Educational Chinese Linguistics Paper #1
10/03/2013
The Chinese language can be a challenging language to learn for native English speakers. There are enough similarities between English and Chinese such as grammar and pronunciation that can act as an gateway for elementary Chinese learners to become acclimated to Chinese, however, difficulty arrises at the intermediate levels. With students having to tackle more difficult grammar, an increasingly complex character based writing system, and correctly pronounce the different tones attached to each character, Chinese can quickly become daunting for students. However, though difficult, these challenges are not insurmountable and can be overcome with the proper guidance given by the teacher and the appropriate motivations instilled in the students.
Beyond language learning itself is the incredibly rich literary history and evolution of the Chinese language over the course of a multitude of dynasties and wars. The occurrence of "隶变" or li4bian4 during the Han Dynasty and the creation of a standardized Chinese dialect with accompanying standardized character based writing system established the means to a more efficient government system and made communication easier throughout the academic world as well as the government.
In this short paper the question of whether Chinese is a difficult language to master for non-native speakers will be addressed, as well as the the effects of li bian and on the Chinese language. As a side note, since students of different language backgrounds will naturally have different areas of difficulty with learning Chinese, it is best to state that this paper will be addressing Chinese learning from a native English learner's perspective. Thus, let us consider some of the difficulties of learning Chinese.
At the beginning levels to learning Chinese, there are enough similarities to English that make the process relatively simple. As a non-native Chinese language learner and speaking from personal experience, having the crutch of pinyin to lean on while first learning pronunciation and initial Chinese grammar was a large advantage. While it was necessary to take time and properly learn the pinyin system as there are phonemes outside English phonology within pinyin, it was still easier than having to deal with a phoneticized character system such as the zhuyin fuhao system prevalent for learning Chinese in Taiwan, or hiragana in the Japanese language. In addition to pinyin, there are relatively few differences in pronunciation of phonemes between Chinese and English. Besides the necessity to pay attention to the differences between the /sh/, /zh/, /ch/ and /x/, /j/, /q/ phonemes, other pronunciation does not pose a large hurdle for native English speakers.
The SVO structure of both English and Chinese grammar is a convenient overlap similarity in that it makes the learning process less complex. For early learners, the explanation that "我是安卓" is the same as “I am Andras” in English is very reassuring in that sentence structure was the same. For other languages where the verb is placed at the end of the sentence, students could initially have difficulty with rearranging the grammar structures. This said, there are many other grammar structures such as the "把" structure that are not present in English that eventually cause difficulties for students as they advance in their language studies. Though there are certain similarities between English and Chinese that can make language learning simple, there are also fundamentally different language points that make language learning more difficult as the student progresses in his studies.
Two primary difficulties, among others, that native English speakers have with learning Chinese is the character based writing system and also the four tones of Chinese. As there are approximately 900 characters needed to be functionally literate in Chinese, not to mention the seemingly endless combinations that those 900 characters can render, it is a hugely daunting task to learn those characters. Compared with the 26 character phonetic alphabet system of the English written language, learners often find task of learning these characters difficult not only because of the large number of character, but also due to having no experience learning a writing system of that nature.
In addition to the writing system, remembering which tones are attached to certain words and how to modify them when different tones are present can also be difficult. Since utilizing tones is a skill which exists outside English, students must often times use their explicit memory to think about the tones and words they are trying to produce while also trying to use the proper grammar which is difficult to do all at the same time. Comparatively, English is not tonal based, and though the pronunciation is important, ESL learners usually have more leeway with pronunciation as a mispronounced word can be understood in context where mispronounced Chinese tones convey entirely different meanings.
Thus, though the task ahead of CSL students is immense, it is not insurmountable. With diligence and hard work, fluency is possible. Also, with the proper guidance of the teacher and a course planned not to overwhelm the students, successful language learning is achievable. However now, with the difficulties of modern day CSL students considered, we will look back at li bian and the Chinese language became the way it did.
If the Chinese language had been allowed to remain the way it was prior to the standardization of the Qin Dynasty in 221 BCE and the subsequent restructuring during the Han Dynasty (206 BCE to 220 CE), modern day learning of the language would be difficult. The Qin and Han Dynasties recognized the the necessities of bringing standardization to China in order to maintain a unified, orderly nation and establish a common means of communication for the varied peoples who lived in the same borders but spoke different dialects. Thus, with a common language, leaders were effectively able to rule different areas where they did not know the local dialect, and trade was able to increase with improved communication skills.
However, the process of changing the language itself was complicated. The process started during the Qin Dynasty when the first Emperor of a united China decided to make a common language. Drawing on aspects of the high language spoken in the courts of the Zhou Dynasty and aspects of the dialect spoken in the Qin state, he was able to create a common tongue used for government, trade, and academics. However, later during the Han Dynasty, 通语, or tong1yu3, was invented to further cement this common tongue.
The reason that modern scholars are able to see the difference between the old pictographic writing systems of the Shang and Zhou and the gradual switch to a phonetically based, standard system used during the Qin and Han dynasties (and on) was due to the spread of Buddhism to China and the translation of documents into Chinese. It was from this translation process that it was clear that a different writing system had been implemented, and this change of focus from a pictographic system to a phonetic system is called “li bian.” It was from this period and structure that the roots of modern Chinese was made.
In conclusion, the past influences of history reverberate into the modern day with language. Past choices influence the modern language of Chinese, and also present difficulties of people who grow up outside a Chinese environment have difficulty learning this ancient language. If a learner grows up in a system where Chinese characters are prevalent and learning takes place on a daily basis, they will have a far easier time acquiring that written language then non-natives who start learning at a later age as well as have less exposure. Though the written and spoken Chinese language can be difficult for second language learners, success is possible and should be strived for.
10/03/2013
The Chinese language can be a challenging language to learn for native English speakers. There are enough similarities between English and Chinese such as grammar and pronunciation that can act as an gateway for elementary Chinese learners to become acclimated to Chinese, however, difficulty arrises at the intermediate levels. With students having to tackle more difficult grammar, an increasingly complex character based writing system, and correctly pronounce the different tones attached to each character, Chinese can quickly become daunting for students. However, though difficult, these challenges are not insurmountable and can be overcome with the proper guidance given by the teacher and the appropriate motivations instilled in the students.
Beyond language learning itself is the incredibly rich literary history and evolution of the Chinese language over the course of a multitude of dynasties and wars. The occurrence of "隶变" or li4bian4 during the Han Dynasty and the creation of a standardized Chinese dialect with accompanying standardized character based writing system established the means to a more efficient government system and made communication easier throughout the academic world as well as the government.
In this short paper the question of whether Chinese is a difficult language to master for non-native speakers will be addressed, as well as the the effects of li bian and on the Chinese language. As a side note, since students of different language backgrounds will naturally have different areas of difficulty with learning Chinese, it is best to state that this paper will be addressing Chinese learning from a native English learner's perspective. Thus, let us consider some of the difficulties of learning Chinese.
At the beginning levels to learning Chinese, there are enough similarities to English that make the process relatively simple. As a non-native Chinese language learner and speaking from personal experience, having the crutch of pinyin to lean on while first learning pronunciation and initial Chinese grammar was a large advantage. While it was necessary to take time and properly learn the pinyin system as there are phonemes outside English phonology within pinyin, it was still easier than having to deal with a phoneticized character system such as the zhuyin fuhao system prevalent for learning Chinese in Taiwan, or hiragana in the Japanese language. In addition to pinyin, there are relatively few differences in pronunciation of phonemes between Chinese and English. Besides the necessity to pay attention to the differences between the /sh/, /zh/, /ch/ and /x/, /j/, /q/ phonemes, other pronunciation does not pose a large hurdle for native English speakers.
The SVO structure of both English and Chinese grammar is a convenient overlap similarity in that it makes the learning process less complex. For early learners, the explanation that "我是安卓" is the same as “I am Andras” in English is very reassuring in that sentence structure was the same. For other languages where the verb is placed at the end of the sentence, students could initially have difficulty with rearranging the grammar structures. This said, there are many other grammar structures such as the "把" structure that are not present in English that eventually cause difficulties for students as they advance in their language studies. Though there are certain similarities between English and Chinese that can make language learning simple, there are also fundamentally different language points that make language learning more difficult as the student progresses in his studies.
Two primary difficulties, among others, that native English speakers have with learning Chinese is the character based writing system and also the four tones of Chinese. As there are approximately 900 characters needed to be functionally literate in Chinese, not to mention the seemingly endless combinations that those 900 characters can render, it is a hugely daunting task to learn those characters. Compared with the 26 character phonetic alphabet system of the English written language, learners often find task of learning these characters difficult not only because of the large number of character, but also due to having no experience learning a writing system of that nature.
In addition to the writing system, remembering which tones are attached to certain words and how to modify them when different tones are present can also be difficult. Since utilizing tones is a skill which exists outside English, students must often times use their explicit memory to think about the tones and words they are trying to produce while also trying to use the proper grammar which is difficult to do all at the same time. Comparatively, English is not tonal based, and though the pronunciation is important, ESL learners usually have more leeway with pronunciation as a mispronounced word can be understood in context where mispronounced Chinese tones convey entirely different meanings.
Thus, though the task ahead of CSL students is immense, it is not insurmountable. With diligence and hard work, fluency is possible. Also, with the proper guidance of the teacher and a course planned not to overwhelm the students, successful language learning is achievable. However now, with the difficulties of modern day CSL students considered, we will look back at li bian and the Chinese language became the way it did.
If the Chinese language had been allowed to remain the way it was prior to the standardization of the Qin Dynasty in 221 BCE and the subsequent restructuring during the Han Dynasty (206 BCE to 220 CE), modern day learning of the language would be difficult. The Qin and Han Dynasties recognized the the necessities of bringing standardization to China in order to maintain a unified, orderly nation and establish a common means of communication for the varied peoples who lived in the same borders but spoke different dialects. Thus, with a common language, leaders were effectively able to rule different areas where they did not know the local dialect, and trade was able to increase with improved communication skills.
However, the process of changing the language itself was complicated. The process started during the Qin Dynasty when the first Emperor of a united China decided to make a common language. Drawing on aspects of the high language spoken in the courts of the Zhou Dynasty and aspects of the dialect spoken in the Qin state, he was able to create a common tongue used for government, trade, and academics. However, later during the Han Dynasty, 通语, or tong1yu3, was invented to further cement this common tongue.
The reason that modern scholars are able to see the difference between the old pictographic writing systems of the Shang and Zhou and the gradual switch to a phonetically based, standard system used during the Qin and Han dynasties (and on) was due to the spread of Buddhism to China and the translation of documents into Chinese. It was from this translation process that it was clear that a different writing system had been implemented, and this change of focus from a pictographic system to a phonetic system is called “li bian.” It was from this period and structure that the roots of modern Chinese was made.
In conclusion, the past influences of history reverberate into the modern day with language. Past choices influence the modern language of Chinese, and also present difficulties of people who grow up outside a Chinese environment have difficulty learning this ancient language. If a learner grows up in a system where Chinese characters are prevalent and learning takes place on a daily basis, they will have a far easier time acquiring that written language then non-natives who start learning at a later age as well as have less exposure. Though the written and spoken Chinese language can be difficult for second language learners, success is possible and should be strived for.