Traditional Characters in China?

[7jason7]

Hi,

I like traditional characters just because I do.

I also like China, and prefer not to go to Taiwan just to learn traditional characters.

Anyone have any experience with mainland schools that truly teach traditional characters? I've heard that no good schools teach traditional in China. But it was not a reliable source.

Much appreciate your help here.

[ananda]

Hongkong is a suitable place to go.

[7jason7]

Thanks. However, I want to go to mainland China to learn Mandarin.

Anyone else have any insight?

[confucius]

Attend any Mandarin program at a university in China and take lessons in Chinese calligraphy. You will get a lot of practice writing traditional characters and also impress Chinese folks in the countryside with impromptu calligraphy demonstrations.

[Guest suowei]

7jason7,

Almost all schools use Chinese simplified (HZ) in PRC. Moreover, all printed materials also the same. If you are interested in learning tranditional Chinese, Hong Kong or Taiwan may be your best choice, especially Taiwan.

[roddy]

I don't think you'll find any mainland schools teaching traditional characters at all. As you're set on the mainland, I'd just choose the most suitable school for other reasons (location, fees, whatever) and then make sure you take some decent traditional character-based textbooks along with you and use those in parallel with the university materials. It'll be a bit extra work, but not too bad (and the teachers may well be impressed if you unexpectedly hand in assignments in traditional characters . . .)

Roddy

[7jason7]

Thanks, Roddy, for being helpful on my many posts.

I could consider learning in parallel the traditional characters -- I did that at UCLA. It wasn't too bad but it was difficult to know when a particular character had been simplied and thus when to look for the traditional counterpart.

I suppose that, even though they are not taught in mainland China, traditional characters are not discouraged there???? Would the instructors know traditional characters?

[roddy]

I suppose that, even though they are not taught in mainland China, traditional characters are not discouraged there???? Would the instructors know traditional characters?

There's still a fair amount of exposure to traditional characters in caligraphy, some signs, subtitles on HK films.

I don't think you'd have a problem finding someone willing to help you with the traditional characters outside of class. However, if you interrupt your regular class every five minutes with 'Excuse me, what's the traditional character for that?' I doubt you'd be very popular.

If you really want the traditional characters integrated into your course, it might be worth thinking about a private tutor - there are a few posts on here about private Chinese schools which would organise that for you, and universities might also do so.

Roddy

[Guest Chan]

Are in China just simplified used?

[Guest Yau]

The answer is more likely to be "yes".

Since 60s, traditional characters was apparently abolished and only appear in art work. Though you may still find it in the advertising or logo, that is supposed to be "illegal". I've always heard that caustic proproganda officials cry for the ban on it.

For learning traditional character, I don't think mainland is a good place anymore, and you better not assume your friend can help.

Self-study is the only way to go.

[xuechengfeng]

I wonder why my American university even teachers traditional when mainland doesn't use them

[Guest Yau]

It's always controversial so I say " Why not? "

[roddy]

I wonder why my American university even teachers traditional when mainland doesn't use them

I've always assumed it was because ever since 1949 up until relatively recently the vast majority of Chinese-US exchange would have been with Taiwan and Hong Kong, where the traditional characters are stilll in use.

Roddy

[xuechengfeng]

well.....

makes sense

[UC_nostradamus]

Ok- this is my first post here- Happy to meet you all....

I don't know what the reasoning behind other American universities, but after studying a year of university level Chinese at the University of Chicago, I can offer you my prof's explanation as to why traditional characters are prefered over simplified.

He argues that people learn Chinese for a variety of reasons. Some want to do business in China; some want to read Laozi; some want to just be able to order in a Chinese restaurant. Anyways, our prof says that for these reasons, traditional characters are best to start out with. If one wants to focus on more literary Chinese works later on, then it's best to know traditional. If one wants to do business in mainland China, then one can switch to simplified later. Apparently, it's easier to switch from traditional to simplified than the other way around, as some traditional characters are merged into one simplified character. Besides, traditional characters still keep the etymology that makes them more or less easy to figure out, unlike simplified, which is more....abstract.

I do know that from second year Chinese on, texts are in both sets of characters, so one can choose. Personally, I prefer traditional characters. Not that I have anything against simplified, I like a shortcut as much as the next person... I just like the look of traditional and the history that's associated with them. Then again, one could argue that simplified characters are also a part of the history of Chinese characters... I prefer to learn both sets in parallel with each other, but I usually type or hand in classwork in traditional and use simplified if I'm writing down a quick note or something like that.

Do you think that there will continue to exist a dual system of characters, or do you think that simplified will be eventually used in Taiwan and more so in HK? What about the overseas Chinese community? Any thoughts?

[Guest Yau]

Traditional characters will still keep its overwhelming majority in taiwan and hongkong--- no question about it.

For the most important reason, it's hardlly heard that people urge to change, but it's still commonly heard here that simplified chinese characters are too ugly and distort the nature of characters.

It may be a bias, it may be the truth, but the fact here is that everyone seems comfortable with it.