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Chinese writing composition among CFL learners: A comparison between handwriting and typewriting
Zhang, Qi Ge, Min
Zhang, Qi
Ge, Min
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Publication Date
2019-09-20
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Abstract
Situated in the context of CFL (Chinese as a foreign language), the current study
examines and compares texts produced by twelve pre-intermediate CFL learners using
both pen-and-paper and the pinyin input system. The participants were also invited for
interviews to investigate their attitudes towards handwriting and typewriting. Because
of the ease of use of the pinyin input system, CFL learners tend to prefer it over
writing by hand when composing lengthy texts. Based on the evaluations of fifteen
professional CFL teachers, the typewritten texts were rated higher than the
handwritten ones. Using the self-report empathy test, there was no significant
correlation between an evaluator’s empathy and his/her rating for the texts, whether
composed by hand or with pinyin input. Pedagogically, typewriting might better assist
Chinese language learning after handwriting has been introduced and practised among
non-beginner CFL learners. The empathy effect on handwriting reported in previous
literature is not found in the study. The study goes beyond the factors influencing
typewriting and typewritten essays, to encourage future research investigating when
to introduce computer-based writing and how it would best assist in language
learning.
Citation
Zhang, Q. & Ge, M. (2019). Chinese Writing Composition Among CFL Learners: A Comparison Between Handwriting and Typewriting. Computers and Composition, 54, 102522. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compcom.2019.102522
Publisher
Elsevier
Journal
Computers and Composition
Research Unit
DOI
10.1016/j.compcom.2019.102522
PubMed ID
PubMed Central ID
Type
Article
Language
en
Description
Series/Report no.
ISSN
8755-4615
EISSN
1873-2011