Overview
The Chinese language, spoken by over one billion people, has undergone drastic changes over the past century in a way unparalleled at any time previously. This book presents a comprehensive account of the development of Modern Chinese from the late nineteenth century up to the 1990s, concentrating on three major aspects: Modern Spoken Chinese, Modern Written Chinese, and the Modern Chinese writing system. It describes and analyses in detail, from historical and sociolinguistic perspectives, the establishment and promotion of Modern Spoken Chinese and Modern Written Chinese and the reform of the Chinese script. Through an integrated discussion of these three areas of the language it highlights the close interrelationships between them and reveals the interaction of linguistic, historical and social factors in the development of Modern Chinese.
Full Product Details
Author: Ping Chen (University of Queensland)
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Imprint: Cambridge University Press (Virtual Publishing)
ISBN: 9781139164375
ISBN 10: 1139164376
Publication Date: 05 June 2012
Audience:
College/higher education
,
Professional and scholarly
,
Tertiary & Higher Education
,
Professional & Vocational
Format: Undefined
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: Available To Order
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Reviews
'Modern Chinese: History and Sociolinguistics is an excellent work, placing the development of modern Chinese in its social and historical context. Its publication is a great step forward for Chinese language studies and linguistics. It should be prescribed reading for all advanced students.' The Australian Higher Education
'Modern Chinese: History and Sociolinguistics is an excellent work, placing the development of modern Chinese in its social and historical context. Its publication is a great step forward for Chinese language studies and linguistics. It should be prescribed reading for all advanced students.' The Australian Higher Education ...Ping Chen's account of the history of standard Chinese is interesting and thought-provoking...a rich, valuable, and important addition to the basic literature in the field of Chinese linguistics. The book will be of great interest both to students who seek an introduction to the nature of Modern Chinese in its sociolinguistic aspects and to specialists who wish to delve further into any of those aspects. Anthropological Linguistics Modern Chinese whets our appetite for more and better analysis of language change. Until recently, the study of Chinese sociolinguistics has beed neglected because of politics. Chen's unprecedented attention to sociolinguistics opens up insights on language and social relationships that are just now beginning to be explored. Language in Society
