Dear Suzanne et others,

Han'gul, in fact, can be written linearly. There have been various experiments to linearize han'gul by Koreans in Korea and those in Russia and the Soviet Union at the turn of the century, when Koreans found themselves in a very low point of their history, as part of a "reform" movement.

Linear writing is called "p'uro ssugi (take apart and write)" in contrast with the usual "moa ssugi (gather together and write)". As far as Korean writing is concerned, writing linearly or in syllable blocks is an orthographic issue, not a typological question. That is why Korean writing is not a syllabary but an alphabet. The fact that the proposal for linear writing did not really go anywhere--in spite of the several orthographic reforms Korean writing has undergone--demonstrates the efficiency of writing in syllable blocks.

Han'gul keyboards in a linear fashion. Because the consonants and vowels are ordered within a syllable and not scrambled in a box, proper syllable shapes are created as the letters are typed in in sequence. Korean keyboards are arranged logically and ergonomically--a lot easier to learn than the English--because all the consonants are on the left side and the vowels are on the right.

The Korean alphabet is really easy to learn. It is worth investing half a day of your life to learning it, especially if you are interested in the typology of writing systems.

Young-Key Kim-Renaud

----- Original Message -----
From: suzmccarth <suzmccarth@...>
Date: Monday, June 7, 2004 5:57 pm
Subject: Re: functional classification of writing systems

> No value judgements intended. Just this, When I present
> multilingual computing to other teachers I would like to say that:
>
> 1. Some scripts have linear, sequenced blocks of letters and some
> have syllable blocks. (This way I do not have to use terms like
> syllabaries, alphabets and abugidas.) Normally the systems with
> linear blocks are in the first section of languages in language
> support and work like a western alphabet.
>
> 2. There are systems with syllable blocks and they are on the
> computer Asian languages, specifically CKJ.
>
> 3. Then I have to explain what "complex" means. I must make this
> meaningful... so I could say that (besides the bidi scripts, we
> understand those) there are writing systems that are linear but
> not
> sequenced by sound production. These systems are normally
> arranged
> into syllable blocks when they are taught to children on paper but
> on
> the computer they are not composed in syllable blocks.
>
> Then when a teacher spells a word out loud to a child or provides
> a
> written model for the child to copy in that language the teacher
> has
> to know that the child cannot use a linear system to keyboard the
> letters. (Unless, of course, I can download another system than
> what
> is provided in Uniscribe.) That is a very significant difficulty.
> Many children through the years copy an oral spelling or written
> model in a linear fashion to input their search word into google.
> This truly does affect how children and the less literate achieve
> digital literacy.
>
> If there is no argument with this kind of vocabulay I will go with
> it. I must add that we have technology curriculum goals that start
> in
> grade 1. This is not a hypothetical discussion for me.

----- Original Message -----
From: suzmccarth <suzmccarth@...>
Date: Monday, June 7, 2004 6:50 pm
Subject: Re: functional classification of writing systems

> I have never heard of the "Tyranny of the Alphabet". I don't want
> to
> argue about it at all. Haven't seen the book.
>
> Downloading a different keyboard system is probably not difficult.
> I
> have no idea.
>
> Teaching a child to keyboard in a non-linear fashion is difficult.
>
> Suzanne McCarthy