File: Readme.txt Belongs with chinese.zip, (reader.db or reader2.db) A Chinese-English Database ================= Beginning Chinese ================= When you first look at Chinese, the characters look different but you can't seem to remember them. It is like trying to remember all of the lines you made in a doodle. Some people can remember the English meaning for a Chinese character but not the Pinyin, while some can remember the Pinyin but not the Chinese character -- my favorite is when I can remember the Pinyin for a character but not the English meaning. In order to get all three parts to hang together you have to study from English to Character, English to Pinyin, Pinyin to Character, Character to Pinyin, etc. The second problem I found when starting Chinese was that different dictionaries use different fonts (calligraphic styles, such as Kai, Song, and Wei). When you have only studied one form, it is difficult to readily recognize different forms of the characters. When you only look at kaishu characters it limits your ability to pick out the distinctive features of the characters. The distinctive features are those characteristics which are necessary for the recognition and discrimination of characters from other characters. In the Roman alphabet the fact that both d and b have lines and half circles are common features, the fact that one is on the left and one on the right is a distinctive feature. It is also important that a certain amount of line appear above the half circle -- but the amount may vary. When writing Chinese characters there is also a great amount of variation possible -- wait until you see Chinese handwriting! However, as in the Roman alphabet, the variations have limitations. The list of rules governing which lines can or cannot be shortened, moved slightly, or be curved would be immense. The only efficient way to pick it up is to begin reading different standard fonts and expose yourself to different handwriting styles. Another difficulty faced by English speakers learning Chinese is called the 'measure word'. Measure words indicate units of items; some can be easily translated (bei1 = cup, glass) while others cannot be translated (zheng1 = unit of something flat like a desk or mattress). Just to make life interesting there are words which take multiple measure words -- those which are colloquial and those which are seldom found outside of books! The introductory books I have read soft-pedal the measure words by teaching only a few of the most common in the first two years, but warn that if you don't use the correct one you will not be considered literate; or worse, not be understood. I firmly believe that the measure words should be learned with the noun. We learn le and la with French nouns and if you ask a native speaker of Chinese what the measure word is for a noun they say the word in a phrase "one (unit-measure word) (noun)" "yi4 ben3 shu1" "yi4 zhan3 tai2deng1" [one (mw) book; one (mw) table lamp. The sound of the phrase cues the memory. ========================== How the database can help: ========================== In order to help myself with these three problems, I began a database of Chinese vocabulary. I can switch fonts periodically, randomize words, print out study sheets, and add sentences to put vocabulary into context. It is a working model. I am constantly adding words and elaborating the thing. There are typos left, I am sure. There is one nice feature that may make up for the typos -- I have added measure words for many of the nouns. I have not yet found a reference work which does this; I badger my Chinese friends and collect them as I read. This database is based on the Simplified character version of the Reader Series: Books I and II from Beijing Language Institute. It comes in two forms; 1) Chinese.zip -- just the vocabulary from Reader I and II 2) Chinese2.zip -- with extra words and phrases. In this form the component single syllable words are included for many of the compound words. I found it easier to remember vocabulary in this way and to figure out the meaning of new words. =================================================================== Use it freely for personal or educational applications -- it may not be used in any other program or commercial product without permission. =================================================================== I would be delighted to have some help picking out errors. Just drop me some e-mail at the address shown below. ================================= The database includes fields for: ================================= English keyword single word reference for sorting English definition Chinese Character Pinyin without tone (this field is handy for searching by pinyin without entering the tone marks) Chinese Pinyin with real tone marks Chinese Pinyin with number tones Measure word pinyin with number tones Measure word Chinese character, Known (this field is designed to place an "x" on those words you know well so you can exclude them from further review. When you use the form, click on this field and the character will turn to black on white. If you hit F9 you can then put x in the field to indicate that you know it. Then with a slight knowledge of Paradox, you can filter those words.) Book Chapter (The field allows you to sort list by the main vocabulary and exclude the supplementary vocabulary.) Chapter First Seen (In the Reader, words occur in text or supplemental lists before they are found in the regular vocabulary. This field allows you to include them in your chapter lists.) ========================== To use it you should have: ========================== I.Paradox 4.5 or better (I am currently using Paradox 5) I have tried using dBase V for Windows and could not get support for the Chinese characters. I found Paradox to have built-in support for several Chinese systems and have not tried any other databases. If you find that it works with other databases, let me know. II.TwinBridge 3.1 or 4.0 or some other Chinese system. (I have set the font on the Chinese characters to JSong which comes with the standard TwinBridge package -- if you have another Chinese system you will have to change the font in the Chinese Character field and in the Measure Word field.) III.Arial MT -- This is optional, but lets you see and print the tone marks (there is also a numbered pinyin field if you don't have it) -- Arial MT is a Chinese Pinyin TTFont which is available through Cheng and T'sui (a mail-order house in Boston for Asian language books: Phone 617-426-6074). The font was designed to be used with any Windows program and costs about $15 -- well worth it whether you are a student or teacher. IV.Probably some patience. V.Chinese.zip (download it below) In the Chinese.zip you will find: reader.db The database (unzips to 2.5 megs or 3.1 megs for reader2.db) reader.rsl Prints out vocabulary -- four words per page. The page is designed to be a tri-fold so that you can view English, Character, or Pinyin and test your knowledge of the other two. There are four words per page so they can be shuffled to minimize context -- or cut into floppy index cards. reader.fsl The form is a handy way to review vocabulary on the computer. reader.tv A Paradox file. reader.fam A Paradox file. readme.htm and readme.txt This file. Copy these files into your working directory for Paradox, start TwinBridge, and open the database in Paradox. ================ Acknowledgements ================ Liu Yu Rong, Shou Danni, and Feng Xie of Beijing Polytechnic University and Wang Hong Fang of Farmington have all helped to either proof-read or add measure words to the database. Paradox is a trademark of Borland International. http://www.borland.com TwinBridge 3.5 and Chinese Partner 4.0 are products of the TwinBridge Software Corporation http://www.twinbridge.com Comments to: Marilyn Shea, Department of Psychology University of Maine at Farmington, Farmington, ME 04938 mshea@maine.maine.edu http:// zinnia.umfacad.maine.edu/~mshea/China/china.html Last update: MAY 1996 copywrite -- Marilyn Shea 1996