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In the previous video we discussed how Chinese characters work.
在上一個影片中, 我們已經討論過中文字是如何形成的了,
In this presentation,
在這段影片中,
we'll be explaining the traditional methodology used for teaching
我們將會解釋教中文母語人士
Chinese characters to both native speakers and foreign learners.
跟外國人中文字的傳統教學方法。
We will then discuss the typical
接著會介紹使用這種傳統方法學習時
frustrations that arise from using this traditional approach
會遇到的典型的挫折感,
and examine the cause of these frustrations.
然後檢視挫折感形成的原因。
After that, we'll let you in on a little secret that will show you how to
最後,我們會透露一點秘密,
quickly learn copious amounts of Chinese characters
告訴你如何有趣又快速的
in a fun and interesting way!
學習大量的中文字!
When growing up in a native speaking environment,
在中文環境中成長,
the student's journey towards literacy
一個學生識字的旅程
begins in kindergarten.
從幼稚園就開始。
Before they start writing Chinese characters they are first taught
在正式學中文字之前, 他們要先學拼音符號,
phonetic symbols so they can write
他們要先學拼音符號,
the pronunciation of Chinese characters.
這樣才能寫出中文字的發音。
In Mainland China the students are taught the "pinyin" phonetic system,
在中國大陸,學生們學習"拼音"的發音系統,
and it uses the Roman alphabetic symbols: A - Z.
並且他們使用羅馬字母A-Z的符號來拼音。
In Taiwan, students use the "zhuyin" phonetic system,
在台灣,學生們使用"注音"的拼音系統,
which are the traditional Chinese phonetic symbols.
這是台灣傳統的拼音符號。
The "zhuyin" phonetic system is better known as "bo po mo fo".
"注音"拼音系統也稱做為"ㄅㄆㄇㄈ"。
After learning the phonetic symbols,
在學了拼音系統之後,
the student is immediately "thrown into the deep end"
學生們馬上就被丟進深不見底
to being learning whole<b> </b>Chinese characters.
的中文字海裡了。
For the first week or so,
大約在第一或第二個禮拜,
the teacher will show the students how to write characters that have
老師會先教一些筆劃比較少的字
fewer strokes so that they can begin to learn the order of
來練習寫字的順序,
which lines to write first
哪幾劃要先寫哪些後寫,
(this is called "stroke order").
這叫做"筆順"。
The teacher will stand
老師會站
in front of the classroom and
在教室前方,
write a big Chinese character on the blackboard.
然後在黑板上寫一個很大的中文字,
The teacher counts every time one stroke is finished.
老師在寫每一劃的時會大聲數出順序來,
As the teacher writes and counts,
老師邊寫邊數的時候,
the students follow along with their fingers in the air.
學生們便使用手指在空中跟著比畫。
After practicing this as a group for a few times,
跟著全班練習幾次之後,
the students then write the character in their practice books 10 times or so.
學生便在寫字簿裡練習寫這個字大約十次。
They will turn this in as homework and will be tested on the new character.
這是他們的回家作業, 且下次上課老師會考這個字。
If they make any mistakes on their homework or tests,
如果他們在寫作業或考試時寫錯了,
they will have to do "punishment writing",
就會被罰寫,
which will require them to write the character over and over again.
學生必須重複寫這個字好幾次,
The goal is to ensure that the student
目的就是要讓學生完全
absolutely learns how to write the character and never forgets it.
學會寫這個字並且不會再忘記。
This teaching approach is called "rote memorization".
這種教學法稱做"死記硬背"法。
Before the little ones finish the first and second grades,
小孩在讀完一、二年級後,
they will have already memorized
他們已經記下大約
between 800 and 1300 complex characters!
800到1300個複雜的中文字了!
This is a very busy period in a 7-year-olds' life!
好忙碌的七歲小孩呀!
By the time they finish the 6th grade,
學生讀完六年級之後,
they will have already memorized 2500-2700 characters by rote -
他們已經記住2500到2700個中文字了,
about two-thirds of the most frequently used characters.
這大約是最常使用中文字的三分之二。
Also, at some point in the 5th or 6th grade
同時,在五、六年級時,
the teacher will have introduced the concept of "radicals".
老師會開始教"部首"的概念,
"Radicals" are more accurately translated as
部首,比較適當的翻譯說法是
"dictionary section headers".
"字典單元標題"。
Now there's obviously a need for a dictionary of Chinese characters,
中文字當然有中文字典,
but it would have to work very differently from a western dictionary.
但是使用的方法跟西式的字典非常不同。
In a western dictionary words are listed alphabetically,
西式的字典是以字母順序排列的,
but since Chinese characters contain no letters to be organized by,
但是既然中文字沒有字母,
this system wouldn't work so well.
就無法以字母來排列。
This led to the creation of an interesting cataloging system
所以,就有了以
that was based on the intrinsic "building block"
中文字"積木"的本質來分類
nature of Chinese characters.
的有趣的系統。
If you haven't watched it yet,
如果你還沒看中文字"積木"的造字方式,
you should watch the first video in this series:
你應該先看這個系列的第一部影片,
"A Thorough Introduction to How Chinese Characters Work".
"A Thorough Introduction to How Chinese Characters Work".
As you recall from that video,
回想一下這個影片,
most characters are formed by combining several simpler pictographs.
大多數的中文字都是由幾個 較小的象形部件組成的。
This "radical" cataloging system organizes Chinese characters
字典裡"部首"分類方式的基礎
in the dictionary based on the smaller parts that they contain.
就是建立在中文字裡這些較小的部件上。
Every Chinese character is classified
每一個中文字都被分類在
under one "radical section header" in the dictionary.
字典中其中一個"部首單元標題"裡。
For example, there is a section header for (木) "tree"
例如,在字典中"木"的單元裡,
and most Chinese characters that contain this pictograph
可以找到大部分
can be found under this section header in a dictionary.
含有"木"這個象形字的中文字。
Thus, if you encounter an unfamiliar Chinese character
所以,如果你看到一個不認識的字,
but you are able to recognize the "tree" radical within the unfamiliar character
但是你認得出字裡"木"這個部首,
you could go to the "tree" section of a Chinese dictionary to locate
那麼就可以翻到字典裡"木"的單元,
the unfamiliar character.
找到這個你不認識的字。
Then you could learn how to pronounce the character
然後你就可以學到這個字的發音
and also learn its meaning.
還有字的意思。
So as I was saying, when you're an older elementary school student
就像剛才說的,如果你是個國小六年級生,
who has already learned many characters that contain the radical (木) "tree",
你已經學了很多含有"木"部首的中文字,
the teacher would point out,
這時老師就會指出,
"See, this part is 'tree' and it's a radical."
"你看,這就是木部"。
This isn't taught to students too early
老師不先教部首的概念,是因為大多人認為
because it's assumed it would overwhelm the young student -
這對年紀小的孩子來說太難了,
they don't need to know what section header the characters
他們還不需要知道這些字
they are learning are classified under in a dictionary.
是屬於字典裡的哪一個部首。
All they need to do is memorize how to write the whole character correctly
他們只需要記住如何正確地寫這個字
along with its pronunciation.
還有記住字的發音就好了。
All emphasis is strictly placed on learning how to read and write
學校強調的重點是在學習如何讀和寫
<u>the characters they will need in their daily lives.
這些日常生活會用到的字。
Foreign learners of Chinese are taught Chinese characters in pretty much the
學中文的外國人也是用差不多
same way as first and second graders.
的方式學中文字,像小學生一樣,
The difference is that very little time is spent in class on writing.
不同的是,他們在課堂上 練習寫字的時間少了很多,
Instead most students have a "character practice" book where
所以,大多數學生都有一本"生字簿"
they can trace Chinese characters to learn the correct stroke order.
來練習寫中文字及練筆劃。
It's a self-study endeavor wherein the student copies the stroke-by-stroke,
這幾乎是一種自我學習的方式,
line-swoop-slash illustrations presented in the workbook
學生跟著練習簿上的字, 一筆一劃的抄寫,
and then practices writing it freehand in the provided empty spaces.
然後在空白紙上自己練習寫幾次。
This is turned in for homework,
這就是回家作業,
and of course there are always quizzes on the new characters.
當然也會考試。
Just like beginner-level native students,
外國人士跟母語人士一樣
foreign students aren't told about radicals or character composition.
初學時都不會學到部首或部件
The goal is purely to get the student
目的只是要讓學生透過死記硬背的方法
to quickly recognize a few words for use in daily life via rote memorization.
快速的記住一些生活用字。
The student's job is to memorize the correct sequence of lines
學生的工作就是把正確的筆順記住,
and try not to mix up the characters.
然後盡量不要把字跟字搞混了。
This can be pretty confusing in the beginning,
一開始,這可能很困難,
especially for characters with lots of strokes.
尤其是那些有很多筆畫的字,
It's easy to accidentally add an extra line or two,
很容易就不小心多寫或少寫一劃,
and just as easy to forget to write part of the character.
也很容易就忘記寫到字的某一部分。
Using rote memorization to learn Chinese characters
死記硬背中文字是保證
is an effective method to ensure that the student never forgets
學生永遠不忘記
how to recognize or write a character.
怎麼寫這些字的好方法。
It has proven to work quick successfully for over one billion people!
這個方法已經在超過一億個人身上 被證實有效了。
However, any person with experience studying Chinese in this way,
然而,任何用這個方法學中文的人,
both native speakers and foreign learners alike,
包括母語人士及外國人士,
can attest that it is a dreaded and monotonous chore.
都認為這是一個令人抗拒且單調的事情。
Most foreign learners would also add "stressful" and "frustrating".
大多數的外國人會加上 "很有壓力"跟"很有挫折感"。
This is because characters are taught as whole pieces
這是因為他們是學"一整個"中文字
with emphasis placed on writing thousands of meaningless lines
並強調依照筆順寫
in the correct sequence.
這些無趣的線條一千次。
Now this approach has worked for one billion native speaking people
這個方法對生活在中國社會一輩子,
who spend their entire lives immersed in a Chinese speaking culture
每天都會看見中文字的一億個中國人
and see Chinese characters on a daily basis,
很有效,
but a foreign learner of Chinese is coming from a very different situation
但是對一個來自不同社會,心態不同的
and with a very different mindset.
外國人來說,情況就不同了。
After watching the previous video
看完上一個影片
"A Thorough Introduction to How Chinese Characters Work",
"A Thorough Introduction to How Chinese Characters Work",
you understand that a Chinese character is more than just a sequence of lines.
你已經知道中文字不只是 一堆有順序的線條,
A Chinese character is a picture
一個中文字即是一個
created by combining several simpler pictographic components.
由許多簡單象形圖片組合成的圖片。
Every single Chinese character portrays a fascinating story,
每一個中文字都代表了一個有趣的故事,
but teachers don't tell their students this.
但老師們不會跟學生這麼說。
With the current teaching method,
以現在的教學方法,
these beautiful and interesting characters have been reduced to
這些美麗且有趣的中文字已經
a soulless sequence of lines to be memorized
被簡化成沒有生命力
and written over and over again.
且必須被反覆練習的線條。
Doing this takes away all of the fun, mystery, and 4,000 years of history.
這些練習奪走中文字 4千年來有趣且神秘的歷史。 �