Sunday, December 5, 2010

Learn to Write Characters

Learn to Write Characters at http://www.csulb.edu/~txie/azi/page1.htm

The information below is from the home page:
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Last updated November, 2005


Now you can download the zip file and use it off-line (2.6MB)

The characters in this page are in UTF-8 codes. It is suggested to use Internet Explorer higher version in order to view Characters and Pinyin.

When you finish viewing the stroke order, select another character.

The [back to the top] link will bring you back to the top of this page.

If you need any characters with animated strokes, send a message to me at txie@csulb.edu (California State University, Long Beach) and I will be happy to add them. Or try to download and use eStroke software program which will show ANY character in animation

- Tim Xie

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I tried a few words and find it very useful as the order of the strokes is displayed in correct order!

Try it out if you have time!

Dexterine Ho

Sunday, September 26, 2010

漢字很可愛: Chinese character is comical and cute

Chinese character can look comical and cute!

Some one sent me this email message and I like to share with all of you!


你說漢字是不是很可愛?


「晶」對「品」說 :「你們家難道沒有裝修?」

「夫」對「天」說 :「我總算盼到了出頭之日!」

「熊」對「能」說 :「怎麼著窮成這樣啦?四個熊掌全賣了!」

「丙」對「兩」說 :「你家什麼時候多了一個人,結婚了?」

「乒」對「乓」說 :「你我都一樣,一等殘廢軍人。」

「兵」對「丘」說 :「兄弟,踩上地雷了吧,兩腿咋都沒了?」

「王」對「皇」說 :「當皇上有什麽好處?你看,頭髮都白了!」

「口」對「回」說 :「親愛的,都懷孕這麽久了,也不說一聲!」

「也」對「她」說 :「當老闆了?出門還帶秘書!」

「日」對「旦」說 :「你什麼時候學會玩滑板了?」

「果」對「裸」說 :「哥們兒,你穿上衣服還不如不穿!」

「由」對「甲」說 :「你什麼時候學會倒立了?」

「巾」對「币」說 :「戴上博士帽就身價百倍了!」 (「币」是「幣」的簡體 )

「呂」對「昌」說 :「和你相比,我實在家徒四壁!」

「扁」對「匾」說 :「才敗選一次而已,就搞自閉?」

你說漢字是不是很可愛?

Chinese character can be comical and cute  if you use them creatively!

If you use the above "Plus and Minus" method to teach student how to recognise and write Chinese Characters, it will make their understanding easy and save a lot of memory works!
Try asking students to transfer them to comic or drawing, it will make learning Chinese fun!

Dexterine Ho

Saturday, September 25, 2010

古語新解: Teaching Chinese the uncommon way

Just look at email messages I received from friends and find it interesting to see some new way of applying it in teaching Chinese the uncommon way!

It is interesting to teach Chinese in amusing manner.  Here are some examples: 



“床前明月光”,下一句同學填“李白睡的香”…


Why not let students have the creative way of expressing their ideas and let them compare it with the classical line in the textbook!


“三個臭皮匠”下一句同學填“味道都一樣”…

If you use logic to analyse it, it could be a good answer!  You can then show the original line and ask them to see the different.

陶淵明的“不為五斗米折腰”,

同學斗膽的寫“給我六斗就可以”…

Obviously, the student is using different value system to interpret the old saying, you can use that to lead a discussion on the value system of the current trend and that of 陶淵明.
“書到用時方恨少”,同學對“錢到月底不夠花”…

It is good to learn what is in the mind of the students and see their concern and guide them accordingly.  Financial planning is important too, just let them share their money problems will make learning Chinese closer to daily life.

Teaching Chinese, is not just a job to correct language!

Cheers!

Dexterine Ho

Monday, June 28, 2010

How the word「夫」is being narrated by 乾隆皇帝 Emperor Qian Long

乾隆皇帝解「夫」 字 太妙了

乾隆皇帝解「夫」字

乾隆到江南巡視,見一農夫扛著鋤頭,就故意跟身邊的宰相張玉書開玩笑: 「這是什麼人?」

張回答說:「他是個農夫。」

乾隆又問:「農夫的『夫』字怎麼寫?」

張順口答道:「就是二橫一撇一捺,轎夫之夫,孔夫子之夫,夫妻之夫,匹夫之夫都是這麼寫。」

不料乾隆聽後搖頭說:「你這個宰相,連這個夫字的寫法也辨別不清。」

乾隆皇帝說:
「農夫 是刨土之人,上寫土字,下加人字;

轎夫肩上扛竿,先寫人字,再加二根竹竿;

孔老夫子 上通天文,下曉地理,這個夫字寫個天字出頭;

夫妻是兩個人,先寫二字,後加人字;

匹夫是指大丈夫,這個字先寫個大字,加一橫便是。

用法不同,寫法有別,不能混為一談啊。」

嗯,真有意思~~


從故事、文章、笑話裡啟發人生智慧!

在歷史上乾隆皇帝不知是否真有對「夫」字做這樣一個解釋 笑遊人間 就不清楚了,但今天的故事讓 笑遊人間 更覺的古人造字的偉大。

Source of information:

http://ibook.idv.tw/enews/enews211-240/enews232.html

Monday, March 29, 2010

Chinese Dynasties


Zhongwen.com published by Yale Univ. Press has a lot of good resources.

One of my favourite links is the Chinese Dynasties from
Try it out!
Dexterine Ho

Special name for a person's age


There are special name for a person's age in Chinese in Japanese!


Source of information:
Sho, Japanese calligraphy
By Christopher J. Earnshaw, page 135