Chinese characters are the set of symbols used to record the Chinese language,but more than just pictographs,they actually
have a unique
systematic structure.Study of this system and application thereof in education can have a very significant effect on the character
recognition of students.The "radicals" of Chinese characters not only have a structural function,but also function as an expression of sound and meaning.Therefore there is not only an external structural relationship between the radicals of a character,but also an internal relationship as well.The systematic nature of Chinese characters is embodied in the following three aspects: shape,sound and meaning.The structure of characters is based on external shapes while the readings of characters are internal expressions of the readings of radicals.Similarly,the system of meaning in Chinese characters is a result of the internal relationships of the meanings of different radicals.Although Chinese characters are difficult due to their complexity,a "proper method" of recognizing characters can make studying them easy or at least reduce somewhat the difficulty of studying them and increase efficiency in learning characters.This so-called "proper method" is one that emphasizes an understanding of the internal systematic nature of Chinese characters,then uses that understanding to improve recognition.To decrease the difficulty of learning Chinese characters and increase efficiency in recognizing them,the three following steps are keys: 1.using essential theoretical knowledge of Chinese characters as a guide for improving the ability of learners to recognize characters;2.using "radicals" as the basis for putting all Chinese characters into a comprehensive system,allowing the concept and logic of Chinese characters to fall into place;3.using analysis of the structure of Chinese characters and the concept of character "families" and "branches" to develop the ability of students to utilize systematic recognition.