Issues of Phonetics & Phonology in Learning Standard Chinese as Foreign Language.

Abstract

The Chinese language family is introduced as a major branch of the Sino-Tibetan family. The study of the sound system of language normally starts with phonetics followed by phonology. With the emergence of generative phonology, the whole field of phonology has changed significantly. Numerous works of many authors have gradually prepared the ground for a monograph that would re-examine the entire phonology of Mandarin from a new theoretical format. This research explores many issues of the Mandarin sound system that have not been studied previously. The issues faced by foreign students in learning Standard Chinese phonetics and phonology have been a matter of much concern. This study focuses on the issues related to the use of consonants, vowels, glides, tones, and pinyin. Questionnaires and SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) have been adopted as the methods of data collecting and analyzing respectively. This study reveals the nature of phonetics and phonology in Standard Chinese, how students learn Chinese, the issues raised on Phonetics & phonology in Standard Chinese, its negative impact, and solutions to reduce these issue. It futher reveals proper learning methodology & practices to develop accurate phonography & phonology in Standard Chinese. The richness of its composition enables the identification of the correct rules of phonetics & phonology in Standard Chinese.