Chapter 280 Pinyin, Arabic Numerals and Symbols
"Thank you, Madam, for your teachings!"
The six people thanked him in unison, and watching the chess game gave them a glimmer of hope.
Madam, do you mean to ask him to take the imperial examination? But slaves cannot take the imperial examination. Does Madam mean to return his indenture?
If that were true, he would be grateful to his wife for the rest of his life!
"Sit down."
Xiao Ying didn't continue talking and changed the subject.
"Now let me tell you the last thing, which is also the most important thing today."
Upon hearing this, everyone sat up straight and looked more serious.
"You are all so knowledgeable, I believe you will have no problem teaching students. So, what do you think is the most difficult part of teaching students?"
This time, Li Ruyue was the first to speak: "My dear, it is literacy."
Xiao Ying looked at her approvingly, and Li Ruyue couldn't help but blush.
"Yes, it's literacy. For beginners, it's too difficult to remember and write a single word, especially those complex ones."
The other five people nodded in agreement. Literacy is actually a watershed.
Smart children can learn a dozen or even dozens of words a day, while stupid children can only remember three or five words a day, and some may not be able to remember any at all.
But there is nothing we can do about it. I can’t even remember the words, let alone anything else?
Several people didn't quite understand what Xiao Ying was trying to say.
Xiao Ying spoke in a serious tone, "My husband unexpectedly discovered a simple method of learning to read in his early years. I'd like to discuss it with you to see if it's feasible."
"oh?"
All six of them looked curious. A simple way to learn to read? There is such a thing?
Kang Ruolan distributed a stack of papers to the six people with a tactful look. The six people became more and more curious. They saw some strange and crooked symbols drawn on the papers, and they didn't know what they were.
"Ruren, this is..."
Qingfeng Li couldn't help but ask.
There was also a piece of paper on the table in front of Xiao Ying. He replied, "This is what I call the simplified literacy method. The symbols on this paper are called pinyin, and each symbol represents a different sound."
"The first column on the right is called the initial consonants, and the second column is called the final consonants. The initial consonants come first, and the final consonants come last. When combined, they can spell all the characters."
Li Qingfeng and the other six were confused and didn't quite understand what she was saying.
Xiao Ying gave several examples, which were also marked on paper. After reading these examples, the six people's eyes lit up instantly and everything became clear to them!
They are all educated people with quick thinking, so it is natural for them to accept pinyin.
"I see, that's how it is!"
Qingfeng Li was so excited that he stood up, seeming to forget where he was, and almost danced with joy.
It was not until Li Ruyue pulled his sleeve that he slowly came to his senses, and his cheeks turned red.
"Please forgive me, Madam Xiao. I was really, really too excited..."
Xiao Ying smiled and said, "This is human nature. Master Li, don't worry about it."
Qingfeng Li secretly breathed a sigh of relief. This Mrs. Xiao was truly kind. Anyone else would probably feel offended.
"Ruren, I think this pinyin literacy method is feasible!"
Having taught for many years, he knew the function of this thing very well. As long as students could remember these symbols, they would be able to spell words by themselves at home, and their efficiency in recognizing words would be greatly improved.
There are thousands of characters, but there are only so many pinyins, and they look very simple, which makes it easier for beginners to master them.
He suddenly realized something else. If this method were to be spread, wouldn't it greatly lower the threshold for literacy? The time it takes to learn to read would definitely be shortened.
This is definitely a great thing!
Thinking of this, he became excited again and wanted to promote it immediately.
The others naturally thought of it as well, but Guanqi and Baizhi thought more about it, and even showed a hint of worry.
Lowering the literacy threshold is definitely a good thing for the common people, but it may not be so for the powerful.
More people who can read and write means more people who can take the imperial examinations, which will to some extent weaken the advantages of the powerful.
Madam is only a ninth-rank lady. It would be fine if this method was only promoted in Chenjia Village, but once it spreads out, Madam will probably be hated by others.
"Madam, this method is very good."
Zheng Zeliang also agreed and looked at Xiao Ying with even more admiration.
Li Ruyue asked curiously, "How come such a good thing hasn't been promoted?"
Xiao Ying smiled and said, "Then you guys will be responsible for promoting it."
The six people suddenly felt a great sense of responsibility, as if they had opened the door to a new world.
"I will definitely fulfill your mission!"
So, the next six people carefully learned how to pronounce these pinyins, and each of them looked excited.
The syllables have been modified by Xiao Ying according to the times, and they fit perfectly.
It only took more than half an hour for several people to remember everything, and for a moment they felt a wonderful sense of satisfaction.
"In addition to pinyin, I also have a simple number here."
Seeing that they had almost remembered everything, Xiao Ying asked Kang Ruolan to distribute another piece of paper.
This time there were some strange symbols on it, also crooked.
But this time no one asked any questions, they just knew that this must be another new and simple thing.
Xiao Ying continued, "The ten symbols in the rightmost column represent ten numbers, from 0 to 9."
These numbers are marked with numbers from one to nine, so everyone can understand them at a glance.
"The five symbols in the second column represent addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and equality."
There are corresponding texts next to them, which are not difficult to understand.
"The next nine columns are multiplication tables, which I believe everyone is familiar with."
The multiplication table has been used for thousands of years and is the basis of arithmetic. She simply replaced the words with lowercase numbers and symbols.
"These numbers are easy to remember and convenient for calculations. I believe you can see that from this piece of paper."
The six people's eyes lit up again, all of them were ecstatic.
These symbols are indeed simple, easy to remember, and clear.
If it were written down, the multiplication formulas alone would take up several pages, but now it only takes up half a page.
If nothing else, it really saves paper.
Paper is very expensive in this era, and saving paper means saving money. This alone made several people very interested.
These numbers and symbols are easier to remember than pinyin, so everyone memorized them quickly, but some people also found some problems.
"Madam, this simple number is easy to remember, but it seems that it is difficult to express decimals."
Guan Qi raised doubts.
Yes, there were decimals in this era, and they were very troublesome to record.
Xiao Ying said, "You can look at the back of this paper. There are more symbols recorded on it."
There are more than ten kinds of marks, such as commas, periods, question marks, exclamation marks, dots, ellipsis marks, etc., and each one is introduced in words.
The six people were suddenly surprised. These symbols not only solved the arithmetic problem, but also solved the problem of punctuation in the article.
Madam, where did you get this? It's definitely a treasure!
"I, Qingfeng Li, have truly been enlightened today. My Lady, all of your words are truly wonderful!"
Qingfeng Li praised him generously.
Although these things cannot be used in the imperial examinations, they are very convenient for daily use.
He even hopes to promote it throughout the Moon Country, which will surely bring about a revolution!
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