The virtues of hard-to-read scripts

Signs and symbols: Writing systems (hieroglyphs, nail writing) and Signed Toki Pona; unofficial scripts too
Signoj kaj simboloj: Skribsistemoj (hieroglifoj, ungoskribado) kaj la Tokipona Signolingvo; ankaŭ por neoficialaj skribsistemoj
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janKipo
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The virtues of hard-to-read scripts

Post by janKipo »

I'm not generally a big fan of new scripts. I recognize that designing new orthographies for new languages is an inherent part of new-language fandom and does no harm -- unless one seriously suggests that the new script become the standard one for the language. So I take little part in these discussions -- up to that point.
Now, however, the Science section of today's NYT has an article that suggests that putting stuff to be learned in a difficult to read type face (though, in the experiments, still a Latin type) improves the learning of the material. It seems that the difficulty in reading the text helps to make its content stick in the mind. However, a too different script made add a different form of difficulty to those already present in learning a new language. So, the suggestion is to find a Latin typeface that is difficult enough to aid learning and not so difficult as to impede it.
zeme
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Re: The virtues of hard-to-read scripts

Post by zeme »

That makes sense, actually.
It's also true that reading texts in languages you speak and understand very well (advanced or fluent), but do not read as fast stay impregnated in the mind easier and for a longer period of time.
Please correct my mistakes :)
Logomachist
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Re: The virtues of hard-to-read scripts

Post by Logomachist »

Did they specify what typeface(s) they used in the study?
janSilipu
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Re: The virtues of hard-to-read scripts

Post by janSilipu »

Too long ago to check easily. It shouldn't be hard to find Latin faces that are hard to read (some black letters spring to mind and those with long esses, for example).
Kuti
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Re: The virtues of hard-to-read scripts

Post by Kuti »

long s ? i love long s !! ſſſſſſſſſſ :lol:
janSilipu
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Re: The virtues of hard-to-read scripts

Post by janSilipu »

But they look like effing effs.
janMato
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Re: The virtues of hard-to-read scripts

Post by janMato »

Reminds me of the recent research on dyslexia fonts-- the idea is that dyslexic readers are *too good* at mentally rotating objects in their mind-- the same way that we can recognize a cat from any angle because we automatically rotate the image of the cat in three to say, ah, I'm looking at a cat from above or the side or whatever. So the dyslixics see mirror image letters as the same-- i.e. d p b q would be spun around to wreck havoc with reading comprehension.

The dyslexic fonts were tweaked enough to remove most of the symmetries.

Here is the video version
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLtYFcHx7ec

Here is a link to the free font (page renders wrong in chrome, but you can still see the font)
http://www.pixelscript.net/gilldyslexic/

For normal readers, reading a dyslexic font either speeds you up or slows you down depending on who's reviewing.
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