Letters

Classics best for senior classes

Comment on "Chinese kids struggle with characters" (China Daily, Dec 3)

Many mobile phones, and tablet and PC applications give users the advantage of writing a character directly on the screen and wait for alternatives if the handwriting is not clear. But on the whole, the university students I teach have excellent handwriting in Chinese. And though they are also avid users of technology, they have to type their graduate or postgraduate theses.

While it is important for all students to know something about the classics in their mother tongue, I doubt whether the introduction of such difficult texts at the elementary level will help students. It's like reading Shakespeare in primary school.

The language may be rich but emotional and intellectual maturity is needed to understand the true meaning of the classics - which may be lost on students at a tender age. For younger children, good picture books with graded language may be the way forward.

Teacher M, on China Daily website

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(China Daily 12/07/2012 page9)