Should I use Remembering the Kanji 2
From RevTK
First, unless you have completed book number 1, this book will not be any use to you.
Contents |
Alternatives
- Kanji Chain
- AJATT (aka sentences)
- Vocabulary approach
Vocabulary approach
- Please note, the following section is a summary of a forum entry.
Once you have finished RTK1, you are intimate with each kanji that you see. Now it is easy for you to look at vocabulary that you already know (example ゆうめい、famous). This in kanji is 有名． If one breaksdown the constituate kanji one has possess-name; therefore, one who is famous possesses a famous name. Another example is the word for in front. We know that this is generally thought of as まえ in hiragana. This is a basic JLPT 4 word. Heisig helps us by using the key word "in front" for 前, hence, まえ＝前）。 Now, when one wants to learn what someone's first name is, (or name in front), since we have already learned that 名＝な and 前＝まえ, then なまえ must be 名前。
Using this method of relearning my existing vocabulary with correctly used kanji, I have improved my vocabulary considerably. I went from barely having a JLPT 4 kanji/vocabulary level to having a much higher kanji knowledge level. Also, my vocabulary is growing faster. Instead of learning abstract thinks such as ゆうめい for famous, I immediately learn and think of 有名. Thus, I am learning new vocabulary and the readings for new characters when I see them. I can also now, deduce the correct reading of unknown compounds using other readings of kanji that I already know.
I am finding that this is a fast and easy way for me to learn kanji compounds and pronunciations instead of using some of the abstract keywords found in RTK2.
Please, do not think that this means that RTK2 is garbage, quite the contrary. As it is commonly pointed out when discussing the pursuit of kanji learning, each person has his own path, though we all end up at the same outcome. So if RTK2 is good for you, use it. If kanjichain is good for you, use it. If learning readings through vocabulary is good for you, use it. Unfortunately, no one can give you an easy answer to the question: "How should I learn the kanji pronunciations?". I think that anyone approaching this process should try all of these ways for a little while until they find which way makes more sense.
Resources
Kanji in Context
- Please note, the following section is a summary of a forum entry.
Kanji in Context is organized by kanji: first a character, then a few words with that character, and some examples and exercises on it. The kanji are ordered by frequency. This way, since words with the same character are learned at the same time, learning itself is greatly simplified, and the kanji readings come as a free bonus (plus -- you also realize the difference in meanings that is denoted by readings sometimes, like ちゅう reading for 中 means something a little different from じゅう, and なか is of course something else entirely). I was also quite amazed at how useful their ordering is -- in the first chapter at least, I would learn a few words, then watch an anime episode or read something and immediately hear a few of the words right there.
Drawbacks
- Please note, the following is a summary of a forum entry.
The drawback of Heisig RTK2 is that his pure groups are just as noticable in the kanjichains, so you have the benefit, but at the same time you go quicker as you lump a lot of reading together.
