Chinese Studies Update: Grammar Mastery

Basic Chinese 4 is NPCR Chapters 15-18 and about 100 words in addition. This class would benefit for ME if I had mastered the words prior to taking it. Since the wife is taking it again, I’ll try to take it again and this time enter with mastery of ALL the words and proceed to use the class to master the GRAMMAR aspect.

I dont plan to take the Classess Next Cycle. Instead I will be spending the time mastering some basic material:

Goals and Tasks.

  1. List down all the Key Grammar Concepts from Chapter 1 to 18. 
  2. I will make them into Anki Cards with notes about how to give an example.
        I will want to research which is a MUCH used key concept of grammar and what is a concept that is not that important. Prioritize what is important and most useful and limit the scope. 
  3. I will need to make regular exercises where I can churn out a bunch of Sentence examples (in Hanzi 汉子 sentences).
  4. I will need to take an English Grammar Refresher. I need to have have notes on the meanings on all the key grammar concepts I’ve forgotten. Examples:
    1. Attributes
    2. Articles
    3. Prepositions
    4. Participles
    5. Modal Participles
    6. Indirect Object and Direct Object
    7. The kinds of Sub-Elements in a sentence
    8. Various Conjunctions within a sentence
  5. I will need to put the Pages Numbers ON the table of contents, since it only lists the page of the Chapter and not where each concept is tackled. 
  6. Mastery of the Radicals. This is the scaffolding of Alphabets.  
    1. Master Writing the Radicals 
    2. Knowing their Meaning
    3. Identify Words that use the Radical 
  7. I need to Master all the words of Book 1. ALL the words found in the book. 
  8. I need to find Mandarin Speakers who will want to exchange skills in my Area. I need to be able to practice talking in about 1-2 hours a week with another speaker. 
Once I master all the words found in Book 1. There are two paths I am divided in choosing:
Master all the Words used in GURPS Lite in Chinese
  • Pro. I can start disecting the language in how it talks about Games and mechanics. I will use it as a template to talk about such in my own sentences. I like talking about games and trying to talk about it in Chinese is something I want to be able to do. 
  • Con. I dont know the Learning Value of GURPS Lite Chinese. It could be rarely used words that would be very strange in speaking. 
Master all the words of NPCR Book 2 next. 
  • Pro. Its the ideal progression with many Key words that are very useful. High value in learning value since it can be used easily. 
  • Con. I dont have anyone to talk to. Unlike learning to write about games in Chinese I can talk about it ALOT, but to talk about mundane things is very boring and hard for me to sustain. 
After this Cycle, I think I can sustain about 5 hours a week of chinese studies. But more importantly I need to find people to talk to. I will forget so much if I dont talk in Chinese, far more than i can memorize and I need the reinforcing neural connections created by talking and listening. 

Leave a Reply

More Articles & Posts