Quote:
Originally Posted by Nameless
Ok, I feel an urge to ask, what's your opinion on James Heisig method? Because that's the one I've been using so far, and it teaches radicals first and then the kanji formed by the latter.
I've seen cases of people that have spend years learning the kanji... it's creepy.
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1. I've heard only bad things. I have never met a person who said it was worthwhile. Well, I take that back: I have seen some beginners on JF say it is working for them. I have never seen an intermediate or advanced speaker say it does, though. Perhaps because the type of person who attains intermediate or advanced level tends to study at university, and I've never heard of a university using the Heisig method
ever. (Personally, I recommend Kanji in Context—it worked for me as I progressed from intermediate to advanced kanji knowledge).
2. You realize native Japanese spend about ten years learning kanji before they know 2000, right? Grades 1–6 gets them a thousand, and then they have until college entrance exams to learn the other thousand, basically. Now, just like with us speaking English, they continue to learn kanji (as we learn words) throughout adulthood, forgetting some, learning others, depending on level of education and profession/specialty.
Regardless, I think it's
very possible for an adult to learn all joyo kanji in four years with serious study. Few people can muster that level of dedication for four straight years, though. I, for example, could not.