Biliteracy across Scripts: Implications for Language Development in Southeast Asia

Abstract

Many minority language communities in Southeast Asia use the segment-based Latin alphabet. In order to provide ease of literacy acquisition, national governments may encourage or require the use of the partially segmental, partially syllable-oriented Brahmi-based national syllabet in minority literacy development. Evidence from research on biliteracy in other languages and scripts suggests that alphabetic reading skills provide a strong foundation for learning to read a syllabet once a threshold of linguistic competency has been reached. Use of the mother tongue for early literacy also supports successful learning through strong home-school relationships. This study suggests that secondary orthographies based on national or dominant scripts for school-based literacy may not support and possibly even inhibit literacy acquisition due to motivational sociolinguistic factors. Research to confirm these findings specifically in the Southeast Asian context is still needed.