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ID: 164890

Getting out of Hand? Examining the discourse of ‘character amnesia’ / Almog, Guy

ALMOG, GUY	Journal Article
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Summary/Abstract

The ability to handwrite Chinese characters in East Asia appears to be in sharp decline, most likely due to an increasing reliance upon digital technology and phonetic input systems. This so-called ‘character amnesia’ has provoked a heated debate, leading some to argue that Chinese characters—and even the Chinese and Japanese languages and cultures themselves—are facing a serious crisis. This article aims to examine the scope of this (predominantly alarmist) discourse and assess the coherence and validity of its arguments. In addition, it seeks to make sense of the possible forces and motives behind this upsurge in ‘verbal hygiene’ by answering such questions as: what led to the formation of such a discourse in the first place? What social functions might it serve, and what kinds of deep-rooted beliefs and anxieties does such a discourse reveal?

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Character Amnesia ; Chinese Character

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ID: 166879

Reassessing the evidence of Chinese “character amnesia / Almog, Guy

ALMOG, GUY	Journal Article
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Summary/Abstract

Increasing numbers of Chinese and Japanese speakers have been reporting that their ability to handwrite Chinese characters has been steadily diminishing, a phenomenon which is most likely a result of the growing reliance upon digital technologies. This so-called “character amnesia” has recently attracted a great deal of concern from a large number of observers, especially within the People's Republic of China. Unsurprisingly, many of the concerned participants involved in the discourse on this issue tend to rely on various empirical means in order to illustrate why they consider “character amnesia” such a worrying phenomenon. This article argues, however, that the bulk of this empirical support is unreliable and/or invalid. The article also suggests possible amendments which could hopefully lead to a better understanding of this important subject.

Key Words

China ; Character Amnesia ; Chinese Characters ; Handwriting ; Input Method Editors (IMEs)

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