How to sustain one's level of written Chinese?

[MengJiaSheng]

Ok here is the problem:

When I started to study Chinese I got used to going through all my vocab flashcards every weekend so that I would keep all the characters in mind + could concentrate on those that I did not know. Now the problem is that due to the number of characters I know at the moment(~1000 words) it is not possible for me anymore to go through all of them every weekend.

Now my question is how can I avoid forgetting these old characters? I know that I could do it through reading but I do not know enough characters to read newspapers etc... That is why I am kind of confused about how to still expand my vocab without forgetting the characters I already know

Thanks for your help

[Hanlink]

Adapt the Volats system for Chinese and you will find that you test yourself systematically over a long period of time. The characters that you know are tested infrequently, whereas those you don't keep coming back. It is a very good system for any language learning, but for characters, it works particularly well.

http://www.earthcallingdavid.com/japanese/volats.html

[yersi]

Try a spaced repetition system like Anki or Mnenosyne.

[lilongyue]

By "forget" do you mean forget how to write them from memory? Or forget them completely, as in you can't even read them anymore? If you type in Chinese regularly, you won't have to worry about not recognizing characters, also you can read, read, read. I do all my reading in Chinese, and that keeps them fresh in my mind (but doesn't help with writing from memory), and helps me learn more words and characters. Finding books at the right level can be a challenge, but once you get that sorted out, do all your reading in Chinese. If you're living in the West, you should be able to find books in Chinese in your local China town. You can also find a lot of stuff online, like newspapers, comic books, etc.

[HerrPetersen]

Try a spaced repetition system like Anki or Mnemosyne.

Seconded. There is a real cult among some language learners using spaced repetition.

Check out Anki here. It is a quiet complex program, so watching the webcast-videos might be a good idea.

Edited January 24, 2009 at 03:37 PM by HerrPetersen

[yersi]

Seconded. There is a real cult among some language learners using spaced repetition.

And for a good reason! It's by far the most time-efficient way to learn vocabulary, especially if you are studying several languages at once.

[Guest realmayo]

Yes, I advise using Anki.

You say you've got the the point where you've got too many characters to test yourself on every weekend. There are bound to be plenty of characters there which you know 100%, and which you only need to test yourself on very occasionally. But there will be others which you need to see, at least to start with, every few days.

Anki and other spaced repetition programmes work out which characters you need to see often, and which ones you only need to see occasionally. Basically, they do this by remembering how often you get the answers right and wrong, and how confident you say you are about each answer.

However: you have to use these programmes once every day -- it won't work just once a week.

[JenniferW]

I'm at a level of around 1,000 (+) vocab items (so a smaller number of characters) and I've been making lists, re-making lists, etc, and it's all become very tedious and inefficient. So, thanks for recommending Anki - it looks as if it's going to solve the problem wonderfully.

[JenniferW]

Is anyone using VOLATS?

I've downloaded the file, but can't run the program.

[JenniferW]

I've just answered my own question about VOLATS - and think I now have it running.

But I'd still be interested to hear of anyone's general experience of using this - hints, tips, etc.

[DojiStar]

I've been using ZDT, available for free and designed specifically for learning Chinese vocabulary. It's spaced repetition systems are not quite as sophisticated as more hardcore flashcard programs (although they are customizable), but, on the other hand, it was designed from the ground up for learning Chinese so links to CEDICT and Adso word databases (including animated stroke order, definition, etc.), has plenty of available vocabulary lists for common textbooks, and has separate modes for character learning (e.g. practice writing the character when you see the definition and pronunciation, seeing character and typing pinyin, etc.). It also imports/exports to other common Chinese dictionary formats.

[sanbit]

I would suggest starting a blog in chinese and writing about anything you like. Anything to give you a little pressure is good for you.

[lilongyue]

I would suggest starting a blog in chinese and writing about anything you like. Anything to give you a little pressure is good for you.

Haha, I started a blog in Chinese a few weeks ago.