Читать книгу Essential Japanese Kanji Volume 2 - University of Tokyo Kanji Research Group - Страница 5

TO THE LEARNER

Do you like learning kanji? Or do you wish that kanji would disappear from the face of the earth—or at least from the Japanese language? Well, learning kanji can be fun, if you are motivated. And this kanji book was created to motivate you, with practical learning methods that really work, and which will enable you to enjoy studying kanji.

The first edition of this book was published in 1993, and a second volume was published in 1997. Since then, they’ve helped countless learners master kanji. In later editions, we revised the books to include the 410 kanji required for the College Board Advanced Placement Japanese Language and Culture Course Exam.

Taking an Active Approach

An important feature of this book is the active approach it takes to introducing kanji. By using authentic materials, periodic quizzes, and memory aids, it gradually helps learners acquire the ability to understand and use kanji in natural contexts—that is, in everyday life.

Another key aspect of Essential Japanese Kanji Volume 2 is the presentation of authentic materials, for instance the business cards you might receive from people you meet in Japan. We also use photographs, many of which were taken by our foreign students during their adventures in Japan. The kanji taught here are, clearly, based on everyday use. (Please note that prices mentioned in these authentic materials may have changed.)

Also, for each kanji we include either etymologies or memory aids, which will help students to understand and memorize the kanji systematically. The list of kanji compounds will also help learners understand how new words are created by combining the familiar kanji, and to realize the power that mastering kanji offers them.

Each lesson helps you master a new group of kanji, and consists of several sections.

• Introductory Quiz introduces some familiar, everyday situations where the kanji is likely to be used.

• Vocabulary contains the readings and meanings of the kanji that you’ve encountered in the Quiz.

• New Characters teaches you the kanji systematically, by introducing the meaning, the basic on-kun readings, the etymologies or memory aids, and compound words.

• Practice will help you improve your kanji reading and writing skills.

• Advanced Placement Exam Practice Questions will test your competence in reading and writing semi-authentic natural Japanese. These questions reflect the format of the College Board’s Japanese Language and Culture examination.

We wish to thank Koichi Maekawa, Michael Handford, Su Di, Sandra Korinchak, Cathy Layne, and June Chong. Junko Ishida, Kazuko Karasawa, Tomoko Kigami, and Akiyo Nishino revised the 2008 edition; Junko Ishida, Kazuko Karasawa, and Akiyo Nishino revised the 2016 edition.

The following books were useful in compiling the kanji charts: Reikai Gakushu Kanji Jiten, published by Shogakukan, and Kanjigen published by Gakushu Kenkyusha.

We sincerely hope that this book will help all learners—yes, even you who have been stymied by kanji before!—begin to enjoy learning kanji.

The Kanji Text Research Group 漢字教材研究グループ

Japanese Language Class 日本語教室

Department of Civil Engineering 社会基盤学専攻

The University of Tokyo 東京大学大学院

Authors: 2008 著者:

Junko Ishida 石田順子

Kazuko Karasawa 唐澤和子

Tomoko Kigami 木上伴子

Akiyo Nishino 西野章代

Illustrator: イラストレーター:

Hitomi Suzuki 鈴木ひとみ