Chinese Characters First Steps
Free App
Advertisements
About Chinese Characters First Steps
Learning to read and write Chinese characters presents two challenges to both non-native learners as well as Chinese children who first start learning characters:
- the complexity of characters, as an average character consists of about 12 strokes;
- matching characters with their pronunciation, pinyin and the meaning;
This new version of Chinese Characters First Steps tackles these two challenges on one screen to help you learn, recognize and remember the most frequently used 400 plus characters in a systematic, friendly and fun way. Rather than having a textbook, audio device, dictionary and a notebook to write, you get the stroke-by-stroke writing, the native-speaker pronunciation, pinyin, English definition and instructions in one interactive experience.
These 400 plus characters are introduced in the Open University's Beginners' Chinese module
第一步 Dì yī bù (L197) and drawn from the most commonly and frequently used word list published by the Ministry of Education of PRC (China). By combining them, you will learn a further 230+ useful words and phrases. For example, you learn the three single-character words for 'red' (红 hóng), 'green' (绿lǜ) and 'light' (灯dēng), which put together make up the word 'traffic lights', which you will find in one of the word search puzzles.
There are 20 lessons which chronologically build upon each other.
Each lesson has 4 sections:
- Writing Practice
- Listening Test
- Reading Test
- Word Search
The first five lessons with characters and related activities are included free to give you a taste of what this app can do. The other 15 lessons are available via in-app purchase for a total of £1.49 by tapping the 'upgrade' button.
PLEASE NOTE:
This app uses Google Analytics to allow The Open University to gather anonymous statistical data on how the app is used. The data is used for academic research only.
No personal or device information is gathered.
By installing this app you give consent to The open University to use Google Analytics in the manner stated above.
- the complexity of characters, as an average character consists of about 12 strokes;
- matching characters with their pronunciation, pinyin and the meaning;
This new version of Chinese Characters First Steps tackles these two challenges on one screen to help you learn, recognize and remember the most frequently used 400 plus characters in a systematic, friendly and fun way. Rather than having a textbook, audio device, dictionary and a notebook to write, you get the stroke-by-stroke writing, the native-speaker pronunciation, pinyin, English definition and instructions in one interactive experience.
These 400 plus characters are introduced in the Open University's Beginners' Chinese module
第一步 Dì yī bù (L197) and drawn from the most commonly and frequently used word list published by the Ministry of Education of PRC (China). By combining them, you will learn a further 230+ useful words and phrases. For example, you learn the three single-character words for 'red' (红 hóng), 'green' (绿lǜ) and 'light' (灯dēng), which put together make up the word 'traffic lights', which you will find in one of the word search puzzles.
There are 20 lessons which chronologically build upon each other.
Each lesson has 4 sections:
- Writing Practice
- Listening Test
- Reading Test
- Word Search
The first five lessons with characters and related activities are included free to give you a taste of what this app can do. The other 15 lessons are available via in-app purchase for a total of £1.49 by tapping the 'upgrade' button.
PLEASE NOTE:
This app uses Google Analytics to allow The Open University to gather anonymous statistical data on how the app is used. The data is used for academic research only.
No personal or device information is gathered.
By installing this app you give consent to The open University to use Google Analytics in the manner stated above.
All Application Badges
Free
downl.
downl.
Android
2.2+
2.2+
Android app
App History & Updates
What's Changed
· This new version contains 20 lessons.
· The first 5 lessons are free.
· A Word Search section is added to each lesson.
· This new version contains 20 lessons.
· The first 5 lessons are free.
· A Word Search section is added to each lesson.
Version update Chinese Characters First Steps was updated to version 1.02
Version update Chinese Characters First Steps was updated to version 1.01
More downloads Chinese Characters First Steps reached 10 000 - 50 000 downloads
More downloads Chinese Characters First Steps reached 5 000 - 10 000 downloads
What are users saying about Chinese Characters First Steps
R
by R####:
by R####:
I changed from 3* to 5* and even succeeded in purchasing this app. For writing part, you need to use pen with rubber end to write on smart phone. And remote to write slowly while dragging the red pointer. To the app owners : please make app for more new words, thanks.
R
by R####:
by R####:
Would be great if installed on SD instead of taking up valuable internal storage.
P
by P####:
by P####:
Sehr gut
Z
by Z####:
by Z####:
Uses the finite internal storage instead of utilising SD storage. Would give 5 star if allowed to move to SD to free up limited storage.
R
by R####:
by R####:
Open University should be ashamed of how badly this crippled app is designed.
C
by C####:
by C####:
Clicking on Lesson 1 gives you a choice of tests, before anything has been taught. Trying to draw lines is frustrating and badly implemented. Drawing lines in other apps on the same tablet is not a problem. Nothing worse than a teaching app which immediately drains your enthusiasm for a new subject.
Z
by Z####:
by Z####:
lessons 1-5 work fine but any attempt to upgrade and the app stops working.
H
by H####:
by H####:
Great app! More lessons and a big review lesson with all learned characters would be amazing. Also writing of characters doesn't work properly sometimes. Except that, 5 stars
Z
by Z####:
by Z####:
Good but prone to crash and cannot upgrade...
A
by A####:
by A####:
Sehr gut
U
by U####:
by U####:
I lovebit
M
by M####:
by M####:
Hope to start course soon
R
by R####:
by R####:
Pretty good but has terrible touch sensitivity. Not sure if it's just s3 but I have to swipe 10 times per stroke or it won't register
Y
by Y####:
by Y####:
I wish the other lessons were also available here on Android like the iPhone/iPod Touch versions, which I have, but qould love to have on this phone.
G
by G####:
by G####:
This is a brilliant app, but far too small. Please provide more content, even paid. Giving me a link to an Open University course is no use. This is a place for apps, I know where to look for courses.
N
by N####:
by N####:
Agreed with other commenters about unresponsive strokes. To make it worse, the listening mode did not work at all.
W
by W####:
by W####:
Not very touch sensitive. Had to press down very hard. Uninstalling
B
by B####:
by B####:
Not touch sensitive Not very touch sensitive. Had to press down very hard. Uninstalling
R
by R####:
by R####:
Too small This is a brilliant app, but far too small. Please provide more content, even paid. Giving me a link to an Open University course is no use. This is a place for apps, I know where to look for courses.
K
by K####:
by K####:
Yes Pretty good but has terrible touch sensitivity. Not sure if it's just s3 but I have to swipe 10 times per stroke or it won't register
K
by K####:
by K####:
Not enough I wish the other lessons were also available here on Android like the iPhone/iPod Touch versions, which I have, but qould love to have on this phone.
by Y####:
Sehr gut