LING509

019897

This course presents information on how vision, language comprehension and motor behaviors have constrained and shaped the evolution of writing systems. The course includes three segments: (1) a review of writing in pre-history, the early evolution of symbol systems, the Greco-Roman alphabet, script writing; (2) a review of the visual and auditory processes that influence writing systems, particularly the alphabet, the shape of letters and spelling conventions; (3) printing since Gutenberg, the evolution of fonts, punctuation, formatting conventions, and modern techniques for presenting text. A thread throughout the course is the impact of different stages of writing technology on society and individuals. Graduate-level requirements include additional readings and an extra 25 page research paper.

GRD - Regular Grades A, B, C, D, E

Graduate

CE - CL (Cross Listed), GIDP - SLAT (Sec. Lang. Acquisition & Teach)

LING409