Zi: Using Multimedia to Teach Chinese

Sun Lam, Alexandre Oliveira, Tony Lavender, Luís Cabral, Adérito Marcos

Introduction Our aim – based on our teaching As the Chinese-speaking areas are and learning experiences with the becoming the focus of the world for Portuguese economy, more and more people and other European students – is are attracted by their language to create an easy tool to start Han and culture. The number of Zi using a vision of its visual and beginners in Chinese language is motor dimensions of writing for growing rapidly. Although the beginners of any age group. To Chinese language has unique achieve this, the use of multimedia characteristics, there are still very technology together with civiliza- few teaching and learning materi- tion, visual and mnemonic criteria German Abtract als which serve the basic needs for is crucial. All the semiographic, starting the acquisition of Han Zi. pictographic, special and motional A multimedia application, both in characteristics of Chinese writing Wenn man die Einzigartigkeit der CD-ROM and on-line, can provide enable a more intuitive study of chinesischen Sprache bedenkt, und den dürftigen Bestand des a virtual teacher for understanding the language. The inherent rules, vorhandenen Lernmaterials zu die- and learning Chinese writing at an the (de)composition of its charac- ser Sprache, so kann man wohl elementary level and, without ters and the existing associations durchaus behaupten, dass es eine doubt, can attract more learners. should benefit from the help of Herausforderung der besonderen multimedia in the sense that Art ist, eine CD-ROM Multimedia- The Project attractive graphical visualization Anwendung mit Web-Support It is not easy to learn Chinese can be vividly created and naviga- zum Erlernen von geschriebenem characters, and this has discouraged tional characteristics can also be Chinesisch zu erstellen. many curious people to learn Chi- provided. Semiografische, piktografische, spezielle und Bewegungs-Charak- nese. The development of this project teristika kennzeichnen die The project Xue Han Zi is being will include the following: geschriebene chinesische Sprache developed by CCG in close part- und verlangen nach intuitiven nership with the Centre of Orien- Correct writing habits Lernformen mit Hilfe von multime- tal Studies of the Institute of Arts The writing of the characters must dialen Mitteln. and Human Sciences of the Uni- obey an economy of gesture and Das Xue Han Zi Projekt schafft versity of Minho and the Dep. of space as well as a body-cosmos- eine Multimedia-Umgebung zur Information Systems of the same mind harmony. An exploration of Unterstützung des Lernprozesses university. the »specific way« of writing von geschriebenem Chinesisch. Der Unterricht zielt darauf ab, dem Lernenden die Bedeutung der Schriftzeichen und korrekte Schreibgewohnheiten beizubrin- gen, wobei die Schulung der Räumlichkeit und Balance ebenso wichtig ist wie die richtige Reihen- folge der Pinselstriche. Das Projekt wurde vom CCG in enger Zusammenarbeit mit dem Zentrum für orientalische Studien des Instituts für Kunst und Gei- steswissenschaften sowie dem Fachbereich Informationssysteme der Universität von Minho durch- geführt. Figure 1: One shot of the sys- tem

14 CG topics 5/2001 strokes is shown through the exe- Figure 2: Exam- cution of real calligraphy. This ple of a character enables the learner to follow all writing of the movement of the brush at its normal rhythm and also to get a deeper impression of the correct direction of each stroke. The sense of space and balance and the correct sequence of the order of strokes are also important elements for the process of the »embodiment« of Chinese writing. A selection of eight main structure patterns are shown together with a colored division of the »space blocks« and a numbered sequence, so that the learner is trained to be able to analyze the the calligraphic writing process in This project »Xue Han Zi« – a structure of a character and to action. The video image can be multimedia method of learning follow the rules for executing the controlled by the user to stop or the Chinese language from its writing. to repeat each character. roots – may be further developed All of the characters chosen in When a component of a charac- with a second and a third version the program (about 450) are ter also serves as a radical in in the future: for a lexical acquisi- demonstrated using »Kaishu« cal- another character, for example in tion of »ci« or »cizu« based on ligraphy. The rhythm of the natu- case of »« (to ask) and »jian« individual characters; and the ral movements and pauses of the (division of time or space), one can acquisition of simple, contextual- brush can stimulate the mnemonic find the character either in the ized sentences based on »ci« or devices of the learner, so that the radical directory of »kou« (mouth) »cizu«. »recalling« of a character is based or »ri« (), and between these on observation or even on a sub- characters a horizontal navigation conscious imitation of the hand is also possible. This function can Points of contact movements using repeatable video allow endless casual visits to dif- demonstrations of the calligraphy. ferent semantic groups of radicals, Prof. Adérito Marcos This selection of a limited number thus helping the learner to achieve CCG, Guimarães, Coimbra, Portugal of the most typical sinograms (pic- a visual understanding of the Email: [email protected] tograms, ideograms and phono- semantic-based association ideograms) permits a neurological between characters. Alexandre Oliveira and mental internalization for the A set of »games«, contextualized CCG, Guimarães, Coimbra, Portugal further acquisition of other char- with the navigation, will be pro- Email: [email protected] acters. vided for practicing the learned material. Different levels will be Dra. Sum Lum A logical and visual organization created to provide challenging CLCO/ILCH/UM, Braga, Portugal for the acquisition of characters tasks. Email: [email protected] Radicals were divided in their semantic genus: Human Being, Main features of this multimedia Human Activities, Habitat, Working application Xue Han Zi: Instruments, Nature and Animals. – No age limit Each figure leads to the page of a – Suitable either for classroom group of radicals and the meaning use or individualized learning of each radical is demonstrated by – Enables either Chinese character a visual image, sound and legend. acquisition or the practice of Further searching of each radical calligraphy (investigation with will lead to a page of characters graphic tablets is required). composed by that radical. – Allows both semantic guided By clicking each character under consultation and casual naviga- a radical group, one can find an tion animation that shows the basic – Can be used on either a person- meaning of each character, the al computer fitted with CD- sound of its pronunciation, the ROM or on-line teaching legend, and a video that shows through the WWW

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