The acceptance of spelling variants as symbols of Croatian spelling changes (1994–2013)

Bibliographic Data

ID19509290
AuthorsTomislav Stojanov (0000-0002-6972-6518, University of Nottingham, corresponding author)
Year2021
Volume24
Issue1
Pages110-148
Publication date2021-12-10
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueWritten Language & Literacy (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1387-6732 • E-ISSN: 1570-6001
PublisherJohn Benjamins Publishing Company (PUBLISHER • NL)
DOI10.1075/wll.00049.sto
OpenAlexW4200342081
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited17

This paper discusses the impact of several spelling changes in Croatian on the level of the literacy of native speakers. Since 1986, there have been five official recommendations for usage that pertain to five different orthographic manuals. This research focuses on three spelling points with considerable identity-related repercussions among the public and the media, which are sometimes named the spelling symbols of Croatian. A questionnaire-survey comprised of 36 tests was completed among 1063 students on a technical study programme each year for eight consecutive academic years. Eight generations of first-year undergraduates, who do not study language in an educational setting, have accepted the new spellings, contingent on a frequency principle. The more frequent a spelling variant occurs, the less the chance that the new spelling variant is accepted, and vice versa. Given the lack of established and enduring spelling norms, combined with ideological oppositions between the old and new spelling forms, students have been guided mainly by their capacity to write the most common form

Croatian · Linguistics · Literacy · Mathematics education · Pedagogy · Spelling · Lexicography and Language Studies · Linguistic research and analysis · Linguistics, Language Diversity, and Identity · Psychology

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