An Introduction to The National Language Research Institute:
A Sketch of its Achievements
Third Edition(1988)/
HTML Version(1997)
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II.4.11 Research on the Acquirement of Chinese Characters
by Middle School Students
(Report 36, 1971. 895 pages)
The purpose of this research was to investigate the number
of Chinese characters that students can, as well as actually
do, learn by the end of compulsory education, the way in
which students learn them, the nature of the learning
process, and factors of background, in order to contribute to
the improvement of such education and educational
policies. Since it was necessary to determine the actual
situation in regard to the learning of characters by Middle
School students, the following investigations were carried out
from 1964 to 1967.
1) The learning activities of a small number of typical
students was observed during their three years in Middle
School.
2) Students were tested in ability to read and write the
1,850 to~yo~ Chinese characters plus 1,000 other characters.
(in the latter, reading only.)
3) In the reading tests, all 3,122 of the accepted
readings of the to~yo~ Chinese characters were tested.
4) In order to determine the validity and reliability of
the results, an equivalent test was given to another group
of students in the same year of Middle School.
5) In investigating the factors affecting the learning
of Chinese characters, the intelligence, personality,
achievement, and language behaviour of the students, as
well as the teaching of characters at school and the use of
characters in student textbooks, were determined and
analyzed.
6) A supplementary investigation of the nature of the
instruction and learning activities for Chinese characters
at school was made at designated schools willing to cooperate
in the project.
Report 36 is divided into two parts, one concerning the
research project itself and the other containing the
materials, as indicated in the following outline.
Part I The Research Project
Section 1. Outline of the Research
Section 2. Research on the Realities of Learning Chinese
Characters
Section 3. Research on the Basic Factors of Learning
Chinese Characters
Section 4. A Case Study- Acquirement of Chinese
Characters by One Girl Student during her Three Years' Course
Section 5. Investigation into the Realities of Guidance
in Learning Chinese Characters in Middle School
Part II Materials
Section 1. Research on the Appearance of Chinese
Characters in the Textbooks for Middle School
Section 2. A Table of the Appearance of Chinese Characters
in Textbooks (To~yo~ Chinese Characters excepting Educational
Chinese Chracters)
Section 3. A List of Words Presented as a Test for the
Investigation of Ability in All To~yo~ Chinese Characters.
Section 4. Bibliography of Research on the Realities
of Learning Chinese Characters.
The following topics are dealt with in the report.
1. The number of Chinese characters learned by the end
of compulsory education.
2. Problems in the reading and understanding of Chinese
characters.
3. The Chinese characters that were correctly written
by students.
4. The chances of learning non-to~yo~ Chinese
characters.
5. The process of learning Chinese characters.
6. The relationship between general school study and the
learning of Chinese characters.
7. The relationship between the use of Chinese characters
in textbooks and the learning of them.
8. Problems in the learning of Chinese characters as
seen in test results.
9. Individual factors in the learning of Chinese
characters.
10. Similarities and differences in the results for the
experimental (individual observation) and control groups,
especially as related to problems in learning.
11. The use of Chinese characters in textbooks.
12. The teaching process of Chinese characters in the
Middle School.
This project was conducted by ASIZAWA Setu and NEMOTO
Kesao. MURAISI Syo~zo~ and NAKAMURA Akira participated in
the project. The report was written by ASIZAWA Setu, NEMOTO
Kesao, and NAKAMURA Akira.
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