 |
 |
I'm another fan of VOLATs (as most of us who studied at Durham are!!) The ‘VOLATS’ system for learning Chinese characters. (Vocabulary Learning and Testing System) This system was invented by the late Professor Archie Barnes, a wonderful teacher and scholar, who taught Chinese at the University of Durham in the 1970s and 1980s. If you look at the following website you’ll see a copy of his original explanation plus a way of adapting it to the computer. www.earthcallingdavid.com/japanese/volats.html However, despite my plugging it with pupils, and having written a day/by/day set-up guide, anyone under the age of 18 seems to be remarkably resistant to such an organised system. However, for the sake of the one or two of my pupils ready to give it a try, I print out volats sized pages (see the attached which is the vocab needed for Breakthrough Asset). They cut and slice the squares and write the pinyin and English on the back. Rymans do a perfect Volats sized box with a click on lid (the smallest in their range of Really Useful Boxes) for 99p. Hope this web ref and the attached may be of use, Theresa > Date: Fri, 16 Jan 2009 19:27:00 +0100> From: [log in to unmask]> Subject: Re: character and tones> To: [log in to unmask]> > Hi all,> > When I was at uni. learning Mandarin we used something called VOLATS > (Vocabulary Learning and Testing Scheme). These consisted of a set of > small square pieces of paper. We wrote the English word or phrase on > one side and the pinyin and character on the other. The idea was write > out the cards/pieces of paper, then test a few each day. If you could > correctly write the pinyin and the character immediately, the card went > to the back of the stack. If you had any problems writing either > pinyin or character, the card was recycled the next day, until you were > correct every time.> > I felt this was a good system as you didn't waste time testing > characters which you found easy to learn and it helped focus on the > tricky ones.> > We were provided with pre-cut sets of card/paper, but I haven't seen > anything like this on the market. What I did find recently at "The > Works" was little sets of cards strung onto a keyring. Don't know if > they are still producing these/still trading?> > > Helen> > ----Original Message----> From: [log in to unmask]> Date: 16/01/2009 13:15 > To: <[log in to unmask]>> Subj: character and tones> > Hi all> I've asked my students what ways would help them learn Chinese > characters > and the following is what I've got:> > 1. write them repeatedly> 2. use imagination to aid memorisation> 3. relate radicals to characters> > do you have any ideas/suggestions to add on the list? Also how would > you > help learners memorise the tones of different characters? I've > incorporated the > movement of hands when they say it, what about your ways?> > I look forward to receiving your feedback soon.> > 祝 各 位 老 师 新 春 愉 快 ，牛 年 蒙 恩！> > C. Wu> > > > > > 50% off Norton Security 2009 - http://www.tiscali.co.uk/security > > ________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ Are you a PC? Upload your PC story and show the world http://clk.atdmt.com/UKM/go/122465942/direct/01/