象形字 Xiang Xing Zi How to learn the Chinese Character ?

Progetto “Kids Shou Bo in Chinese” anno 2015

 

“ Kids Shou Bo in Chinese “ was born in 2014, the headquarters for the lessons is in Lodi ( Lombardia, Italy ) where I first taught five children, it was a success, much appreciated both by children and parents. In this new season – 2015/- 2016, with the encouragement of Master Yuan Zumou and Master Stefano Danesi, I would like to propose to you this interesting project.

  All summer I studied and thought about how to re- introduce this valuable project, allowing more schools to get to know it, make it more acceptable and share it with everyone.

 Everyone thinks that learning to speak the Chinese language is very difficult, let alone to learn to write it. As a matter of fact, it is not so. All languages have their own system. The Chinese system is named 象形字Xiang Xing Zi, commonly known as a pictogram or ideogram system, but more specifically it is a system that based on picto-phonics.

 Chinese characters in general may be referred to as ideograms, due to the fact that ideas are represented directly by characters, but they can be divided into different types, based on how they are formed or derived. Originally they consisted of pictograms (Xiàngxíng 象形), from which derived “associative compounds” (huìyì 會意), that consisted of two or more pictographs in order to form the character with the logical meaning. However, the majority originated as picto-phonic (形聲xíngshēng) which comprise  80 % of existing Chinese characters. Each Chinese character is composed of two or more picto-phonetic components that help to understand how to write and pronounce.

 The basic components are around 200, they are known as radicals and are fundamental in the Chinese language. Therefore, once you learn these radicals, you can figure out how it was composed and the sound of a character. Make studying more effective and enjoyable!
 

  In the project “Kids Shou Bo in Chinese”, these radicals are divided into 5 sections, each section has 36 radicals accompanied by one derivation, published on the site kidshoubo.jimdo.com in the beginning of each new semester. Kids will learn 72 characters in one year. This project is completed in five years, the children will learn 500 Chinese characters, a good level for the Chinese language.
 

 The system, used in the project “ Kids Shou Bo in Chinese “ was not created by me but is an original form of written Chinese language, it was born with engravings on tortoise shells and ox bones甲骨文 Jia Gu Wen. It dates back more than 4000  during the Shang dynasty, these Jia Gu Wen were made with oracle texts and songs relating to divination rituals. More than 100.000 fragments have been found and scientists and professors are able to identify approximately 4500 different characters, including 1700 already decoded. Thanks to Taiwan the findings have been published, so the world has the opportunity to share this heritage of authentic and valuable culture.
 

 " Culture is life and life is beautiful" l would like to recite this famous line to all of you and pass it on to our children with the same goal to grow together with them!!!

  
   Minhua Lin       

   Bertonico   3 October, 2015