<abstract xml:lang="en" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>Writing is often considered secondary to the spoken language, as it is only coded sound-by-sound. But other scholars have demonstrated that writing is similar to ‘arithmetic’: a cognitive structuring, a shift to the meta-level (‘for the eye’). <italic>Handwriting</italic> (referred to here as the cursive writing in the sense of joined up handwriting, of ‘écriture liée’) differs from writing (in the first analysis): it has its own grammar composed of paradigmatic gestemes and tracemes and its own syntagmatic rules that connect them. In emotional terms, handwriting is designed to provide a special pleasure by its own drive (instinct, ‘Trieb’). But there is also cognitive aspect to it: the rapidity and fluidity of a cursive writing could be (in professional writing, for instance) more important (at the climax of the creative process) than it being legible for all eternity. The project of the new handwriting reform for Czech schools, abolishing the liaison between letters, is shown to be a modern and technically simplified form of calligraphy.</p></abstract>

Writing is often considered secondary to the spoken language, as it is only coded sound-by-sound. But other scholars have demonstrated that writing is similar to ‘arithmetic’: a cognitive structuring, a shift to the meta-level (‘for the eye’). Handwriting (referred to here as the cursive writing in the sense of joined up handwriting, of ‘écriture liée’) differs from writing (in the first analysis): it has its own grammar composed of paradigmatic gestemes and tracemes and its own syntagmatic rules that connect them. In emotional terms, handwriting is designed to provide a special pleasure by its own drive (instinct, ‘Trieb’). But there is also cognitive aspect to it: the rapidity and fluidity of a cursive writing could be (in professional writing, for instance) more important (at the climax of the creative process) than it being legible for all eternity. The project of the new handwriting reform for Czech schools, abolishing the liaison between letters, is shown to be a modern and technically simplified form of calligraphy.

On Writing and Handwriting

Faculty of Education, Department of Psychology, Charles University, M. D. Rettigové 4, 116 39 Praha 1, Czech Republic

Journal of Pedagogy

{"article-title":"On Writing and Handwriting"}

Writing is often considered secondary to the spoken language, as it is only coded sound-by-sound. But other scholars have demonstrated that writing is similar...

On Writing and Handwriting

Published Online: Feb 14, 2011

Page range: 11 - 28

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/v10159-010-0007-4

Keywords
Reading, writing, arithmetic, handwriting, graphemes, phonemes, gestemes, tracemes, liaison, professional writing, calligraphy, signature, legibility, rapidity, fluidity

This content is open access.

On Writing and Handwriting

Published Online: Feb 14, 2011

Page range: 11 - 28

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/v10159-010-0007-4

KeywordsReading, writing, arithmetic, handwriting, graphemes, phonemes, gestemes, tracemes, liaison, professional writing, calligraphy, signature, legibility, rapidity, fluidity

This content is open access.

Keywords
Reading, writing, arithmetic, handwriting, graphemes, phonemes, gestemes, tracemes, liaison, professional writing, calligraphy, signature, legibility, rapidity, fluidity