THE WRITTEN

LANGUAGE
Christina Casares
ENGL 420
Professor Smarr
December10, 2023
WHAT IS WRITING?

Our text defines writing as the symbolic representation of language through

the use of graphic signs. These signs are assigned either words or sounds so

that they can be read to read what the author is wanting to say.

Writing did not begin as what we know it as today.

• Pictograms/Ideograms/Logograms
• Phonographic Writing
• Syllabic Writing
• Alphabetic Writing

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THE EARLIEST WRITTEN
COMMUNICATION
PICTOGRAMS
• These were crude images that represented
what was depicted in said image

IDEOGRAMS
• These images represented what the writer
meant them to (interpretations)

LOGOGRAMS
• These symbols are now a
representation of words that look
nothing like the word

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PHONETIC WRITING
• We took the next step and began to have the symbols
represent different sounds
• This meant there were less symbols that needed to be
remembered
• The writer could now combine symbols to create the needed
words
The picture of an eye could mean “eye” or be attached to
another symbol such as a cross which would create the word
cross-eyed
†ᴑ

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SYLLABIC WRITING
DEFINITION SYLLABARY
When a writing system employs a set The term for a syllabic writing system
of symbols where each symbol
represents the pronunciation of a
syllable.

GETTING CLOSER
• There were very few civilizations
that utilized this writing system,
but two examples are the
Cherokee and ancient Greek.
• We continue to cut down on the
number of symbols needed but
must still find what is easiest to
replicate and understand

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ALPHABETIC WRITING
CONSONANT
ALPHABET

• Created about 3,000

DEFINITION years ago

• Used by languages such

• Symbols begin to represent • The Greeks took the
as Hebrew and Arabic
single type of sound or alphabet a step further and

phoneme added vowels as separate

• The earliest writing systems distinct entities

using letters used mostly the • This is when the current

consonant sounds order letters was of

developed as well

Reader

rdr
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HOW TO TEACH IT
-SOME TIPS AND TRICKS

• Make good writing a priority in your classroom

• Keep writing brief but regular
• Utilize the students to peer review; you don’t need to grade every writing piece
• Acknowledge the difficulties of writing and encourage perseverance over perfection
• Utilize technology; writing on a computer will be commonplace beyond school

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REFERENCES:

• Efficient ways to improve student writing. University of Wisconsin

Whitewater. (n.d.).
https://www.uww.edu/learn/restiptool/improve-student-writing

• Yule, G. (2023). The study of language. Cambridge University

Press.