This is definitely a valid argument, but I think the time scale you mention is exaggerated. It simply doesn’t take years before the advantages really start to kick in. Remember that we’re talking about differences between short and long-term investments here, so all I’m saying is that instead of learning characters in a way that does not help you in the long run (such as finding patterns in characters that aren’t based on actual parts of that character), students should try to spend that little extra effort which makes them understand the language.

In general, I’ve found that students are interested in anything that makes Chinese logical or understandable; breaking down characters or words is just such a thing. I’d say that this knowledge is relevant and useful immediately, albeit not directly applicable in everyday conversations. Other things I mention in the article, such as previewing before class, is simply something which will save time immediately, you don’t have to wait at all before it pays off.

Still, I think you have a point and I should have addressed this in the article. If focusing more on the long-term means that people lose track of what they’re doing or otherwise feel that Chinese becomes boring, too hard or complicated, then of course they shouldn’t. I also chose the word “master” in the title because there are different reasons for studying Chinese. If you’ve already studied for a while and know for sure that you want to really learn Chinese to a high level, you’ve already adopted a long-term approach and it’s only natural that you adjust your studying methods accordingly. Students who just set out on their Chinese-learning journey should just try to explore the language and enjoy themselves as much as possible.

I’m not sure if you agree with this extended analysis or not, but thank you anyway for pointing out something that is definitely missing in the article!