Chinese characters represent whole syllables, whereas Western languages use letters to represent phonemes (the individual sounds that make up each syllable). Japanese has several different character sets that combine elements of both systems.
Dyslexia is less common among Chinese speakers, but it definitely exists. However, a 2004 study at the University of Hong Kong used MRI scans to show that different regions of the brain were involved with the dyslexia of Chinese speakers versus English speakers. This suggests that dyslexia is not a single disorder and there are examples of people who are dyslexic in one language but not in another.
Read more:
- Why do people get dyslexia?
- How old is dyslexia?
- Can you develop dyslexia as an adult?
- What was the first-ever language?
Asked by: Andrea Leake, Southampton
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