Effective Chinese language study should include:
1. Listening and speaking; 2. Writing and typing; 3. Reading and composing.
Before, foreign learners consider Chinese writing and reading are difficult, so many of them didn't learn writing and reading, only listening and speaking.
But without writing and reading, listening and speaking is more difficult to learn, particularly for foreigners, the reasons are:
1. Without reading, you need to rely on teachers or others to practice speaking.
If you can read, you can learn pronouncing by reading at anytime, anywhere, with various contents at any level, it is convenient and cheap.
2. Reading is an alternative way to practice listening and speaking.
Reading can consolidate and maintain the listening and speaking capability after leaving school.
Reading can be anytime, anywhere, with various contents at any level. Reading is a better way to practice listening and speaking;
3. Same for every language, writing and reading are the indispensable core part. Without reading, any language learning will be inefficient, no possible to move to upper level, and difficult to keep speaking capability for long.
So even you only want to learn Chinese speaking, you still need to learn writing and reading for good.
Same for every language, each word has its writing, typing, pronunciation, and meaning. the essential task of language study is to build direct reflection between writings, sounds and meanings.
1. When you see a word, you need directly speak it out, and know the meaning; 2. When you hear a sound, you need directly know the meaning, and can write it down; 3. When you want express a meaning, you need directly speak it out, or write it down.
Good language study method need to quickly and effectively build these direct reflections.
In order to quickly learn Chinese, two main technologies developed: 1. PinYin for pronunciation; 2. Component system for writing and typing.
So Chinese study methods are all about writing, typing, pronunciation, meaning, PinYin and component system.
In history, 3 main Chinese study method categories created:
1. Classic method, since the language beginning, used for around 3 thousands of years
Learn Chinese words as they were created and evolved, directly, without PinYin and component system, effective, but a bit difficult.
2. PinYin method, since year 1958
PinYin phonetic system was created in 1958, since then, Chinese study changed to use PinYin, rely on PinYin, its main characters are:
(1) Start from PinYin; (2) Rely on PinYin to learn pronunciation; (3) Use PinYin to carry meaning; (4) Use PinYin for daily input.
Using PinYin to learn Chinese is an indirect method, it caused 2 main problems:
Firstly, foreign learners use English sound and tone to read PinYin; Second PinYin blocked the way of Chinese writing and reading study.
3. HeChinese study method, since 2017
Chinese words are composed with components, like 和(丿木口), 国(口王丶), 恕(女口心), so using components system to learn words' writing and typing is intuitive.
HeChinese study method has 4 main characters:
(1) Use HeInput component system for writing and typing; (2) Use Rainbow pattern for pronunciation; (3) Recite short sentences for memorizing sounds and meanings of words; (4) Use HeInput for daily input.
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