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Language Log » How to learn to read and write Chinese

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August 13, 2019 @ 8:24 pm · Filed by Victor Mair under Language teaching and learning, Transcription, Writing systems « previous post | next post » From the moment I began learning Mandarin more than half a century ago, I had a strong, visceral opposition to learning the characters. I wanted to learn the language — its phonology, grammar, lexicon, morphology, syntax, idioms. My teachers forced me to learn some characters, but I figured out various ways to devote much more of my time focusing on the language rather than on the writing system. Most of my secrets for learning Sinitic languages in pre-digital days are detailed in the "Readings" below. But it is so much easier to learn Chinese in the current age of electronic resources than it was even a couple of decades ago. Now there's no excuse for or reason to slave over character flash cards and dictation (tīngxiě 聽寫 /听写 [a striking example of the difference between traditional and simplified characters]). Back in the bad old day

Language Log >> How to learn to read and write Chinese Language Log Home About Comments policy How to learn to read and write Chinese August 13, 2019 @ 8:24 pm &#183; Filed by Victor Mair under Language teaching and learning , Transcription , Writing systems << Yoshikawa Kojiro on sashimi in Tang China | Oral Language Technology >> --> << previous post | next post >> From the moment I began learning Mandarin more than half a century ago, I had a strong, visceral opposition to learning the characters. I wanted to learn the language &#8212; its phonology, grammar, lexicon, morphology, syntax, id

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