How to look like you’re studying

Kanji

The Dan Reynolds Method

Step One

Get a book!

Not just ANY book will do!

Your workbook is a great way to look like you’re studying. For many of you this book probably came with your texts!

But if you feel like spending money…

A Kanji book would be a good idea, too!

The real trick is…

Make sure whatever book you have is big enough.

Why, you might ask?

To fit your manga inside!You big geek, you!

If you can fit the book in nicely you can look like your studying without getting bored!

And that is a very GOOD thing.

Okay, now, Dan will pretend like he knows what he’s talking about…

The two most important things you need to know (aside from literal MEANING) in order to have functional skill with Kanji:

1) You need to know how to write the kanji2) You need to know kanji readings (on,

kun)

Why you need to know how to write the kanji…

Sensei once asked Dan how he memorized produce codes as a cashier at vitamin cottage…

Practice!

I know it seems pretty cliché at this time to tell you to practice but the only way you’re going to memorize how to write a kanji is when it becomes rote (not wrote) although that’s how you get it…

Only by routine use of the kanji will you begin to memorize them!

I guess what I’m trying to say is…

To be able to READ Kanjiis to understand Kanji.

To be able to WRITE Kanjiis to know Kanji.

Why should you know the readings?

When you know the readings you can begin to “synthesize” pronunciations for new compound words. It also helps you SPEAK when you know how to pronounce the words you’re pretending to know!

So then… what about the books?

That’s right, our little friends!

Of all the little tricks and methods we can use to try and remember Kanji, these books exploit it all! That’s right, it’s like people sit around and try to make up new ways to learn kanji all day—now how’s that for a day job? Eh?

For example:

What the heck does THIS mean?

　　　　　　借家人Let’s break it down!

人Person, nin, jin, etc, etc

家House, ie, ya, etc, etc

借Borrow, shaku, ka, etc, etc

So we have…

A person… Who borrows… A house…

人ninjinetc

家yaieetc

借shakushaka

Make sense?

Would we call a House Borrowing Person a tenant?

…

Maybe!Why not?

But does Dan know any tricks?

…Not really.

Well there is that one thing that everyone does…

PICTURES!

Learning by pictures is only good for recognizing kanji by sight, not for learning how to WRITE kanji.

It’s a “short-cut” that only takes you half-way.