Beijing Mandarin, the Language of Beijing

Encyclopedia of Chinese Language and Linguistics, 2017

Fees are subject to change. This book is printed on acid-free paper and produced in a sustainable manner. For use by the Author only | © 2017 Koninklijke Brill NV rù tone development in běijīng mandarin 627 alphabetically written expressions which are read using their Chinese translations. F (< English floor) is commonly used in writing addresses, but pronounced as Chinese lóu , for instance a sign reading OK 3F may be read kǎlā'ōukēi sānlóu 'karaoke third floor'. Signs on businesses often boast that they are open 24H, which is read èrshísì xiǎoshí '24 hours' rather than èrshísì'ēiqi. Likewise, the abbreviation Tel.

Chinese as a Second Language , 2023

Introducing Chinese Linguistics: A Handbook for Chinese Language Teachers and Learners (henceforth ICL) provides a comprehensive, accessible and innovative introduction to Chinese linguistics, covering key topics such as Chinese phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, the writing system and the role of social and cultural factors in Chinese language use. Although a number of introductory textbooks on Chinese linguistics are available on the market (e.g., Norman, 1988; Sun, 2006; Shei, 2014), ICL is distinctive in that it is tailored to the needs of L2 Chinese language educators and learners. It highlights common challenges encountered by adult L2 learners of Mandarin Chinese and offers pedagogical suggestions based on research findings in Chinese second language acquisition. ICL consists of eight chapters. The first chapter starts with basic concepts in general linguistics and second language acquisition and then moves to a survey of language varieties under the umbrella term of "Chinese language" and a brief history of Mandarin Chinese with emphasis given to dispelling common misconceptions about linguistics and the Chinese language. The following two chapters focus on Chinese phonetics and phonology: Chapter 2 is dedicated to consonants, vowels, syllable structures, and Chinese annotation systems, whereas Chapter 3 discusses tones, intonation, and stress. Chapter 4 examines Chinese morphology and decodes how words are structured in Mandarin Chinese with insightful examples and explanations. The next two chapters attend to important issues in Chinese syntax, with Chapter 5 addressing basic syntactic structures, such as lexical categories, noun and verb phrases and Chapter 6 explaining noncanonical Chinese sentence structures, such as the ba and bei constructions. Chapter 7 is devoted to demystifying the Chinese writing system, a very challenging aspect for L2 learners to acquire. This chapter covers a variety of topics crucial to the Chinese writing system, including an overview of Chinese script evolution, formation of Chinese characters, the basic strokes, components and radicals of Chinese characters as well as Chinese script reforms. The last chapter investigates how social and cultural factors shape Chinese language use. This chapter introduces important concepts in Chinese pragmatics and Chinese language variation

The Chinese variety of English possesses distinct linguistic features at all levels of the language system. This paper describes lexical and grammatical features of China English as a result of intralingual interference and interference of Chinese into English. The Chinese regional variety of English is of special interest as an object of linguistic investigation because of China's growing role in world's politics, its plentiful economic growth and leading positions in the global economy. Expanding international contacts in different spheres are mostly carried out in English as a lingua franca. In this situation knowing the features of China English is crucial for effective and successful intercultural communication between people of different nations and the Chinese.

Given the historical and linguistic contexts of Singapore, it is both theoretically and practically significant to study Singapore Mandarin (SM), an important member of Global Chinese. This paper aims to present a relatively comprehensive linguistic picture of SM by overviewing current studies, particularly on the variations that distinguish SM from other Mandarin varieties, and to serve as a reference for future studies on SM. This paper notes that (a) current studies have often provided general descriptions of the variations, but less on individual variations that may lead to more theoretical discussions; (b) the studies on SM are primarily based on the comparison with Mainland China Mandarin; (c) language contact has been taken as the major contributor of the variation in SM, whereas other factors are often neglected; and (d) corpora with SM data are comparatively less developed and the evaluation of data has remained largely in descriptive statistics.

Language in Society, 1989

The languages of China. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1987. Pp. vi + 340. This is a refreshing book. It is among other things an introduction to the Chinese language, written at a level that makes it appropriate for the educated general reader. The title will suggest some of the other things the book does. I believe it is the first of its kind to devote almost as much attention (137 out of 291 pages of the text proper) to languages of China that are not

Although Mandarin Chinese is shared by Chinese communities such as Mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore, linguistic differences are frequently found among regional uses, ranging from pronunciation, orthography, vocabulary, grammar, and discourse. Along with the increasingly recognized notion of " World Chineses " in recent years, the study of the regional variations has also become more linguistically, socially, and culturally significant. Such a study facilitates more efficient communication among speakers of different varieties, reflects the social and cultural differences of the Chinese speaking communities from a linguistic perspective, and contributes to the theoretical discussion of language variation and change. With specific examples of the linguistic features exhibited in Mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore Mandarin Chinese, this chapter is an overview of the current studies, methodologies, and motivations of variation.