The Impact of Orthographic Transparency and Typology on L2 Learner Perceptions

Abstract

While there is substantial research on literacy in the L1, factors impacting literacy in the L2 remain understudied. Preliminary research indicates that orthographic accuracy and typology influence literacy acquisition, indicating these aspects of linguistic representation need further exploration within the context of second-language acquisition (SLA). Additionally, SLA research on individual learner differences highlights emotional factors such as attitude and motivation, which are widely considered critical indicators of L2 success. Motivation is closely linked to perceptions towards the L2, which indicates learner perceptions of L2 literacy could impact success in learning to read and write. As such, this paper presents a cross-lingual, mixed-methods study that compares the orthographic transparency and typologies of 26 languages against learners’ (n = 217) perceptions of L2 literacy acquisition, such as perceived difficulty of the orthography and a self-assessment of literacy skills. Results indicated that orthographic transparency has a greater impact on learners’ perceptions compared to typology alone.