1st Edition
Kanji Clues: A Mnemonic Approach to Mastering Japanese Characters Volume 1
Kanji Clues: A Mnemonic Approach to Mastering Japanese Characters introduces a novel approach to character acquisition that combines the ancient practice of memory enhancement with a modern appreciation for active learning.
By placing phonology at the center of the reading-writing process, the learner establishes an essential link between sound and meaning before addressing each character’s orthography, much in the way native speakers do. Another prominent feature of these volumes is that the lessons are organized thematically according to components in order to enhance their retention and to distinguish between similar looking kanji. As a result, character order is determined by the frequency of their primary elements or components. Once a character is learned, it retains the same meaning when it appears as an element in other characters. There is thus an internal recycling of components and characters throughout the course that serves as an additional aid to their retrieval. Proceeding from components and characters, each lesson then introduces ten new compounds, half of which appear in sentences. Here again, the learner actively forges meaningful links by responding to the clues provided. Indeed, the entire learning sequence is based upon mnemonic principles, such as attention, association, and elaboration, which, when employed together, comprise a memory-enhancing network that facilitates accurate recall and retention.
Designed for students who wish to master the Japanese reading/writing system, each volume is comprised of a year’s worth of lessons, which can be used alongside a primary textbook, as well as for self-study, reference, or review. Upon completion of the course, the learner will have not only mastered all the 2,136 everyday use characters, but also be familiar with more than 1,200 kanji compounds and the most common sentence patterns in the Japanese language, thereby providing a deep understanding of the inner workings of the language and the tools to decipher new words.
Volume 1 is an ideal supplementary resource for students throughout their first year of Japanese-language study.
Introduction
- Elements of a Mnemonic Network
- From Mnemonic Principles to Practice
- Weekly Course Outline
- Clue Principles as Simple as ABC
- How to Make Best Use of This Book
- For Love of Kanji
Lessons
- By The Numbers
- Water World
- Tree Of Life
- In Person
- Southpaw
- Watch One’s Mouth
- Heart To Heart
- Sunshine
- Down To Earth
- Put Into Words
- A Common Thread
- Plant Life
- On The Move
- In The Flesh
- Strike Zone
- Under The Same Roof
- Women’s Lib
- Money Maker
- Under Cover
- Clothes Line
- Fire Department
- Heavy Metal
- Lend A Hand
- Field Of Vision
- A Perfect Ten
- Over The Hill
- Cutting Edge
- A Grain Of Truth
- At Full Strength
- Mountain Range
- Watermark
- Tree Rings
- Personal Identity
- Hand Out
- Mouthful
- From The Bottom Of One’s Heart
- Day After Day
- Ground Level
- Spear Carrier
- Building Blocks
- Big and Small
- Dog Tags
- Steppingstones
- Cut From The Same Cloth
- Bows And Arrows
- Bamboo Shoots
- Head Start
- Woodwork
- Altar Boys
- Anything Goes
- Vehicle Inspection
Review: Lessons 1-5
Review: Lessons 6-10
Review: Lessons 11-15
Review: Lessons 16-20
Review: Lessons 21-25
Review: Lessons 26-30
Review: Lessons 31-35
Review: Lessons 36-40
Review: Lessons 41-45
Review: Lessons 46-50
Appendixes
- Kanji Components
- Secondary Pronunciations and Acronyms
- Secondary Meanings and Acronyms
Biography
John Esposito is Professor in the School of Global Studies at Chukyo University, Nagoya, Japan.