Comparing the Effects of Handwriting and Typing on Kanji Learning:

Results from a Preliminary Study

Abstract

This study examined how handwriting and typing practice affect kanji learning. Five students from non-kanji backgrounds participated in a within-subjects experiment, learning half of the target kanji through handwriting and the other half through typing practice. Immediate post-test results indicated that typing led to better reading recall, whereas handwriting was more effective for form recall. Both conditions showed similar results for meaning recall and form recognition. These findings suggest that the mode of practice influences different aspects of kanji acquisition, highlighting the need to consider learning modality based on specific learning goals.