Second Language Learning and Language Teaching

Making and recognizing the actual letter or character shapes
English people learning Russian need to learn the Cyrillic script; Japanese people
learning German the Roman alphabet. Again, it may be difficult to go from
Chinese characters to the Roman alphabet, from a German script to Arabic letters.
In principle, the number of letters or signs needed will depend on the writing sys-
tem involved, whether the scores needed for alphabetic systems or the tens of
thousands needed for character-based systems.
Using the phonological processing route
Learning a sound-based L2 writing system means primarily learning that 
t cor-
responds with /
t/, and so on. Depending on the writing system, this will be a mat-
ter of syllables, all the phonemes or the consonants alone. Moving from an L1
writing system that prioritizes the meaning route to an L2 writing system that
emphasizes the sound-based route may be a considerable step, as is moving in the
opposite direction.
Using the lexical, morpheme-based processing route
Learning a meaning-based writing system means mostly learning that 
means
‘person’, and so on. Switching one’s preferred route between L1 writing system and
L2 writing system can be a difficult feat.
Orthographic regularities in less transparent writing systems
Less transparent sound-based writing systems like English are not just straightfor-
ward correspondences between letters and sounds, but make use of complex
spelling rules, which have to be learnt.
Using punctuation marks and other typographic features
Differences in punctuation and typography of the L2 from the L1, whether of
form such as quotation marks or of use such as capitals, have to be learnt.
5.4 The writing system and language teaching
Acquiring and teaching a new writing system
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How important do you think issues of the writing system are for the teacher?
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Do you think students of English should be taught British or American styles
of spelling?