As a native speaker, I really don't feel character rote learning is that big of a deal. I was educated in China until the fifth grade - by that time I could read most newspapers and contemporary novels. I never felt the process as gruelling, dry, or a significant time investment.
Most of the character rote-learning and grammar occurred in kindergarden, first, and second grade. The "rote-learning" part was writing each character five or ten times, then use them in sentences. It took maybe half an hour of class + ten to twenty minutes of homework each day.
From the third grade on the focus shifts toward idioms, styles, poetry, etc. Essays began in the second grade. By the end of the sixth grade students are expected to be functional writers. I think high school focuses more on Classical Chinese and western literature.
As a native learner, the process actually felt quite effortless. Most of the student's time was spent on math, science, and classical music, which were much, much more painful for me in terms of the sheer amount of practice and rote memorization.
Character amnesia had never been a problem for me while I was in China (this was before computers were popular). Admittedly it is a problem now, since I haven't written by hand for 10+ years, but the characters come back to me if I write them out a few times.
> "Most of the student's time was spent on math, science, and classical music, which were much, much more painful for me in terms of the sheer amount of practice and rote memorization."
are you saying that science, math and music are areas where rote memorization is a problem? i think most definitely that these are three areas where creativity and critical thinking are far more important than learning a static corpus.
a general problem being discussed here is that any system that isn't being constantly invented by its instructors will tend towards static corpus teaching rather than procedural skills, instincts and passion.
>are you saying that science, math and music are areas where rote memorization is a problem? i think most definitely that these are three areas where creativity and critical thinking are far more important than learning a static corpus.
Most of the character rote-learning and grammar occurred in kindergarden, first, and second grade. The "rote-learning" part was writing each character five or ten times, then use them in sentences. It took maybe half an hour of class + ten to twenty minutes of homework each day.
From the third grade on the focus shifts toward idioms, styles, poetry, etc. Essays began in the second grade. By the end of the sixth grade students are expected to be functional writers. I think high school focuses more on Classical Chinese and western literature.
As a native learner, the process actually felt quite effortless. Most of the student's time was spent on math, science, and classical music, which were much, much more painful for me in terms of the sheer amount of practice and rote memorization.
Character amnesia had never been a problem for me while I was in China (this was before computers were popular). Admittedly it is a problem now, since I haven't written by hand for 10+ years, but the characters come back to me if I write them out a few times.