The Sounds of Chinese with Audio CD
Cambridge University Press, 10/18/2007
EAN 9780521603980, ISBN10: 0521603986
Paperback, 328 pages, 24.9 x 18.1 x 2 cm
Language: English
Originally published in English
This accessible textbook provides a clear introduction to the sounds of Standard Chinese, designed for English-speaking students with no prior knowledge of linguistics. It explains from scratch the fundamentals of articulatory phonetics (the study of how speech sounds are produced) and phonology (the study of sound systems), and clearly applies them to the phonetic and phonological properties of Chinese. Topics covered include consonants, vowels, syllable structure, tone, stress, intonation, loan words and different varieties of Standard Chinese. Clear comparisons with English sounds are given wherever relevant, along with practical pronunciation advice. All the sounds described are demonstrated by native speakers on the audio CD (included) and over fifty graded exercises are provided, encouraging students to put their knowledge into practice. Building a solid understanding of how Chinese sounds work, this text will be invaluable to students of Chinese wishing to improve their pronunciation, their teachers, and students of Chinese linguistics.
1. Introduction; 2. Consonants; 3. Vowels and glides; 4. Tone; 5. Syllable structure; 6. Phonetic transcription and Pinyin; 7. Segmental processes I; 8. Segmental processes II; 9. Tonal processes; 10. Stress and intonation; 11. Loanword adaptation; 12. Variation in Standard Chinese; Appendices.