Generally writing systems with higher workloads to read/write lead to less native literacy rates due to people with learning disabilities not being able to get over the hump, not to mention less foreigners learning the language due to the higher barrier of entry.
Re:Mongolia to restore traditional alphabet
by gryson on Tuesday April 14, 2020 @06:35PM
(#22872325)
Is there research supporting that (specifically in reference to native literacy rates)? Would be curious to see it.
Re:Mongolia to restore traditional alphabet
by novok on Wednesday April 15, 2020 @02:15PM
(#22881082)
I remember reading it in something semi academic many, many years ago, so you'll have to google it.
I think it was linked to dyslexia and languages with spelling and maybe japanese, and how china simplified it's characters led to higher literacy, although that might have a few confounding variables.
If anything, the Japanese writing system is very elegant in terms of information flow. In a general sense, each script has its use: kanji for content (meaning), hiragana for function (grammar), katakana for foreign words and sounds. Of course, there are many exceptions to that, but the mix of scripts has benefits for parsing text.
Obviously, the Japanese writing system is not a single constructed system like Hangul, but I don't see any reason why it is inefficient (aside from, perhaps, the time required to learn kanji for school children).