A History and Geography of (Ortho)Graphic Competence

Abstract

Orthographic competence, as an integrating part of the language communication competence, needs supplementing with two extra ingredients: punctuation competence and text-setting competence. Historically, the development of these three components starts with the learning of letters, handwriting, and – currently – typing, in conjunction with an assimilation and application of spelling and punctuation rules. It never ends. Rules change over the years, new words are introduced, or perhaps the person begins to explore the stylistic value of graphics. The 9/12 years one spends studying Romanian language and literature in a school setting are punctuated by benchmarks such as: what exactly the student needs to learn, in what order, and how do these new acquisitions interact with other school subjects so that at the end of the Gymnasium or Lyceum cycle the student is able to solve the eternal issue “How to write it correctly?”.

Keywords: competence, track, curriculum, orthography, punctuation, norm, stylistics.