chinese characters are used in languages because of their advantages for abstract thought.

Key Words: literacy • mass literacy • abstract thought • writing • Chinese • Korean • Japanese

Written Communication, Vol. 21, No. 2, 111-140 (2004)
DOI: 10.1177/0741088303262843


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