the method of choice in
japanese schools.
while it may be essential for the learning of
kanji, it is very limiting in its ability to develop
abstract thought amongst its
victims.
this may be the cause of the
infamous japanese
conformity issues,
or the highly specialized fields of knowledge of its users.
everyone is taught the same
things, the same way, and explanation or
self discovery is ignored. this leads to a bank of knowledge which may not be understood, or
applicable.
lack of
understanding creates a situation where a person wishes not to have to explain a
thing, thus
minimizing their noticability in an attempt to avoid said situation - ie.
conformity.
understanding of a thing (
rare) promotes further interest in the area, and is vastly more interesting than the thing that is not understood. result, specialized fields of knowledge.
so why is it a good method for the learning of kanji?
kanji is so old and
irregular that the
system (if it had one) has been lost. modern attempts to systemize it are either
inadequate, or just plain silly.
this is of course
IMHO.