DadGPT Chinese Character Proficiency Test Level 3 II Workbook

A self-produced workbook designed to build vocabulary and reading comprehension through Chinese characters, with the examination used as a tool for scheduling and a sense of achievement.

Workbook Goals

The ultimate goal is to improve vocabulary and reading comprehension through the study of Chinese characters.

The workbook is designed to expose learners to many Sino-Korean words built around each individual character. It aims to help them infer the meanings of unfamiliar Sino-Korean words and, conversely, infer which characters may be used when they see a word.

Passing the examination is used as a tool for managing the study schedule and experiencing a sense of achievement.

How to Use the Workbook

  • 1. Look at the character’s form and break it down into its components. Ask: “What other characters look similar to this one?” “What character would it be if the person radical on the left were changed to the show radical?” Try writing it once in a practice notebook.
  • 2. Discuss the meanings of the character. A character may have several meanings. For example, jeong and ui can both mean “meaning,” but one can refer to feeling or emotion, while the other can refer to meaning or thought.
  • 3. Think of Sino-Korean words that contain the character. Since the character has these meanings, ask what words it might be used in. Give hints or use example sentences to lead the learner to recall words containing the character. The purpose is to develop the ability to infer word meanings by connecting Sino-Korean words with the meanings of their characters.
  • Discuss the meanings of the various Sino-Korean words in the workbook. Explain words the learner does not know well as part of vocabulary study. Also check the other characters used together in each word. Ask whether the word seems writable in Chinese characters, then try writing it in the practice notebook.
  • 4. At the end of the day’s lesson, ask which ten characters were studied and have the learner name one word containing each character. Write each character once in the practice notebook. Retrieval practice has a strong effect on learning.
  • 5. On the following day, solve a quiz on Sino-Korean words containing the characters studied the previous day. This reinforces learning as memories begin to fade, through spaced repetition.
  • 6. Continue with new characters. The learner may complete the quizzes independently, while guidance is provided only for the new material.

Related Materials

DadGPT Chinese Character Workbook, Level 3 II: Download

Level 4 and Level 4 II workbook links:

  • http://blog.mahler83.net/archives/4013
  • http://blog.mahler83.net/archives/3891