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Paper short abstract:

This study is a practical report on the use of the K-code developed by Dr. Taha. K-code typifies the smallest morphological units of Kanji as a learning tool for non-Kanji learners unfamiliar with Kanji. Practice result indicated that K-code was effective in identifying characters and writing well.

Paper long abstract:

Character instruction for non-Kanji learners of Japanese is mainly based on the same characters and radicals as in education for native Japanese students, which is not optimal for learners of Japanese. Sinousy E. M. Taha developed the K-code and published the revised version in 2022, which typifies the smallest morphological units of Kanji as a learning tool for non-Kanji learners unfamiliar with Kanji. The smallest units of the K-code are six basic lines, with each line shape corresponding to them, including the alphabet (一 = H, | = I, ノ= Z, 乀= N, ✓ = V, L = L), with an underline for continuous writing, “w” to indicate a spring, and the length of the line in uppercase and lowercase letters. These can convey the “form, position, and direction of the starting point and shape of the end point” of a line. The K-code allows us to break down the lines into smaller lines than radicals and explain all the lines of a Kanji character in code. Consequently, it allows us to recognize a character as a collection of basic lines and to write well-formed characters.

We have been practicing katakana/Kanji instruction using K-code for seven years, mainly with introductory Kanji learners in Asia. This study aimed to implement K-code instruction with ten European and American students who had already learned Kanji. At the end of the semester, we conducted a voluntary questionnaire survey and received six responses. Five students positively evaluated K-code as “simplifying characters” and useful for “recognizing differences in characters.” The participants previously used their katakana knowledge to identify parts of Kanji characters. The teacher’s evaluation demonstrated that the learners could write well, indicating the K-code’s usefulness for line identification. As learners gain confidence, the K-code is expected to lower their resistance to learning Kanji characters and contribute to improving their satisfaction with learning.