Hui Gong Ge Writing Method (Beginner's Book 1)

Author: Yang Weiguo
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-06-01
Features: The Hui Gong Ge (Back-and-Front Grid) divides Chinese characters into two sections—“Inner Palace” and “Outer Palace” for memory. The significance of these sections far exceeds the role of stroke positioning. It reveals to learners the structural patterns of Chinese characters, such as “tight inside, loose outside,” “dense inside, sparse outside,” and “solid inside, hollow outside.” Teachers using the Hui Gong Ge not only teach students which stroke is positioned where on a line or surface but also how to structure certain types of characters to make them compact and aesthetically pleasing. Therefore, the Hui Gong Ge teaching method not only helps students learn to write but more importantly, teaches them the principles of writing well.
The content of this textbook, the first volume, focuses on the writing guidance of standalone characters and vertically structured characters. This part forms the foundational content of the entire series. All compound character structures and extension rules in volumes two and beyond are built upon the teaching content of this volume. The six-volume writing textbook follows a program: starting with standalone characters, then compound characters; first with vertical structures, then horizontal ones; emphasizing stroke extension before guiding the combination and arrangement of the main parts. The teaching process also progresses from simple to complex.
Volume 1 and 2 guide students to focus on the general patterns of standalone and vertically structured characters, without providing detailed stroke guidance. These characters are primarily categorized into three shapes: upright triangles (or trapezoids), inverted triangles, and rhombuses. Once students grasp the structural patterns, they can use the Hui Gong Ge to appropriately contract or extend the strokes and structure of the characters.
Starting from Volume 3, detailed guidance is provided on the main parts of characters, especially the combination and arrangement of compound characters. The teaching methods emphasize the following points:
1. Differentiate the Inner and Outer Palaces of the Hui Gong Ge visually. For example, lightly color the inner palace or use different colors to distinguish between the inner and outer palaces.
2. The left and right sides of the Inner Palace play a significant role:
- They indicate stroke extension.
- They serve as local positioning guides.
- They determine the width of the character.
- They show whether strokes are straight or slanted. Thus, they must not be ignored in teaching.
3. The top and bottom sides of the Inner Palace are also crucial. They decisively determine the height of the character and are important for the positioning and emphasis of the first stroke in many characters.
4. When teaching stroke extension, focus on reinforcing students’ awareness of extension through repetitive practice. Teachers can guide students to use hand gestures, body movements, and writing techniques to practice. Additionally, colored pencils can be used to trace the extended parts or highlight them with pencils.
5. In teaching, pay attention to the “transfer guidance” of students’ writing skills using the Hui Gong Ge. Emphasize guiding students to independently write characters based on the characteristics of their shapes without relying on the Inner Palace. The grid-skipping design in the textbook is specifically for this purpose.
The Hui Gong Ge teaching method transforms the passive dynamics of teaching and learning. The teaching method is simple: start with stroke extension, grasp the characteristics of Chinese characters from macro to micro, and proceed step by step. When students write, they visually grasp the simple and stylized combination forms of Chinese characters—the main parts and extensions. This innovative approach to teaching and learning undoubtedly adds new vitality to the reform of writing education and greatly boosts the confidence of both teachers and students in teaching and learning writing effectively.