Remembering Simplified Hanzi 1 and Remembering Traditional Hanzi 1

[helvetus]

Hello Herr Petersen, Thank you for your very good posts.

Are you sure that it is useful to study Hanzis with « remembering the Kanjis » as RTH is still not available?

[HerrPetersen]

No, I would discourage anyone who plans to learn Hanzi with "Remembering the Kanji". There are just too many adjustments to make. What I meant to recommend was to give "Remembering the Hanzi" a try, once it is out.

Or already download the free sample (http://www.nanzan-u.ac.jp/SHUBUNKEN/publications/miscPublications/Remembering%20Hanzi%201.htm) and then continue when the whole book is available

[helvetus]

Thanks HerrPetersen, I will follow your advice.

Let's just hope that " Remembering the hanzi" will be soon published!

[m.ellison]

Remember that Heisig developed his method for Japanese, which does not have any easy connection between character and pronunciation, and a given kanji has many different and unrelated pronunciations. Essentially, when the Japanese took over the Chinese writing system, they assigned each kanji to (a) the same kanji in any words that were taken over from Chinese and (B) any Japanese words of vaguely similar meaning that were looking for something to denote them.

None of that applies to Chinese, so it would make a bit more sense to learn the pronunciation with the 字, but perhaps it is still easier to follow Heisig's meaning-first approach.

What I need as well is something like Kennedy's approach to learning pronunciation across dialects, but that is another topic...

[AJBryant]

On the various Japanese fora I inhabit, I'm known as a great hater of the Heisig "method."

The total divorcing of "reading" from "writing" is, I feel, a drastic mistake. I've actually been known to respond to the question "what do you think of the Heisig method?" with "Heisig is the devil."

Tony

[JimmySeal]

Very constructive. Thank you.[/sarcasm]

[wushijiao]

Heisig is the devil

Why? When I first started learning Chinese, I made up little, silly stories to help me remember the characters. That seems to be what Heisg has done, and it seems to work for a lot of people.

What is wrong with divoricing reading from writing? I don't get what you mean. As long as you can 1) speak in Putonghua, 2) know the corresponding pinyin, and can 3) recognize characters that pop up on you computer, then you can write! The hardest part is step 3 for most foreign learners. And Heisig's books may help people get through that rough spot. Methods like the one that Heisig has created may not work for everyone, but they certainly work for some learners.

[Zhang]

I remember about a year ago coming across the "Remembering the Kanji" book somewhere on the internet, downloading the demo version and basically coming away thinking "wow this is great...but such a shame there is no version for Chinese".

Does anyone have any idea exactly when this Chinese (Simplified) version will come out? I remember reading somewhere about November, does anyone have any more specific info? I am currently studying in Shanghai, my Chinese is pretty advanced in terms of speaking, listening and reading, I can write on computer using pinyin fine but when it comes to writing by hand......

Im desperate to get my hands on this book as soon as it comes out, anyone have any idea if it will be available in Shanghai / best way to order it?

[m.ellison]

"late winter": Heisig

[helvetus]

Late winter?? Does it mean that the book won't be published before February-March 2008?

[kumori]

Also, does anyone know if Volume 1 and 2 will be published simultaneously? God i hope this is the case....

Thanks!

[adrianlondon]

All you people seemingly a bit desperate to get hold of these books ... have you worked through the PDF samples and memorised all the characters there really quickly?

[m.ellison]

You try book 1 first... when you know 1500 hanzi, then you can worry about book 2. Maybe you can fill in learning some vocabulary or reading Little Cat Goes Fishing.

[Zhang]

All you people seemingly a bit desperate to get hold of these books ... have you worked through the PDF samples and memorised all the characters there really quickly?

Oh yes, I worked through the PDF sample in about 3 hours. Im counting on this book to do all the work I should have been doing (but havent) since last year.

[Paperina]

Does anybody know how to buy this book?

[Zhang]

OK well stupid questions aside it seems like almost another MONTH has gone by and still no news on a release date for this one!

Really starting to get impatient now!

[m.ellison]

Paperina, it's not out yet.

Zhang, how many of the zi can you still remember now?

I've written a simple flash card program, based on Heisig's instructions, if anyone is interested. You will need to type in the characters and keywords though. Also at the moment it only works on Linux but I should be able to recompile it on Windows.

[NickyR]

Any idea who the publisher is? I may be being stupid but I can't work it out from the picture. But maybe somebody recognises the font and layout?

It's not on amazon yet, so I would like to start an intense programme of stalking until it's out .....

[m.ellison]

I think you will be able to order it from Nanshan Uni.

The page has not changed... they still haven't finished the appendixes. Never mind actually printing the book.

[NickyR]

Gutted.