Rubbing out Chinese characters(2)

According to the report, 52.6 percent of kids aged 4 to 6 had used the Internet. The percentage for kids aged between 7 and 9 reached 58.6 percent, and 77 percent for 10 to 12-year-olds.

Yang Lincheng, deputy copy editor at Excessive Wording, a monthly magazine dedicated to promoting the standard use of Chinese language, noted that speed reading has also weakened people's knowledge of the Chinese script.

"Before, people got their information mainly from print media. But now, given the prosperity of new media, people spend less time reading traditionally written full-blown articles," Yang told the Global Times.

Many are calling for the popularity of handwriting to be revived as they are convinced it is significant to pass on Chinese history and culture.

"Chinese characters are ideograms and carry the essence of Chinese culture. Handwriting is an important way to touch this essence. As a result, we must write them and feel them," said Zhang Yiwu, professor of Chinese literature at Peking University. He deemed that opening calligraphy lessons in schools would be a meaningful method to rebuild children's interest in handwriting.

Luo Dongqing, a professor of Chinese language and literature at Nanjing Normal University, also stressed the legacy of Chinese characters.

"They are the most important part of Chinese culture. By studying the formation and evolution of a Chinese character, one is offered a window into the evolution of Chinese culture and history," he told the Global Times earlier.

There are currently over 80,000 Chinese characters and 3,500 of them are frequently used in daily life.

Yang added to this by saying that Chinese characters contain a cultural code. "By studying these pictograms, we can get closer to our ancestors' mode of thinking and their lifestyle," he said.

Cramping up

While many call for new handwriting classes to be created alongside related TV shows and other methods, others disagree.

"I feel a bit ashamed that I am unable to write some words. But I don't think it will have any effect on my life and work. Using pinyin input, I can type any word as long as I can read them out. It turns out to be much quicker and more convenient than handwriting," said Xiao Jian, an IT engineer in Beijing.

"I don't think it would hinder the cultural heritage unless we completely abandoned this form of writing. But when we have a much more convenient option to write things down, why not accept it?" he noted.

Chen Jianwei, a professor of Chinese education at South China Normal University in Guangzhou, believes that handwriting will be abandoned anyway as new learning tools come into play.

"The new curriculum suggests kids learn to type in Grades 3 and 4. It also renewed requirements for handwriting. Before it was 'see handwriting as a basic tool'; now it's 'cultivate aesthetic taste in handwriting," Chen was quoted as saying by Guangzhou-based Information Times.

Schools across the country are promoting new teaching methods and are trying to reverse classroom models. Blackboard and chalks are gradually replaced by digital devices. In several cities, including Shenzhen, Xi'an, Chongqing and Changsha, education bureaus have begun to experiment with using iPads as textbooks in primary schools.

In front of this technical dominance in schools, teacher Su and her students have been torn over the fading of handwriting.

"It's a pity that letters have been replaced by e-mail, but that's the trend of social development," she said. "My class had a discussion about it. The final conclusion we came to is that letters and manuscripts can be treasured as beautiful memories."