Category Archives: Learning

On the Power of Habits

Posted on September 2, 2010 by stefan

A point made on the blog Zen Habits that has surfaced in my mind over and over is the idea that positive change is best effected by forming habits, and that crucially we can only cement in one new habit … Continue reading →

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Heisig Idea: Trace, don’t Write

Posted on August 9, 2010 by stefan

Through extended practise I’ve made a lot of progress with teh quality of my Japanese handwriting. In previous Heisig attempts I was careful to always have pencil and paper ready for all kanji reviews I did on the “Reviewing the … Continue reading →

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Too Much Knowledge Can Hurt Your Memory?

Posted on August 8, 2010 by stefan

A study [1] has found that adults were better able to remember pictures of imaginary animals than real animals (they used pictures of real cats). Their theory is that when you have little/no knowledge of the subject you can approach … Continue reading →

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How I Failed at the Heisig Method of Learning Kanji (and how I’m getting back on track)

Posted on August 6, 2010 by stefan

I’m about to begin my third attempt at learning the 2042 standard-use kanji using James Heisig’s method. My first attempt started on 17th January 2007, just after I’d returned from a 3 month internship in Japan, and the day after … Continue reading →

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Learning Kanji Through Meditation — Learning Meditation Through Kanji

Posted on August 3, 2010 by stefan

Contrary to what you may think, meditation is not just a state of relaxation but also of alertness. Most meditation consists of bringing the mind in to focus on a particular object, real or imaginary. Often the breath is used as … Continue reading →

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Language Learning Momentum

Posted on July 31, 2009 by stefan

I have lunch most days at place here called The International Society. Today I happened to overhear a gentleman in his early forties (most likely a senior staff member at the university) teaching a Chinese girl about the finer points … Continue reading →

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