学习书法，提高写字能力 Improve Your Chinese Handwriting by Learning Chinese Calligraphy

一、问题之处 1. Issues

一般来说，中文学习者：Usually, students of Chinese:
容易提笔忘字 Often forget how to write characters

阅读速度比较慢 Read at a relatively slow speed

难以理解博大精深的中华文明 Find it difficult to access traditional Chinese culture

自己写的字相当于中国小学生的水平 Write characters that resemble those of primary school students from China

很难看懂中文母语人士写的字 Struggle to decipher characters written by native users of Chinese

二、学书法的好处 2. Benefits of learning calligraphy

学书法助于背诵汉字及汉字部件 Learning calligraphy makes it easier to memorise Chinese characters and components

书法学得越久，阅读速度越快 The longer you learn calligraphy, the faster your reading speed will become

汉字是中华文明的载体，练书法还能修养身心 Chinese characters are carriers of Chinese culture and calligraphy is a kind of self-cultivation practice

书法练到一定的水平，能受中国人的尊重 Learners of calligraphy can earn the respect of Chinese people

多练字，多看字帖，就能认出大部分中国人写的字 With a fair amount of practice writing characters and reading calligraphic works you will be able to read characters written by most Chinese people

三、欣赏不同时代的书法 3. Appreciate calligraphy from different periods

甲骨文 Oracle bone script
商朝晚期巫师刻的字 Characters incised by shaman from the late Shang dynasty

金文 Bronze inscriptions
殷商至周朝，铸造青铜器时在金属上刻铸的文字 Inscriptions engraved on metal during the bronze casting process, from the Shang and Zhou dynasties

竹简 Bamboo slips
秦汉时跪坐写的字 Characters written when kneeling, from the Qin and Han dynasties

毛笔字 Characters written with an inkbrush
魏晋至隋唐用几案写字（像现在的日本人写字）Characters written on a table (like Japanese writing today), from the Wei and Jin to Sui and Tang dynasties

如晋人王羲之 Like Wang Xizhi from the Sima Jin dynasty

如唐人颜真卿 Like Yan Zhenqing from the Tang dynasty

到宋以后有了桌椅时，写字的样子有所变化 Characters started to be written differently with the advent of tables and chairs from the Song dynasty onwards

如宋人米芾 Like Mi Fu from the Song dynasty

如清人杨守敬 Like Yang Shoujing from the Qing dynasty

硬笔字（其实也就是用钢笔模仿毛笔字）Characters written with a pen or pencil (actually using a fountain pen to imitate inkbrush characters)

印刷体（汉字被电子化，失去了美感）Printed typeface (Chinese characters lose their beauty due to digitisation)

四、书法学习的基本条件 4. Basic conditions for learning calligraphy

文房四宝 Four Treasures of the Study
笔、墨、纸、砚 Brush, ink, paper and inkstone

适合你的字帖，远离电子化或印刷体的字帖 A calligraphic work to copy that suits you — stay away from digitised or printed typeface copybooks

能带你写字的老师 A teacher who can model calligraphy for you

五、书法的练习方法 5. Methods for learning calligraphy

学生应该从最基本的笔画（包括笔顺）开始练，好好练内功 Students should begin by practising strokes (including stroke order) and build up their basic skills

建议初学者先练楷书再练其他字体 Beginning students are advised to practice regular script before moving on to other styles of calligraphy

“永”字八法可以概括书法中的基本笔画 The character yong contains all the basic strokes used in calligraphy

“永”也是天下第一行书——《兰亭序》开篇第一个字 Yong is also the first character written in the first calligraphic work of semi-cursive script Lanting Xu

先学基本笔画：First, learn the basic strokes

再学汉字的各种部件（包括偏旁部首） Then, learn the various components that make up Chinese characters (including radicals)

你知道这些部件叫什么名字吗？Do you know what these components are called?