Overview

Effective orthographies which represent speech maximally yet efficiently are pivotal in giving literacy to millions of people. Testing their effectiveness can inform users, literacy personnel, and linguists of the relative importance of certain features, and any difficulties readers may face with comprehension, spelling or reading fluency. The case studies address topics such as under- and overrepresentation of a language's phonology developing decoding skills and whole word recognition choosing optimal orthographic depth diagnosing problems in comprehension, oral reading accuracy, and spelling strategies to achieve maximum visual simplicity yet maximal comprehension of text Testing African Orthographies will be of practical value for linguists and literacy specialists as they seek to strengthen orthography development.

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9781556715730

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Reviews

Providing a minority language with a reliable, user-friendly writing system is like planting a seed that can grow into new possibilities for its speakers. An orthography does far more than supply graphic symbols for writing. It safeguards a people's ancestral knowledge, ensures the survival of their language, and opens doors to the wider world of human learning. In this sense, a writing system becomes both a shield against extinction and a bridge to dignity. It affirms the worth of a community by giving lasting shape to the language that most fully expresses its identity. I therefore warmly welcome the publication of this book. Through their quiet but significant labor, its contributors affirm a powerful truth: speakers of minority languages are not lesser beings but full human persons whose voices deserve to be heard and preserved. Michel Kenmogne, PhD SIL Global Executive Director emeritus

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