Chinese Writing Composition Among CFL Learners: A Comparison Between Handwriting and Typewriting

Abstract

Situated in the context of CFL (Chinese as a foreign language), the current study examines and compares texts produced by twelve pre-intermediate CFL learners using both pen-and-paper and the pinyin input system. The participants were also invited for interviews to investigate their attitudes towards handwriting and typewriting. Because of the ease of use of the pinyin input system, CFL learners tend to prefer it over writing by hand when composing lengthy texts. Based on the evaluations of fifteen professional CFL teachers, the typewritten texts were rated higher than the handwritten ones. Using the self-report empathy test, there was no significant correlation between an evaluator's empathy and his/her rating for the texts, whether composed by hand or with pinyin input. Pedagogically, typewriting might better assist Chinese language learning after handwriting has been introduced and practised among non-beginner CFL learners. The empathy effect on handwriting reported in previous literature is not found in the study. The study goes beyond the factors influencing typewriting and typewritten essays, to encourage future research investigating when to introduce computer-based writing and how it would best assist in language learning.

Facilitating technology‐based character learning in emergency remote teaching

“…They expressed that typing benefited their higher‐order thinking while composing longer texts. Overall, learners in Zhang and Min's (2019) study reported no strong preference for either mode when completing writing tasks in Chinese.…”

“…Li and Zhang (2016) argued that typing reduces learners' burden to simpler tasks of phonetic spelling and recognition and that it allows the synchronization of oral language and literacy development among students. A recent study by Zhang and Min (2019) reported that their student participants perceived the handwriting of characters helpful in improving their reading proficiency, but considered it time‐consuming. They expressed that typing benefited their higher‐order thinking while composing longer texts.…”

A multimodal approach to the technological representations in CFL textbooks

“…Zhang & Reilly, 2015), it has been suggested that typing with input software be introduced, in order to equip CFL learners with the ability to communicate in contemporary life (Q. Zhang & Min, 2019;Zhu, Shum, Tse, & Liu, 2016). The ease of typing Chinese may help writing skills catch up with oral skills.…”

Narrative Inquiry into Online Teaching of Chinese Characters during the Pandemic

“…However, online teaching means pedagogical practice has to rely on digital input rather than pen and paper, which minimises the opportunities for handwriting. One of the main input methods -indeed, the most popular in China -is pinyin input (Zhang & Min, 2019;Zhou et al, 2020). This requires knowledge of the sound of the Chinese characters, as pinyin is the system of romanising character pronunciation.…”

“…On the other hand, behavioural research and neuroimaging studies reveal that heavy reliance on pinyin may hinder reading development or even child brain development (Tan et al, 2013;Zhou et al, 2020). Moreover, recent studies (Zhang & Min, 2019;Zhu et al, 2016) suggest that CFL learners may Qi Zhang benefit from typing with an input method if it were introduced at the intermediate level, rather than to complete beginners. It is therefore challenging to teach Chinese characters to CFL beginners online, where handwriting is unlikely to happen.…”