I Used to Know How to Write in Japanese (Somehow, though, I can still read it)
9 days ago
- #neuroscience
- #memory
- #Japanese language
- James W. Heisig suggests learning kanji by first focusing on meaning and writing before pronunciation, a method that worked well for the author.
- Despite mastering kanji writing initially, the author now struggles to handwrite many characters, a phenomenon known as 'character amnesia' or 'word-processor idiot' syndrome.
- Neuroscience shows that reading and writing kanji involve different brain pathways, explaining why one skill can deteriorate while the other remains intact.
- Aphantasia (the inability to visualize) doesn't fully explain character amnesia, as even those who can visualize struggle with writing kanji from memory.
- Fuzzy trace theory suggests memories are stored as either detailed 'verbatim' traces or abstract 'gist' traces, with the latter being more durable but less precise.
- The author reflects on how abstract memory affects reading experiences, particularly with vivid texts, due to aphantasia.
- Language acts as a bottleneck for thought, with memory and recall being more about abstract connections than precise reproductions of experiences or text.