learning to read(not write) kanji with Heisig.

[turkhunter]

Thanks to word processers and cell phones I have no need to learn how to write 2000 kanji from memory. Im wondering if anyone here has ever gone all the way through heisigs system of learning kanji but done the opposite of what he advises, that is study from the meaning to the kanji, and instead studying only from the kanji to the meaning? Maybe its just the way I learn but this way is extremly easy for me. I still do the whole story thing, but now I look at the kanji and its parts and cant help but remember the story and then the meaning, eventually after a few times I don't even need the stories anymore. So my question for everyone is have you tried this, if so how did it work for you? Ill keep you all updated on how its working for me.

[Charles]

Forget Heisig. It's all based on a bunch of invented mnemonics, which have no relation to the actual structure of the kanji. It would be better to learn the REAL system of radicals and kanji components, this is more effective in the long run, it will help you at the higher levels where you don't really need to memorize EVERY kanji, and instead you are able to see patterns in similar kanji and learn them in groups.
I personally like Bonjinsha's "The Kanji Book" series. It will build your kanji skills in ways you won't really appreciate until you get up to the "Kanji Book 1000+" level, and then you'll be really glad you studied it this way. Sometimes the old tried and true methods really are the best.

[turkhunter]

the old tried and true methods may work best for some but I like the way heisig has layed out the system, some of the stories suck but I just change them and its no problem. thanks for the suggestion but I've decided to stick with Heisig, main reasons being I already have the first 2 books and the system is working well so far. I've finished the first section of the book (276) and just did a review of the section in about 15 mins, 75 percent of them I didn't even have to think, they just came to me , around 20 percent I had to look at the radicals and then got the key word and of the 5% I missed only a couple came up completly blank. On to section 2....

[Charles]

I don't know why people ask for advice when they have no intention of taking it. If you just wanted someone to endorse your Heisig study methods, why didn't you say so?

Unfortunately, you are currently learning Heisig-ese, not Japanese. Mnemonics are not going to help you one bit once you have to deal with 1200 or more kanji. Good luck with all that.

[turkhunter]

UMMMM.. as far as I can tell I never asked for advice, I asked for opinions from people who have tried what I am trying and since you haven't, you really have no reason for posting in this thread. And whats with the condescending tone, as soon as I don't take your advice(which I didn't ask for in the first place) you get all negative and righteous. Well good for you charles, good for you for wanting to let everyone know your opinions, BRAVO.


Sorry about getting side tracked with charle here, if anyone has followed the method I asked about let me know how it went, otherwise I will update everyone as I go along.

[jingai]

Charles wrote:
"Unfortunately, you are currently learning Heisig-ese, not Japanese. Mnemonics are not going to help you one bit once you have to deal with 1200 or more kanji. Good luck with all that."

After you know 1200 kanji with meanings you don't really need any system- many new kanji will look suspiciously similar to ones you've already learned, and in my experience you'll be over the hump of the kanji learning curve. It's how you get to that point and how long it takes that matters. I didn't use the heisig system but it seems workable.
I made up my own mnemonics for vocabulary and flash drills for kanji/vocab.

[cliffy]

You learn to filter Chucky troll, but for laughs tell him you are Australian and watch the vitriol pour forth. VERY entertaining and predictable.