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Article published In: Information Design Journal
Vol. 29:1 (2024) ► pp.36–54

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Visual instructions for writing Chinese for beginners

ORCiD logo with link | Zhengzhou University
ORCiD logo with link | University of Leeds
ORCiD logo with link | University of Leeds
Published online: 23 April 2024
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https://doi.org/10.1075/idj.21009.tia
Abstract
The ability to accurately write Chinese characters is vital for those learning Chinese as a second language, and writing Chinese components is an indispensable part of writing Chinese characters. This study investigates how Visual Instructions (VIs) influence the effectiveness of writing Chinese components by beginners. First, a visual survey was conducted to explore the various visual formats currently used for instructing the writing of Chinese. Then, the effectiveness of VIs for writing practice and writing recall was examined. The results showed that arrows and color hints in stroke-by-stroke VIs significantly increased the effectiveness of VIs for both writing practice and recall.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Visual survey
  • 3.Study A
    • 3.1Method
    • 3.2Results
  • 4.Study B
    • 4.1Method
    • 4.2Results
  • 5.Discussion and conclusions
  • Acknowledgments
  • References
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