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Kanji -> keyword? - intermu - 2009-11-21
I'm almost at 1000 kanji now, and I pretty much have no problems getting the kanji out from the keyword. Do I still need to work on my kanji -> keyword? I read some of them in text sometimes, but more than a few times I couldn't gauge the keyword immediately. Does that has to be memorized as well, or will I get used to it later on?
Thanks!
Kanji -> keyword? - phoneticbalance - 2009-11-21
http://forum.koohii.com/showthread.php?tid=4350
Kanji -> keyword? - mezbup - 2009-11-21
The subject of much debate.
In summary:
I'm for it and can see lots of reasons. Most others (not speaking for everyone) think it's a useless waste of time.
If you can see a reason it's useful then why not try out reviewing it that way? One thing I can say is that with 0 review of that ability it will decay further and further but the more you learn to read and write whole words from memory the less and less necessary it becomes. It is very useful in the early stages though.
Kanji -> keyword? - brianobush - 2009-11-22
I too think it would be worth the time, but have yet to find time to cram it into my reviews. The benefits would be fast recognition of kanji characters, most of which are cake now, but sometimes i have to stare at a character for a bit before i recall which char it is.
Kanji -> keyword? - zazen666 - 2009-11-22
I tried it for about 6 months and I would say it is not worth it. better to spend your efforts elsewhere.
Kanji -> keyword? - Koos83 - 2009-11-22
I wouldn't do it, because it comes naturally. The more you work with a kanji, the better you will learn it kanji->keyword as well, without even trying or putting extra time in reviewing. That's why it's considered a waste of time.
Kanji -> keyword? - intermu - 2009-11-22
Alright, thanks for the feedback. I'll keep going with this and hopefully they'll stick later on. Thanks guys.
Kanji -> keyword? - spideymike - 2009-11-22
The reason that most recommend against going from kanji to keyword is that the keyword is not the desired end-result when starting from the kanji. The reverse direction really isn't to go from kanji to English keyword, but rather to go from kanji (usually in compound) to Japanese word. You might internally still go from the Japanese word to English in many cases but much of the time the English will not be the same as the keyword that you used to learn the kanji with. (And, of course, you want to eventually not have the English in your head at all.) The keywords are chosen for how well they help you remember the kanji, not for their usefulness in understanding the meaning of the kanji when you encounter it. In Lesson 5 of my (3rd edition) RtK1 Heisig writes "Also, when you review, REVIEW ONLY FROM THE KEY-WORD TO THE KANJI, NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND." (The capitalization is in the original.) I'm not saying that you necessarily have to follow everything that Heisig suggested, but that he felt he needed to emphasize it that much should give pause for thought.