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+--- Thread: Learning the 音読み readings (/thread-7657.html)
Learning the 音読み readings - Nagareboshi - 2011-04-12
Hello dear all, something bad has happened in real life, that kept me from learning the last couple of days. Because of that, i was looking for a way to distract myself, and this is what i have done. I was thinking of learning the 音読み readings, not right now, but in a couple of days or weeks. Once things start getting normal. I thought that there must be an easier way of learning those readings, other than with movie-method or something of that nature. And i came up with this. Please forgive any errors contained in the introduction, and please comment, what you think about it. Good? Bad? Improvements?
I think i have come up with an idea, that allows to easily learn on-readings, similar to the way RTK 1 introduces the kanji, and with the same benefits. Here is an outline of the idea and what is needed to make it work.
First of all create a Mindmap. In the center of this map comes the 音読み reading. In it’s center, and as the topic, comes the 音読み in question. Surrounding it in a circle, or any other shape you might like, are “primitive element names,” and the next branch contains the kanji belonging to that group.
For the first branch from the center you will have to choose a unique “primitive element name” for a kanji belonging to the group. This can be either the kanji RTK 1 keyword, or a unique name, that you can easily remember. Now comes the important part, start with the easiest kanji with the fewest strokes or simplest elements, and add it to the next branch going out from the name. Say you have ダイand the simplest kanji is 大, and you choose to name it large.
You will write it down once, as you did when you were learning the kanji with RTK 1, but this time on your physical mind-map. Meaning pen & paper. On paper you will draw only one branch for each kanji you are going to add, and at the end of it, you will write it down once. Go crazy and use colors, circle it in, or make it stick out it’s up to you.
The next step is to go back to the computer mindmap, to assign the next kanji to a “primitive element name” that you will then memorize. Do this for all the kanji until both the virtual and the physical mindmap is complete. From here on out you have several choices to review and cement the groups of kanji having similar readings.
Number 1 is to make a screenshot, with the branches containing the kanji closed. You will edit the screenshot so, that it does not contain the reading in the center. In Anki create a card with two fields. One for the screenshot, the other for the reading on the back. When you start reviewing, you will write each kanji from keyword out, and at the end you guess which reading they share.
Number 2 is to make two fields, with the screenshot at the top, the on-reading in it’s center, and the kanji as well as the “primitive element names” you assigned to them hidden. Doing it this way, you will have to come up with a short story, which contains all the “primitive element names.” You will have to form a mental image, similar to RTK 1 with kanji as “actors.”
Number 3 is to make two fields, with the screenshot at the top, the center empty, but the “primitive element names” and kanji visible. And you are left to guess which reading they share. The 音読みreading being on the flip-side.
With the “primitive element names” visible at the top, you can also further cement the keyword to kanji skills developed with RTK 1. With method number 2, and with a story combining all the “primitive element names,” you have to use considerably more brainpower. You will have to memorize a short story, to form a mental image, containing all the kanji sharing the same reading. And with method number 3, with the kanji and the “primitive element names” visible, but the reading hidden, you would only have to look at all the kanji, and guess the reading. This is the easiest of all the review methods. But all should lead to the same outcome, you will remember the on readings for a large group of kanji, once you see them.
One important thing you should consider is, that when you create your mindmaps, that you make them visually unique in style. For instance for each new mindmap for a reading use a different enclosure, in different colors, and different “branches.” Print them out, and hang them on your wall, or review them on the go leaving out the center 音読み. Or just the kanji branches, leaving only the “primitive element names.” You can also just pin-up your physical mind maps, to have something to look at, it’s all up to you. Just keep it simple and have fun.