Quote:
Originally Posted by KyleGoetz
Japanese first graders learn kanji. 'nuff said.
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To play devil's advocate for a minute, though, those first graders are learning another part of the language they see and hear on a daily basis. I liken it to how when I learn a new word in English, I feel like I start to notice when it is used and it's meaning is reinforced in my mind. (Example, I had never read the word dearth before this last semester, but I looked it up to understand part of some class-related reading. Then I noticed my Dad use it, and he says he hears it all the time.)
I'm not saying that beginners should be exposed to Kanji, but the argument that second-language learners should be comparable to first graders who learn it as their native language is a bit silly. You're smart Kyle, so I'm sure you know how we learn languages as a child is different from how we learn as an adult. Those first graders who learn kanji also see said kanji everywhere and start to use them on a daily basis. This isn't the case for learners of Japanese as a second language (with the exception of maybe Chinese speakers, but of course that's not entirely the same reading
). I do think beginners should be exposed to Kanji and encouraged to use them, though.