Helping Americans Bridge the Kanji Gap

Authors

Dylan Cowden, Clemson University
Maria Hawkins, Clemson University
Sophia Houtzer, Clemson University
Kazumasa Matsuhira, Clemson University
Mariah McMinn, Clemson University
Steven Mets, Clemson University
Alex Young, Clemson University

Document Type

Poster

Publication Date

Spring 2015

Abstract

For native English speakers, Japanese is one of the hardest foreign languages to master. One major culprit is kanji. With over 2100 kanji in everyday use, mastering them all is a daunting task. The way Japanese children and American students learn to use kanji is different, but often the same teaching methods are used when teaching both groups. Our goal was to design a smart phone application to facilitate better learning methods for American students of Japanese. This app would feature games for learning kanji in context, a reinforcement system to repeat previously mastered kanji for maximum retention, and writing practice. After completion, the progress of introductory Japanese students who use the app will be studied to further improve the app.

Comments

Poster presentation at Clemson University 10th Annual Focus on Creative Inquiry Forum, Clemson, SC.

Recommended Citation

Cowden, Dylan; Hawkins, Maria; Houtzer, Sophia; Matsuhira, Kazumasa; McMinn, Mariah; Mets, Steven; and Young, Alex, "Helping Americans Bridge the Kanji Gap" (2015). Focus on Creative Inquiry. 124.
https://open.clemson.edu/foci/124