Chinese language is an unfamiliar territory for many whose first language use an alphabetic system such as English. Instead of combining letters to form words, Chinese language uses strokes to form characters. The commonly used Chinese characters alone contain 3000 approach. Not only that, Chinese is along with a tonal language with four different tones, commonly marked with accent marks, additionally unmarked represents the neutral tone. The accent marks are only available using furniture that is PinYin to represent the pronunciation. The word sh for instance, can have different meanings depending on its tone. The first tone sh can mean poetry or wet or teacher. The second tone sh can mean ten or time or genuine. The third tone sh can mean history or to start or to cause. Last tone sh can mean yes or room or matter. In essence, strategies many similar sounds with different meanings. As a question of fact, a Chinese linguist in the 20th century Zhao Yuanren composed a 10-line classical Chinese poem using only the sound shi.
Next, it isn’t always possible to guess the pronunciation of a design. The character for wood, for instance, is pronounced mu. The character for forest, could be composed of two-character for wood, is pronounced lin. Although in this example the pronunciation can’t be related, the concept the characters may possibly. On the contrary, when the pronunciation can be related due to similar root character, the meanings are not necessarily related.
PinYin itself, although alphabetized, is not pronounced the same manner as the alphabetic sounds. There are unfamiliar sounds because u with an umlaut () that sounds like a compounding of I and u. Like all things unfamiliar, it leads to uncertainty and issue. Thus, knowing the challenges learners face is the actual step in devising effective learning strategies that directly affect their language accomplishments.
The Strategies Previously Learn Chinese Characters
Prof Ko-Yin Sung of Chinese Language Study from Utah Expenses hikes conducted a search amongst non-heritage, non-Asian Far east learners and uncovered interesting results may help future learners in forming a helpful study tactic. Her study revolves around the most frequently used Chinese character learning strategies and how those strategies affect the learners’ ability in understanding and producing the sound and the writing of the Chinese characters.
The study finds that among leading twenty most often used strategies, eight pros are springing out of when a personality is first introduced to learners. These include:
1. Repeating the character several times aloud or silently.
2. Writing the character down.
3. Noting how the is found in context.
4. Noting the tone and associating it with pinyin.
5. Observing the character and stroke order.
6. Visualising the mood.
7. Following the explanation of the type.
8. Associating the character with previously learned nature.
The next six strategies are familiar with increase learners’ understanding for this newly introduced character.
9. Converting the character into native language and finding a similar.
10. Looking in the textbook or dictionary.
11. Checking if the new character recently been used early.
12. Trying to find out how to say hi in chinese intensive testing . used in conversation.
13. Utilizing the character in sentences orally.
14. Asking how the type could be used in phrases.
However, learning strategies tossing the second diminish beyond those two learning phase. There are only three strategies used in memorising newly learned the outdoors.
15. Saying and writing the character at the same time.
16. Saying and picturing the character in consideration.
17. Due to the sound, visualising the character shape and meaning.
And hard work only one strategy used in practising new characters.
18. Making sentences and writing them out.
And new characters are reviewed with these two strategies only.
19. Writing the characters many time intervals.
20. Reading over notes, example sentences and the textbook.
Of the twenty strategies mentioned above, four tend to be found to be most significant in increasing learner’s skills of speaking, listening, reading, and writing of brand new characters. The 4 strategies are:
Writing the characters down
Observing the stroke order
Making association with a similar character
Saying and writing the repeatedly
Discussion
A research by Stice in 1987 showed that students only retained 10% of how they learned from what they read, 26% from what they hear, and 30% from what they see. While studying modes are combined, a significant improvement in learning retention is noted. Learning retention jumped to 50% when seeing and hearing are combined, and even higher at 70% when students say the materials are generally learning, and learning retention is in the highest at 90% when students say the materials considerable learning as they do something. Simply reading the characters aren’t enough. Learners must associate the sound with the characters, create a connection with the characters to create them memorable, and practice recalling the newly learned characters.
Study shows that recalling new characters learned improves learning retention and reinforces comprehending. One way to practice this is by using an app for example The Intelligent Flashcards. Additionally flashcard app is manufactured for the New Practical Chinese Reader textbooks, making it convenient to review characters based on chapters. Not necessarily does it show stroke order animation, it one more accompanied by native speaker sound files, making this app so much more convenient that another app with regard to Anki. With Anki, although user could add personal notes on it, the sound file isn’t available and should be imported through another app.
Another important learning method to incorporate is observing how a characters are widely-used in circumstance. This can finished by observing real-life conversations to assist the textbook and audio tracks conversation. Is actually interesting to that university students studied in the abovementioned research were unwilling to adopt the training strategies recommended by the instructors, for instance watching Chinese TV shows or listening Chinese movies. There could be many causes this. The style of the shows or songs usually will not appeal to your learners.
Access to this program is not as convenient. Instances if the shows could possibly be accessed online, rarely draught beer subtitled in both both Chinese and English which would make the shows more employed to beginner learners in receiving the language. Also, most of the very popular Chinese Tv programs fall into the historical genre, which can be a favourite among the Chinese, for instance The Empress of China’s websites. However, the language spoken in this type of TV show is much more complex as opposed to a contemporary spoken Chinese.