Re: [tlug] Remembering the Kanji

[Marcus Metzler <mocm@example.com>]

>>>>> "Nikolay" == Nikolay Elenkov <goibniu@example.com> writes:

    Nikolay> Sorry for hijacking this thread a bit. Even more off
    Nikolay> topic, just a few thoughts on learning kanji.

    Nikolay> steven smith wrote:
    >> A java practice tool (I still haven't quite got it working but
    >> am trying to use it on Solaris 7) called KanjiGym
    >> (http://www.kanjigym.de).

    Nikolay> This looks nice, but it says nothing about the reading of
    Nikolay> the kanji. If you got the strokes right that hardly means
    Nikolay> you know the kanji, IMHO. And call me old-fashioned, but
    Nikolay> the best way to practice writing kanji is pen and paper
    Nikolay> (at least I don't use a brush :))

    >> And I found a very nice set of flash cards in PDF format at
    >> http://www.polarcloud.com/node/39.  Actually there are two sets
    >> and I'm still digging through them.  The first set has 345
    >> pages double sided. These look useful in general for learning
    >> the basic character set.  I think the second set of cards go
    >> with Mr. Heisig's third book in the Remembering_the_Kanji
    >> series.


    Nikolay> Those are not too bad, but have no compounds. And it is
    Nikolay> virtually impossible (and often useless) to remember all
    Nikolay> the on/kun readings of a kanji without associating it
    Nikolay> with some (widely used) 熟語. For most people I know「却」 
    Nikolay> is 「返却」の「却」 and not　「かえって／しりぞく」. 
    Nikolay> IMHO, if you know 600 kanji and 3000 compounds you know a
    Nikolay> lot more Japanese than if you know 2000 kanji alone
    Nikolay> (stroke order, reading and all).

    Nikolay> As for kanji cards in general, are they really helpful? I
    Nikolay> have never used any and shuffling cards hardly seems an
    Nikolay> efficient method of learning to me. Never heard of any
    Nikolay> Japanese people using them, and they should know best
    Nikolay> about learning kanji :) (but then again, they do use
    Nikolay> cards for 英単語).

    >> More info at http://www.nanzan-u.ac.jp/SHUBUNKEN/welcome.htm
    >> which it is my impression is a site the Mr. Heisig is active
    >> at.

    Nikolay> I looked at the sample chapter and it, too, has no
    Nikolay> readings and compounds. Is the whole book like this? Not
    Nikolay> very useful if it is. Kanji is just a means to read and
    Nikolay> write Japanese and there is not much value in knowing
    Nikolay> just the character itself.

    Nikolay> On a different note, stories might be helpful to remember
    Nikolay> a kanji, but associating a lie-detector with 「鎮」 is
    Nikolay> going a little too far, I think

You should read the introduction where Heisig explains his method. Of
course you have to learn the compounds and vocabulary. The Heisig
method is meant to let you learn the 2000+ Kanji in a few months at
the beginning of your Japanese studies and give you a better starting
point. Just like Chinese have an advantage in learning Japanese
because they already know the Kanji, but not necessarily the compounds
and the vocabulary. 

Marcus

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| Dr. Marcus O.C. Metzler        |                                   |
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