Abstract
The present paper investigates whether the artificial language LoCoS is suited for application in international Human-Computer Communication, in comparison to natural and extended-natural foreign language. In the present study, LoCoS was examined with regard to criteria of effectiveness, encoding, efficiency, acceptance, learnability and functionality in contrast to English or English in combination with emoticons. The random sample yielded 47 persons from 19 different countries totally. A tentative acceptance of LoCoS as a symbolic language was observed, although the effort required to learn it was rated notably lower than that required to learn a foreign language. Communi-cation occurred more efficiently because fewer LoCoS symbols than words were used. A general trend towards the use of extended natural languages could be detected, indicating that symbols are not exclusively accepted (yet), but are increasingly used in combination with a natural language.
Chapter PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Keywords
References
Katz, J.E.: Magic in the Air: Mobile Communication and the Transformation of Social Life. Transaction Publishers, p. 158 (2006)
Yamashita, N., Ishida, T.: Automatic prediction of misconceptions in multilingual computer-mediated communication. In: IUI 2006. Proceedings of the 11th International Conference on Intelligent User Interfaces, pp. 62–69. ACM Press, New York, NY (2006)
ORF: Auf der Suche nach international gültigen Schriftzeichen - Symbolsprachen. Broadcasting Series Matrix, recorded July 17th, 2005. ORF, Wien (2005)
Fan, M., Ko, K.: Managing Icon Abundance on eBay. In: CHI 2004. CHI ’04 Extended Abstracts on Human Factors in Computing Systems, pp. 1555–1555. ACM Press, New York, NY (2004)
Spaeth, A.: Minds at Risk. TIME Asia Magazine, vol. September 8, 2003. TIME Inc. Hong Kong (2003)
Mealing, S., Yazdani, M.: A computer-based iconic language. Department of Computer Science. University of Exeter, England (1990)
Crystal, D.: The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language, 2nd edn. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge (2003)
Marcus, A.: LoCoS for Mobile Devices: A Case Study. Aaron Marcus and Associates (AM+A), Inc. Berkeley, California (2005)
Maurer, H., et al.: Foundations of MIRACLE: Multimedia Information Repository. A Computer-supported Language Effort. Journal of Universal Computer Science 9(4), 309–348 (2003)
Marcus, A.: All About LoCoS. Aaron Marcus and Associates (AM+A) Inc. Berkeley, California (2006)
Ota, Y.: LoCoS - Experimente mit der Bildersprache. In: Bild der Wissenschaft. vol. February, DVA, Stuttgart, pp. 152–159 (1973)
Ota, Y.: Pictogram Design. Popular edn. Kashiwashobo Publishers, Ltd, Japan (1993)
Leemans, N.E.M.: VIL: A Visual Inter Lingua. Worcester Polytechnic Institute, USA (2001)
Shneiderman, B.: Designing the User Interface: Strategies for Effective Human-Computer Interaction, 3rd edn. Addison Wesley, Reading (MA) (1998)
Bortz, J., Döring, N.: Forschungsmethoden und Evaluation für Human- und Sozialwissenschaftler, 3rd edn. Springer, Heidelberg (2002)
Bußmann, H.: Lexikon der Sprachwissenschaft. Kroener Alfred GmbH + Co., Stuttgart (1990)
Horn, R.E.: Global Communication for the 21st Century. MacroVU, Inc. Bainbridge Island, Washington (1998)
Richards, I.A.: Basic English and Its Uses. W.W. Norton & Company Inc., New York (1943)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2007 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this paper
Cite this paper
Vanhauer, M., Oertel, K., Voskamp, J. (2007). Overcoming the Language Barrier: The Potential of the Visual Language LoCoS in International Human-Computer Communication. In: Aykin, N. (eds) Usability and Internationalization. Global and Local User Interfaces. UI-HCII 2007. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 4560. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-73289-1_61
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-73289-1_61
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-540-73288-4
Online ISBN: 978-3-540-73289-1
eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)