The Interaction of Digital Technology and Literacy Practices in Nuosu Script, China

Digital technology enables new forms of textual communications, linguistic creativity, and cultural empowerment for many local language communities (Li, Brar, and Roihan 2021). This study uncovers how Nuosu people, a thriving minority ethnic group in southwest China, choose to use digital technologi...

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Main Author: Walters, Susan
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: University of Hawaii Press 2024-12-01
Series:Journal of the Southeast Asian Linguistics Society
Subjects:
Online Access:https://evols.library.manoa.hawaii.edu/items/07a848d4-4c46-4de3-9aae-eecb1cc89d5d
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author Walters, Susan
author_facet Walters, Susan
author_sort Walters, Susan
collection DOAJ
description Digital technology enables new forms of textual communications, linguistic creativity, and cultural empowerment for many local language communities (Li, Brar, and Roihan 2021). This study uncovers how Nuosu people, a thriving minority ethnic group in southwest China, choose to use digital technologies for reading and writing their traditional script. The data, part of a larger qualitative study that revealed how Nuosu people conceptualize and practice literacy (Walters 2021), were collected utilizing semi-structured interviews with 22 Nuosu adults. Findings show that the Nuosu primarily use digital language technologies for Nuosu literary and artistic expressions, which carry knowledge crucial to their identity. They also use these technologies for teaching and learning their script, not for interpersonal communication or majority-language domains. The use of digital Nuosu in literary domains aligns with their centuries-old practice in which religious specialists (bimo) use Nuosu script for ritual writings and preserving traditional oral literature in the form of epic poems and proverbs. The Nousu case suggests that literacy patterns once established are deeply held and not easily influenced by changes in modality.
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spelling doaj-art-09ebebc2280944f4b8771c1392d088fb2025-08-20T02:19:48ZengUniversity of Hawaii PressJournal of the Southeast Asian Linguistics Society1836-68212024-12-0117289105The Interaction of Digital Technology and Literacy Practices in Nuosu Script, ChinaWalters, SusanDigital technology enables new forms of textual communications, linguistic creativity, and cultural empowerment for many local language communities (Li, Brar, and Roihan 2021). This study uncovers how Nuosu people, a thriving minority ethnic group in southwest China, choose to use digital technologies for reading and writing their traditional script. The data, part of a larger qualitative study that revealed how Nuosu people conceptualize and practice literacy (Walters 2021), were collected utilizing semi-structured interviews with 22 Nuosu adults. Findings show that the Nuosu primarily use digital language technologies for Nuosu literary and artistic expressions, which carry knowledge crucial to their identity. They also use these technologies for teaching and learning their script, not for interpersonal communication or majority-language domains. The use of digital Nuosu in literary domains aligns with their centuries-old practice in which religious specialists (bimo) use Nuosu script for ritual writings and preserving traditional oral literature in the form of epic poems and proverbs. The Nousu case suggests that literacy patterns once established are deeply held and not easily influenced by changes in modality.https://evols.library.manoa.hawaii.edu/items/07a848d4-4c46-4de3-9aae-eecb1cc89d5dnuosu yi scriptlocal language literacydigital language supportdigital language ascentcultural and artistic expression
spellingShingle Walters, Susan
The Interaction of Digital Technology and Literacy Practices in Nuosu Script, China
Journal of the Southeast Asian Linguistics Society
nuosu yi script
local language literacy
digital language support
digital language ascent
cultural and artistic expression
title The Interaction of Digital Technology and Literacy Practices in Nuosu Script, China
title_full The Interaction of Digital Technology and Literacy Practices in Nuosu Script, China
title_fullStr The Interaction of Digital Technology and Literacy Practices in Nuosu Script, China
title_full_unstemmed The Interaction of Digital Technology and Literacy Practices in Nuosu Script, China
title_short The Interaction of Digital Technology and Literacy Practices in Nuosu Script, China
title_sort interaction of digital technology and literacy practices in nuosu script china
topic nuosu yi script
local language literacy
digital language support
digital language ascent
cultural and artistic expression
url https://evols.library.manoa.hawaii.edu/items/07a848d4-4c46-4de3-9aae-eecb1cc89d5d
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