Learn the Building Blocks of Chinese Characters

While learning to speak Chinese at a basic level isnt that much harder than learning other languages (its even easier in some areas), learning to write is definitely and without a doubt much more demanding. Learning to Read and Write Chinese Is Not Easy There are many reasons for this. First, its because the link between the written and spoken language is very weak. While in Spanish you can mostly read what you can understand when spoken and you can write what you can say (bar some minor spelling problems), in Chinese the two are more or less separate. Second, the way Chinese characters represent sounds is complicated and requires much more than learning an alphabet. If you know how to say something, writing is not just a matter of checking how its spelled, you have to learn the individual characters, how they are written and how they are combined to form words. To become literate, you need between 2500 and 4500 characters (depending on what you mean by the term literate). You need many times more characters than the number of words. However, the process of learning to read and write can be made a lot simpler than it first seems. Learning 3500 characters is not impossible and with proper reviewing and active usage, you can also avoid mixing them up (this is actually the main challenge for non-beginners). Still, 3500 is a massive number. It would mean almost 10 characters per day for a year. Added to that, you would also need to learn words, which are combinations of characters that sometimes have non-obvious meanings. ...But It Neednt Be Impossible Either Looks difficult, right? Yes, but if you break these 3500 characters down into smaller components, you will find that the number of parts you need to learn is very far from 3500. In fact, with just a few hundred components, you can build most of those 3500 characters. Before we move on, its perhaps worth noting here that we are using the word component very deliberately instead of using the word radical, which is a small subset of components that are used to classify words in dictionaries. The Building Blocks of Chinese Characters So, by learning the components of characters, you create a repository of building blocks that you can then use to understand, learn and remember characters. This is not very efficient in the short term because each time you learn a character, you need to learn not only that character but also the smaller components its made of. However, this investment will be repaid handsomely later. It might not be a good idea to learn all components of all characters directly but focus on the most important ones first. I will introduce some resources to help you both with breaking characters down into their component parts and where you can find more information about which components to learn first. Functional Components Its important to understand that each component has a function in the character; its not there by chance. Sometimes the real reason the character looks like it does is lost in the mists of time, but often its known or even directly apparent from studying the character. At other times, an explanation might present itself that is very convincing, and even though it might not be etymologically correct, it can still help you to learn and remember that character. In general, components are included in characters for two reasons: first because of the way they sound, and second because of what they mean. We call these phonetic or sound components and semantic or meaning components. This is a very useful way of looking at characters that often yields much more interesting and useful results than looking at the traditional explanation of how characters are formed. Its still worthwhile to have that in the back of your mind when learning, but you dont really need to study it in detail. A Writing Example Lets look at a character most students learn early on: Ã¥ ¦Ë†/Ã¥ ª ½ (simplified/traditional), which is pronounced  mÄ  (first tone) and means mother. The left part Ã¥ ¥ ³ means woman and is clearly related to the meaning of the whole character (your mother is presumably a woman). The right part é © ¬/é ¦ ¬ means horse and is clearly not related to the meaning. However, it is pronounced  mÇŽ (third tone), which is very close to the pronunciation of the whole character (only the tone is different).  This is the way most Chinese characters work, albeit not all. The Art of Combining Characters   All this leaves us with hundreds (rather than thousands) of characters to remember. Apart from that, we also have the additional task of combining the components we have learned into compound characters. This is what were going to look at now. Combining characters is actually not that hard, at least not if you use the right method This is because if you know what the components mean, the character composition itself means something to you and that makes it a lot easier to remember. There is a huge difference between learning a random jumble of strokes (very hard) and combining known components (relatively easy). Improve Your Memory Combining things is one of the main areas of memory training and something that people have had the ability to do for thousands of years. There are many, many methods out there that work really well and that teach you how to remember that A, B, and C belong to each other (and in that order, if you like, although this is often not necessary when it comes to Chinese characters, because you quickly get a feel for that and only a very small number of characters can be mixed up by accidentally moving character components around). The main takeaway is that memory is a skill and its something you can train. That naturally includes your ability to learn and remember Chinese characters. Remembering Chinese Characters The best way of combining components is to create a picture or scene that includes all the components in a memorable way. This should be absurd, funny or exaggerated in some way. Exactly what makes you remember something is something you need to figure out by trial and error, but going for the absurd and exaggerated often works well for most people. You can, of course, draw or use real pictures rather than just imaginary ones, but if you do, you need to be really careful that you dont break the structure of the character. Simply put, the pictures you use to learn Chinese characters should preserve the building blocks that that character consists of. The reason for this should be apparent at this point. If you just use a picture that is suitable for that character, but which doesnt preserve the structure of the character, it will only be useful for learning that very character. If you follow the structure of the character, you can use the pictures for the individual components to learn tens or hundreds of other characters. In short, if you use bad pictures, you lose the benefit of those all-important building blocks. Helpful Resources for Learning Chinese Characters Now, lets look at a few resources for learning the building blocks of Chinese characters: Hacking Chinese: Here youll find a list of the 100 most common radicals. We are mostly concerned with components here, not radicals, but it so happens that radicals are often semantic components, so this list is still useful.Hanzicraft: This is an excellent website that allows you to break down Chinese characters into their component parts. Note that the breakdown is purely visual, so it doesnt really care if its historically correct. You can also find phonetic information here, which is again based only on mechanical comparison of the pronunciation of the components and the full character (its not historically correct either, in other words). Also on the plus side, this site is fast and easy to use.Zdic.net: This is an online, free dictionary that offers decent information about the structure of a character that is also more in line with what we know about the development of a specific character (its manual, not automatic).ArchChinese: This is another online dictionary that gives yo u the ability to both breakdown characters and see the components in context (with frequency information, which is quite rare in other dictionaries).Semantic component posters from Outlier Linguistics: These posters show 100 semantic components and apart from being very informative, they also look great on your wall. They come with information on how to utilize them and accurate descriptions (manually made by people who know a lot about Chinese characters). That should be enough to get you started. There will still be cases you cant find or that dont make sense to you. if you encounter these, you can try a number of different methods, such as creating a picture specifically for that character or making up the meaning on your own — this is easier than trying to remember meaningless strokes.

The Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne And The Awakening

The gender prejudice that exists in society does not only affect the individual being discriminated against, but the people close to them as well. This is demonstrated through the novels The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne and The Awakening by Kate Chopin. The Scarlet Letter follows the story of a woman named Hester Prynne who is forced to wear a scarlet letter â€Å"A† on her chest as punishment for her crime of adultery. The Awakening follows the story of a woman named Edna Pontellier and the struggle that she faces when she has an affair and separates from her husband and her family. In both novels, the protagonists must endure the restrictions placed on them by society which leads to the destruction of the relationships they have with people close to them. The family members of the protagonists are also affected by the societal norms and restrictions placed against women. Each character holds onto their own symbol of freedom and identity which consequently affect peo ple close to them. Also, each character has their own way to confront with the detriments of society in place against women. Through the analysis of the established relationships with other family members, symbols of freedom and identity, and each character’s confrontation with society, the protagonists of The Scarlet Letter and The Awakening struggle with their identity through the restrictions placed against them in society, ultimately destroying the relationships they have with their loved ones. TheShow MoreRelatedScapegoats In The Scarlet Letter And The Awakening1425 Words   |  6 PagesScapegoats in The Scarlet Letter and The Awakening The act of blaming others for problems is a common phenomena that occurs not only in our society, but also in literature. In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, Pearl Prynne represents the scapegoat. Throughout the novel, the townspeople put the blame of Hester Prynne s sin on Pearl and Hester grows as a person. Pearl gives Hester a daily reminder of her sin and Hester grows to becomes a happier, better person in response. In addition, anotherRead MoreThe Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne2044 Words   |  9 PagesThe Scarlet Letter written by Nathaniel Hawthorne was set during the 1600s in a New England town during what is now known as the Puritan past of America. In the novel, the Puritan religion was not only observed but criticized as well. During this time, the Puritans were an extremely religious group of Protestants that were known for their intolerance of other religions and their strict guidelines for a righteous lifestyle that often lead to violence or crue l forms of punishment. Nathaniel HawthorneRead MoreGood Vs Evil By Nathaniel Hawthorne1515 Words   |  7 Pagesvs. evil is extremely prevalent within works from the Romanticism period such as The Scarlet Letter, Young Goodman Brown, and even in modern day. Good vs Evil is one of the main themes of the Scarlet Letter which was written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, another esteemed author of the time. This theme is very broad and can be specified, like for example the idea of society as a group of sinners. In the scarlet letter, when the meteor shoots across the sky whilst Dimmesdale and Hester, and Pearl are onRead More1850795 Words   |  4 Pagesit happened in September 11, 2001. But what do you recall from the year 1850? Just like any other year in 1850 several events happened that helped shape the United States. In literature perhaps one of the famous book â€Å"The Scarlett Letter† was written by Nathaniel Hawthorne. If it wasn’t for the Compromise of 1850 slavery may had taken a twist, imaginably maybe slavery would had taken part here in California or in other states in which slavery was abolished. Other than events in 1850 some great achievementsRead MoreThe Scarlet Letter Research Paper1189 Words   |  5 PagesTyler Beal English III T. Sinclair 19 May 2013 Portraying the Scarlet A within the Characters   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In reality, the Scarlet Letter is many things. It has all the characteristics of a modern-day soap opera, but it is way more than some television show cast on ABC. It could be a sermon being shouted from a church attendee, but no; the Puritans are surely not the heroes in this novel. 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Hawthornes New England heritage has, at times, been said to be the contributing factor in his works. The Puritan view of life itself was considered to be allegorical, their theology rested primarily on the idea of predestination and the separation of the saved and the damned As evidentRead MoreEmbracing a Feminist Nature: A Theory Essay1812 Words   |  8 PagesHawthorne as Hester - Embracing a Feminist Nature : A Theory Hester Prynne remains a living force of feminist strength as she stands between the literary arguments of Hawthorne’s possible intentions of portraying his protagonist as either a central figure of feminist empowerment for women, in retrospect to the interpretations of his views on feminism of the timeframe, or a woman oppressed by her sins under the tyranny of puritanical injustice. While some argue for Hester’s feminist virtues withoutRead MoreFrederick Douglass And Hester Prynne1701 Words   |  7 Pagesthe Antebellum period of The United States. This was a man who was born a slave, escaped to his freedom and became one of the louder voices calling to abolish slavery. Then we have Hester Prynne, who is a fictional character from the mind of Nathaniel Hawthorne. Her time period was years before that of Douglass, as she lived Puritan New England. Looking at these two comparatively from the outside, it is hard to believe that the two would represent any of the same id eas. However, delving deeper intoRead MoreThe Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne1180 Words   |  5 Pagesclassic novel, The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Arthur Dimmesdale conceals an abominable truth. Avoiding subjugation to the conservative Puritans Society rule, the reverend feigned obliviousness all the while Hester, the person he committed adultery with, fearlessly bared her shame upon her bosom. The society held Dimmesdale to a higher standard; as a result, their influences hindered his ability to take responsibility for his actions. 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Healthcare for Proceedings of Singapore Healthcare-myassignmenthelp

Question: Discuss about theHealthcare for Proceedings of Singapore Healthcare. Answer: Context The article by Jones et al., (2011) has selected a significant research topic of nurse prescribing roles in the acute role. The role of nurses in acute care settings has evolved through the years to meet the increasing demand for health care services. According to Haririan (2016) prescribing by nurses is a key approach that aims to optimise the ability of nurses to bring improvement in the speed of access to high quality care. Non medical prescribing has bene indicated to bring improvements in clinical decision making across teams. A number of countries have implemented this novice role including Singapore where the practice is in the limelight. On an international basis, prescription rights for Nurse Practitioners varied significantly from limited formulary to full prescriptive authority. In 2014, National Nursing Taskforce (MOH) in Singapore recommended for the hospitals to initiate a prescription framework for nurses to prescribe medicines on the basis of drug formulary (Ayre Bee , 2014). As suggested by Jones et al., (2011) not much information is available regarding the implementation of this role into practice. At the time when the study by Jones et al., (2011) was conducted, there was a lack of suitable studies that evaluated nurse prescription in acute care settings. The majority of the studies was only responsible for reporting nurse prescribers view of the prescribing roles they had. In this regard, the perceptions of other stakeholders were not taken into consideration, which forms an integral element for understanding the suitability of this new emerging role. Further studies were needed that highlight the views of healthcare peers across different settings in relation to nurse prescribing roles as well as the dissimilarities in roles of nurse and medical prescribers. Key Aims The main aim of the study conducted by Jones et al., (2011) was to carry out an assessment of the functioning of nurse prescribing in an acute care hospital setting in the city of England, UK. The purpose of this study was to bridge the gap in existing literature regarding the ways in which nurse prescribers can work and lead to better patient outcomes and satisfaction levels. The author succeded in achieving their aims as the study was flourishing in addressing the research question. Methods The research was carried out following a mixed method single case study approach. The study was conducted in the year 2005-2006. An acute care hospital in England was the setting for the study that was located at a metropolitan borough of England that is densely populated and having it spopualtion from diverse ethnic backgrounds. The study had three clinical departments as units of analysis; namely the hypertension clinic, renal clinic and renal satellite unit. As the study method purposive sampling was done for recruiting the participants. A total number of 18 hospital staff were selected of which 3 were prescribers, seven were colleagues, and 8 were senior hospital staff. In addition, 2 nurses and 2 doctors took part in the study as non-participant observers. Semi-structured interviews was the tool for data collection with these participants. 52 patient-prescriber consultations were done with 47 patients. 122 patients were considered for a questionnaire survey was done with. Qualit ative data analysis was done with the help of data analysis framework porposed by Ritchie and Spencer. This was a deductive approach enabling an accurate sifting, charting and organisation of data depending on themes and key issues. SPSS software was used for quantitative data analysis. Descriptive statistics helped in summarising numerical data (Jones et al., 2011). A mixed method was suitable for the study as it was aligned with the research aim. Since the study wanted to highlight the overall experience of practitioners and stakeholders in relation to nurse prescribing, a mixed method enabled qualitative as well as quantitative approach. Such a method enures deeper, broader and more significant information. Rich datasets can be attained by this method (Nieswiadomy Bailey, 2017). As opined by Parahoo (2014) mixed methods augment the credibility and reliability of all studies with the help of the triangulation of the different evidences. A better understanding of the study problems is achieved through this method. However, it is to be noted that it was inappropriate to conduct the study in one single setting and with only three clinical departments. Due to such an approach, it can be stated that the study results were not generalised as the sample population was not a true representation of the general population. Purposive sampling has certain disadvantages, including researcher bias (LoBiondo-Wood et al., 2014). Findings The staffs taking part in the study pointed out that the main aim of nurse prescribing was directed towards patient benefits and enhanced team working. Further, nurse prescribing holds the potential for ensuring working advancements and legitimisation of practice. Staff satisfaction and increased patient satisfaction could also be achieved through nurse prescribing, as reported by the staff. The nurse practitioners reported that prescribing practice was a key approach for guiding better team work and patient care delivery. Nurses could also use their nursing skills in a better manner. The central themes emerging from the data set were increased confidence to prescribe, improved patient care, increased role fulfilment and successful implementation of nurse prescribing. The data did not point out any statistically significant differences between the manner in which doctors and nurses performed the prescribing roles. Nevertheless, it is to be highlighted that a statistically significant difference existed between the medication-related information satisfaction ratings of patients witnessing a nurse prescriber, compared to those witnessing prescription by a doctor. The findings of the study were easy to follow the flow of information were aligned with the research questions. The findings were also believable to the extent that nurses have come a long way in taking up different roles and additional responsibilities in acute care settings. Agreeing to the authors conclusion that the benefits of nurse prescribing roles can be better assessed with the help of performance indicators having clarity, it is to be stated that multidimensional approaches are required in future for studying such performance indicators based on evidence (Smith et al., 2014). Importance of findings The study findings added to the increasing body of research on the domain of nurse prescribing. It is to be mentioned that the findings were different from the existing literature since in the present case the researchers undertook an exploration of nurse prescribing from the organizational perspective. This was done by using data from different levels; patients from different ethnic groups and senior managers. There were certain aspects known about the research topic prioir to the present research. These were in relation to nurse prescribing works in certain primary care settings. Moreover, it was also known that nurse prescribing allowed physician-nurse substitution in acute care. There was also a pool of evidence indicating the presence of concerns in relation to patient safety. The present paper provided additional information that physicians and nurses provide equivalent care. However, patients report higher satisfaction rate when nurses provided medicine related education. More over, the study was a benchmark to highlight that patients across different ethnic groups can uphold similar viewpoints in this context. Based on the findings of the research healthcare settings can consider increasing the operational and supportive infrastructures for supporting nurse prescribing practices. The variables that are to be considered in this regard are shared vision, action learning, local championship, and peer support. Any restraining forces that hamper the implementation of the change are to be eliminated after analysing the importance of the same. The findings of the study also have implications for policy reforms. Policy makers are to consider setting up policies that guide nurse prescribing roles in varied settings. Changes are also to be sustained in the long run for ensuring best outcomes of the process (Gielen et al., 2014). Ethics There were come ethical issues pertaining to the design of the study. The first cocnenr was the relationship between the researcher and the prescribers. Secondly, there was a risk related to the fact that the study findings could have demotivated the nurses. Thirdly, there was a risk related to the fact that patient respondents might be not maximal in the presence of the researchers. Lastly, there was a risk that patients would indicate dissatisfaction with the service provided. Further research Against the backdrop of a growing evidence supporting nurse prescribing role, there is a requirement to put focus on further research in this direction. Researchers must shift the focus from prescribing performances suitable measures towards the influence of the role in bringing about advancement in care delivery. Future research needs to be carried out for identifying the process by which patient care quality can be enhanced in Singapore settings, and determining the interventions accordingly that suit patient population in Singapore (Hardey Mulhall, 2013). References Ayre, T. C., Bee, T. S. (2014). Advanced practice nursing in Singapore. Proceedings of Singapore Healthcare, 23(4), 269-270. Link : https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/201010581402300401 Gielen, S. C., Dekker, J., Francke, A. L., Mistiaen, P., Kroezen, M. (2014). The effects of nurse prescribing: a systematic review.International Journal of Nursing Studies,51(7), 1048-1061. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2013.12.003 Hardey, M., Mulhall, A. (2013).Nursing research: Theory and practice. Springer. Haririan, H. (2016). Prescribing: A Crucial Factor in the Professionalization of Nursing in Iran.Evidence Based Care,5(4), 65-66. DOI:10.22038/EBCJ.2016.6160 Jones K., Edwards M. While A. (2011) Nurse prescribing roles in acute care: an evaluative case study. Journal of Advanced Nursing 67(1), 117126. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2648.2010.05490.x LoBiondo-Wood, G., Haber, J., Cameron, C., Singh, M. (2014).Nursing Research in Canada-E-Book: Methods, Critical Appraisal, and Utilization. Elsevier Health Sciences. Nieswiadomy, R. M., Bailey, C. (2017).Foundations of nursing research. Pearson. Parahoo, K. (2014).Nursing research: principles, process and issues. Palgrave Macmillan. Smith, A., Latter, S., Blenkinsopp, A. (2014). Safety and quality of nurse independent prescribing: a national study of experiences of education, continuing professional development clinical governance.Journal of advanced nursing,70(11), 2506-2517. DOI: 10.1111/jan.12392

Descriptive Statistic Paper Essay Example

Descriptive Statistic Paper Essay In this paper Team B will examine the data that we have collected and we will draw a conclusion based on your findings, to get to the conclusion we will analyze the data using descriptive statistics, we will calculate the measures of central tendency, and dispersion, we will also show all the information with graphics and tables for a better understanding of the date, after all these steps are executed we will draw our conclusion. Data Analysis Using Descriptive Statistics Through this paper, Team B will use the philosophy of descriptive statistics to describe the main feature of the collection of data quantitatively (Main PS 1995). Descriptive statistics will provide simple summaries about the samples and the measures. In essence, we will show a summary of the data that the team has collected. Some of the ways that we will show the data collected will be in the form of first central tendency which is the distribution locates the center of a distribution of values. The three types of the central tendency are the mean, the median and the mode. Secondly, we will look at the dispersion which is the spread of values around the central tendency (Dodge 2003). The standard deviation is a more accurate way of measuring the dispersion. Thirdly, the use of graphics and tables to illustrate the data collected in a visual background. Fourthly there is the frequency distribution. In the frequency distribution is a summary of the ranges of values. We will write a custom essay sample on Descriptive Statistic Paper specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Descriptive Statistic Paper specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Descriptive Statistic Paper specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Frequency distribution can be shown by the team in graphic or tables that will be presented. Finally the use of the histogram will be depicted in the team analysis of the data that was collected. |Descriptive statistics | | | | | |Â   |# 1 | |count |11 | |Central Tendency |1,918,494. 273 | |sample variance |340,018,702,631. 6180 | |sample standard deviation |583,111. 2266 | | | | |skewness |-0. 2082 | | | | | | | | | |1989 |512,930 | | | | |1990 |578,930 | | | | |1991 |891,188 | | | | |1992 |1,084,408 | | | | |1993 |1,120,254 | | | | |1994 |1,188,679 | | | | |1995 |1,071,029 | | | |1996 |1,176,967 | | | | |1997 |1,383,578 | | | | |1998 |1,441,406 | | | | |1999 |1,720,050 | | | | |2000 |1,988,034 | | | | |2001 |2,264,403 | | | | |2002 |2,383,235 | | | | |2003 |2,555,476 | | | | |2004 |2,486,609 | | | | |2005 |2,632,655 | Central Tendency and Dispersion The best measures of central tendency and dispersion based on the skew value and histogram are the mean, median, range, sample variance, and the sample standard deviation. By looking at the histogram, the median exceeds the mean that shows the data as negatively skewed. The mean is one of the best measures of central tendency because it is the most familiar and uses all the sample information. The median is a good measure of central tendency when extreme data values exist. The range is one of the best measures of dispersion because it is the difference between the largest and the smallest observation. The sample variance and the sample standard deviation are both a good measure of dispersion because they help to show how individual values in a data set vary from the mean. The data collected by Team B and the sample size chosen does not seem to give a reasonable depiction of the skew for the histogram and distribution graph. Therefore, Team B can conclude that the information contained is biased and does not provide a proper skew coefficient and the information can be deduced as being biased. Team B included only two data points salary and winning teams. If Team B can increase the data samples then perhaps the frequency levels will conclude a proper outcome. Therefore, the results were uncertain for the data set shown and the hypothesis is uncertain. Reference: Mann PS (1995), Introductory Statistics, 2nd Edition, Wiley. Dodge, Y (2003), The Oxford Dictionary of Statistics Terms, OUP