What is it about?
To the novice learner, Chinese characters seem fascinating―but daunting. How do you even get started? And once you do, what's the journey like? With stories and reflections from people who have been there, this study tells about the struggles and the successes shared by those who try to learn Chinese characters.
Featured Image
Photo by Marco Zuppone on Unsplash
Why is it important?
As China's influence grows, so does the usefulness of learning Chinese. More and more people are learning Chinese as a second language, but learning to read and write Chinese characters is hard. A lot of research has focused on methodologies or what people do. This unique study, based on the learners' voices, reveals how the experience feels to the learners. This has practical applications for both students and teachers of Chinese as a second language.
Perspectives
Like the participants in this study, I've spent many years studying Chinese characters. It's a long, hard process, but there is some real beauty and satisfaction along the way. I hope that this window into the learners' experience encourages learners to keep at it, and Chinese teachers to do an even better job.
Susan Gary Walters
SIL International
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Staying afloat, Chinese as a Second Language (漢語教學研究—美國中文教師學會學報) The journal of the Chinese Language Teachers Association USA, December 2021, John Benjamins,
DOI: 10.1075/csl.21011.wal.
You can read the full text:
Contributors
The following have contributed to this page
