Kanji Sensei 3.0 for Windows demo (Japanese CAI) Kanji Sensei is an interactive Kanji Study Aid program by Pacific Rim Systems Limited. This excutable program contains the demo version of the program. The following is the description of the program ---------------------8< ------------------------------- Kanji Sensei - Windows Software For Teaching Kanji ================================================== Kanji Sensei offers a new approach to learning kanji by bringing kanji characters to life in a way that books can't. Kanji text books, as well as some kanji computer programs, can be very daunting. Page after page of kanji which must be memorized. Of course, each book or package has its own good and bad points - points which can only be judged subjectively, but Pacific Rim Systems Ltd. set out to achieve something different. Kanji Sensei provides an alternative to lifeless characters using two key features developed specially for this project:- "Animated" Brush Strokes Colour coded kanji components Both these features provide visually meaningful and useful views of written kanji. Learning to read and write kanji should be approached simultaneously since the one compliments and reinforces the other. Books however do not easily provide this dual approach. The use of computer graphics on the other hand, does. Kanji Sensei offers the "gaijin" student a practical alternative to the time honored method still used in Japanese schools; the teacher standing in front of the class repeatedly drawing each character on the board until it is ingrained in the student's mind, a method aimed at younger minds with a favorable cultural pre-disposition to learn. Kanji Sensei's approach uses repeated drawing of each character, plus a break down by colour of each character into its original component parts. This approach offers the "gaijin" student a new way to visualize kanji which makes them easier to remember. All Kanji Sensei's characters are hand drawn by Japanese calligraphers, so you are seeing an expert hand drawing each character in "real-time"; and of course, you can play each character back as many times as you like. Each kanji component is shown in a different colour, with the appropriate colour coded component names below. Beside each name is a button which can be pressed to "browse" through all characters containing the same component. This unique feature encourages you to discover your own patterns and similarities to help you learn faster. Each character appears with its on and kun reading and English meaning. Readings can be shown in hiragana, katakana or romaji. A comment field provides you with a notepad for every character - use this for mnemonics (the first 800 characters have pre-installed mnemonics) or historical notes - whatever helps you remember the characters. Naturally there are several search functions (on reading, kun reading, English meaning, by component, by bushu, by stroke count), to help locate characters, as well as "browse" functions to look at groups of characters with similar features. To make study simpler, characters can be grouped into categories. These could be arranged to match a course text, or a week's assignment perhaps. To make life easier, these categories can be printed to produce valuable study resources. Kanji Sensei does not only deal with individual kanji. Kanji compounds (jukugo) are also catered for. Using the colour coding paradigm, each jukugo is broken down into its constituent characters to help you understand the meaning and pronunciation of each compound. Search and browse functions are available for compounds too. Kanji Sensei also helps with self-testing. In drill mode, various multiple choice drills are available to test your knowledge of any given category; and in calligraphy mode, you are invited to test your ability at drawing the characters using your mouse as a "pen". In conclusion, Kanji Sensei provides a modern approach to studying kanji using the PC. It provides those serious about learning Japanese with a valuable resource in the struggle to learn the most complex writing system in the world. Contact: Pacific Rim Systems Limited, 18 Ollgar Close, London, W12 0NF ENGLAND email: paulmz@cix.compulink.co.uk