Radical: a learning system of Chinese Mandarin characters.

Radical

A learning system for Chinese Mandarin characters

Radical A learning system for Chinese Mandarin characters

by

Liangchuan Sun

Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of

Information Design and Visualization in the Graduate School of the College of Arts,

Media and Design

Northeastern University

May 2015

Abstract

Radical is a learning system for Chinese Mandarin characters based on the components of Chinese characters that helps students better memorize characters. The characters were chosen based on a dictionary of primary students in China to expose the secrets of the system and logic behind the process of endless character memorization. The learning system is designed to assist current learners of Chinese to have a smoother study experience and act as an introductory lesson for prospective students. The character representation is based on its radical. As a prerequisite, users need to have a basic understanding of Chinese characters' composition and structures for a thorough comprehension. This method is different from the existing approaches. It helps broaden learners' vocabulary beyond their textbooks. Furthermore, Radical is also a visualization-based tool for potential learners of Chinese or the people who are interested in aspects of the culture or language system itself.

Acknowledgments

I would like to express the deepest appreciation to my Professor Dietmar Offenhuber and Maria Isabel Meirelles who have shown the attitude and the substance of a genius: they continually and persuasively conveyed a spirit of adventure with regards to research and scholarship.

I would also express thanks to Ann McDonald, Anne West, Nathan Felde and Thomas Starr for their tremendous supports on my thesis writing component. In addition, a thank you to Professor Qinghong Cai, who introduced me to Chinese Mandarin learning system.

Special thanks to my peers: Rania Masri, Lauren McCafferty, Ashley Treni and Esat Karaman. They are awesome to work with and it is a valuable experience to having you aside.

Last but not least, I would like to thank my family, my parents and my husband Tianxiang Nan. Without their support and constant help this thesis would not have been possible.

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