Comments on: The “science” of Kanji, part 5: stroke order matters http://japanlifeandreligion.com/2011/03/18/practicing-handwriting/ My life as a father, Buddhist and Japanophile. Sat, 11 Jun 2011 01:53:14 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: Doug 陀愚 http://japanlifeandreligion.com/2011/03/18/practicing-handwriting/#comment-5830 Doug 陀愚 Fri, 18 Mar 2011 20:48:51 +0000 http://japanlifeandreligion.com/?p=10859#comment-5830 My wife in general has excellent handwriting, but she learned calligraphy at a young age and studied for years, so she has good balance and good hand control I think. I was raised pretty different, and pretty left-brained so technology's always been my first love (until recent years), so that probably has something to do with it. :p You know, I've thought about that too (the disappearance of hand-writing), but I don't think it will happen. It might become more and more of an art form or hobby, but there's something about writing a card as opposed to an email that can't be replaced. My wife in general has excellent handwriting, but she learned calligraphy at a young age and studied for years, so she has good balance and good hand control I think. I was raised pretty different, and pretty left-brained so technology’s always been my first love (until recent years), so that probably has something to do with it. :p

You know, I’ve thought about that too (the disappearance of hand-writing), but I don’t think it will happen. It might become more and more of an art form or hobby, but there’s something about writing a card as opposed to an email that can’t be replaced.

]]> By: ロバート http://japanlifeandreligion.com/2011/03/18/practicing-handwriting/#comment-5829 ロバート Fri, 18 Mar 2011 18:20:47 +0000 http://japanlifeandreligion.com/?p=10859#comment-5829 It's hard to know whether handwriting is nature or nurture. I think it all comes down to practice. I know I handwrite a lot less now I use a computer. But I once trained as an architect in the days before computers when handlettering was an important skill to acquire. My Japanese is quite childlike in comparison to my English. Even my English can be hard to read sometimes. Also my wife's English characters aren't as good as her Japanese, again I just think it's practice and familiarity. My father who learnt to write in the days of dip ink pens had wonderful copperplate handwriting. Maybe in a generation or two no-one will write by hand anymore. It’s hard to know whether handwriting is nature or nurture. I think it all comes down to practice. I know I handwrite a lot less now I use a computer. But I once trained as an architect in the days before computers when handlettering was an important skill to acquire.
My Japanese is quite childlike in comparison to my English. Even my English can be hard to read sometimes. Also my wife’s English characters aren’t as good as her Japanese, again I just think it’s practice and familiarity.
My father who learnt to write in the days of dip ink pens had wonderful copperplate handwriting. Maybe in a generation or two no-one will write by hand anymore.

]]> By: Doug 陀愚 http://japanlifeandreligion.com/2011/03/18/practicing-handwriting/#comment-5828 Doug 陀愚 Fri, 18 Mar 2011 16:55:12 +0000 http://japanlifeandreligion.com/?p=10859#comment-5828 That's awesome, Robert! Thank you very much. Yeah, although I don't have a lot of time to do it, I do find the practice enjoyable. I like scribbling at work on that notepad when the stress gets to me and I need to unwind for a few minutes. It's easy to start up and put back down when you need to. If only my handwriting wasn't so terrible to be begin with. I hate filling out cards in English or Japanese. ;p Interestingly, bad handwriting seems to be endemic in my family, especially on my dad's side. Maybe it's genetic? That’s awesome, Robert! Thank you very much.

Yeah, although I don’t have a lot of time to do it, I do find the practice enjoyable. I like scribbling at work on that notepad when the stress gets to me and I need to unwind for a few minutes. It’s easy to start up and put back down when you need to. If only my handwriting wasn’t so terrible to be begin with. I hate filling out cards in English or Japanese. ;p

Interestingly, bad handwriting seems to be endemic in my family, especially on my dad’s side. Maybe it’s genetic?

]]> By: ロバート http://japanlifeandreligion.com/2011/03/18/practicing-handwriting/#comment-5827 ロバート Fri, 18 Mar 2011 16:35:11 +0000 http://japanlifeandreligion.com/?p=10859#comment-5827 I've found that using squared paper helps. Starting with large-ish (20mm) characters before writing smaller ones. It's also useful to have pointers to good shapes, either from a teacher or from a book. I have some NintendoDS titles (ＤＳ美文字トレーニング for instance) that give a lot of feedback on character shapes and balance. It's also better to have good handwritten models rather that computer typeface output to copy. This is a really good site for teaching Japanese schoolchildren good penmanship. There are free worksheets for part of the course. http://www.geocities.jp/ki07ji/muryo/muryo.html I think that the criticism of repeatedly writing characters by some JSL students, fails to take into account that for Japanese children (and I would say JSL students) it's important to learn good handwriting and you can only do this through writing practice. I find it quite enjoyable to practice handwriting. It's part of what got me interested in Japanese to begin with. I’ve found that using squared paper helps. Starting with large-ish (20mm) characters before writing smaller ones. It’s also useful to have pointers to good shapes, either from a teacher or from a book. I have some NintendoDS titles (ＤＳ美文字トレーニング for instance) that give a lot of feedback on character shapes and balance. It’s also better to have good handwritten models rather that computer typeface output to copy.
This is a really good site for teaching Japanese schoolchildren good penmanship. There are free worksheets for part of the course.
http://www.geocities.jp/ki07ji/muryo/muryo.html

I think that the criticism of repeatedly writing characters by some JSL students, fails to take into account that for Japanese children (and I would say JSL students) it’s important to learn good handwriting and you can only do this through writing practice.

I find it quite enjoyable to practice handwriting. It’s part of what got me interested in Japanese to begin with.

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