--- In qalam@yahoogroups.com, Michael Everson
<everson@...> wrote:

>Bugger the
> research.

I always had the impresssion that you put great stock in
academic qualifications?

>The facts are that some people (lots of them) who use a
> syllabic script are able to type using alphabetic input.

There are *lots* of Chinese who use Pinyin input, lots and lots.
That doesn't mean that there are not lots and lots who cannot.

> Well, Suzanne, I have challenged you or anyone else to offer

design

> principles for a non-alphabetic Vai keyboard.

You must be aware that we are still gathering information on
how many symbols make up the inventory for Vai literates.

Certainly for Tamil we found a prototype application that offers
alternative design principles. Vai is a different type of writing
system again so a different solution will need to be found.

>
> What does this mean with regard to teaching people to type t +

a for

> ta and t + i for ti?

I would expect the problem to come when trying to differentiate
between b_e and mb_e. Differentiating the prenasalized
implosives from the other implosives will be one of the many
difficulties.

>It is impossible to imagine that a Vai using a
> computer will not know the Latin script.

Given the distribution of electricity and the distribution of Vai
literates, yes.

>It is certainly impossible
> to imagine that a Vai will get very far using a computer without

such

> knowledge.

Children can do some amazing things without being able to
*read* the menus. I think you would be surprised.

>
> Assuming access to the basic alphabet (which EVERYONE in

Liberia has,

> insofar as the road signs are written in Latin script),

You offer the 'roadsign literacy hypothesis' as a counter
argument to Scribner and Cole's research?

it is not

> outrageous to suggest that Vai people, who are as smart as

anyone

> else, can be tought to type t + a for ta and t + i for ti.

After reading Weiben's post I am surprised that you think we are
talking about intelligence.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/qalam/message/5565

Suzanne

> --
> Michael Everson * http://www.evertype.com