How Do People Learn to Read in Different Languages?

Imagine you're learning to read like a kid. In some languages, letters sound out clearly, like English. But in others, like Chinese, whole symbols are used instead of single sounds. It's like playing with blocks: sometimes you stack one by one, and other times you match pictures to symbols.

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Examples

A child in China learns to read by memorizing symbols that look like pictures.
In the U. S., kids might learn to read with a song that teaches letters and sounds together.
A student learning Japanese could use flashcards with both symbols and their meanings.

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Categories: Science · language,cognitive science,education