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A Short Course in the Pin-Yin Romanization Method:

• Jack Jinghui Liu• 敬辉刘• 刘敬辉

PurduePu Du 普渡 -

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Module One

A Short Course in the Chinese Characters and Pin-Yin

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Chinese Characters History

• The Chinese language has existed for probably 5,000 years or more.

• Original writing system was

pictographic, similar to the Egyptian hieroglyphs, dating back probably 3,500 years ago or more.

• When the country was united under a

single emperor, the writing system was simplified and made standard. The characters became more abstract but much simpler.

• Since 1958, the PRC mandated a new simplification of Chinese characters. Taiwan still uses the traditional/older system.

Traditional Chinese:

學 漢 餐

Simplified Chinese :

学 汉 餐 (since 1958)

Japanese:

学 漢 食

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Chinese and Japanese both use similar writing systems, and traditionally write from right to left, down.

＊这是中文。我们都学习

中文。

　＊これは日本語です。

私達は日本語を勉

強していません。

Both languages use the same mark for periods and contain no spaces between characters.

Nowadays, both languages are written most often in the Western style, left to right and across.

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• The Pin-Yin Romanization method has generally replaced the older Wades-Giles method for attempting to Romanize the Chinese language since 1958 in Mainland China.

• Pin-yin is attempt at teaching Chinese pronunciation to native/non-native speakers.

• Pin-Yin can be used to accurately pronounce most Chinese words with the correct tone markings.

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Six Simple Finals

a o e i u ü

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A Chinese syllable is composed of an initial and final.

wai/wei shai/zhai

b.an/b.en sh.an/sh.en

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Finals

ai ei ao ou          

an en ang eng          

ia iao ie iou ian in iang ing  

ua uo uai uei uan un uang weng  

üe üan üen

iong/üeng

iong

         

er        

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Twenty-one Initial Sounds

• These initial letters have the same pronunciation as in English:

• M-- (as in "man") • N-- (as in "no") • L-- (as in "letter") • F-- (as in "from") • S-- (as in "sheep") • W-- (as in "woman") • Y-- (as in "yes")

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The following initial letters are the more difficult for English speakers:

• ZH-- (as in "jeweler") • CH-- (as in ZH above, but with a strong puff of breath) • SH-- (as in "shoe") • R-- (as in "run") • C-- (like the "ts" in "it's high", but with a strong puff of breath) • J-- (as in "Jeff") • Q-- (like the "ch" in "cheese") • X-- (like the "sh" in "sheep")

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Initial letters• The following initial letters have slight differences as noted below. If the comment calls for

a strong puff of breath, old your open hand several inches from your mouth and make certain that you can actually "feel" the breath as you pronounce the letter.

• P-- (as in "pun") note: use a strong puff of breath • K-- (as in "cola") note: use a strong puff of breath • T-- (as in "tongue") note: use a strong puff of breath • B-- (as in "bum") note: no puff of breath • D-- (as in "dung") note: no puff of breath • G-- (as in "good") note: no puff of breath • H-- (as in "hot") note: slightly more aspirated than in English

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Activities

Please listen to me and mark the mark tones

Zhong Wen – Chinese (1+2) Cheng Long – (Jackie Chen) (2+2)

Yao Ming – Yaoming (2+2) Li Lian jie- Jet Li (3+2+2)

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Tones

• Each syllable has a tone or movement of it's pitch which is important to the meaning of the word.

• In Chinese an incorrect intonation of a single word can completely change it's meaning.

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Numbers and Sign Language

Yi Er San Si Wu

一 二 三 四 五 1 2 3 4 5

Liu Qi Ba Jiu Shi

六 七 八 九 十 6 7 8 9 10

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Useful Expression

• Ni Hao - （ Hello ） 你 好• Xie Xie – Thank you 谢 谢 ……………………………………• Dui bu qi – Sorry 对 不 起• Bu yao – I do not want it. 不 要 …………………..• Zai Jian – Byebye 再 见• Wo Shi Mei guo ren – I am American 我 是 美 国 人

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Module Two

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Rhetoric of the Chinese Cultural Revolution: Impact on Chinese Thought, Culture, and Communication,

Lucy Xing Lu (2004). • Political Slogans• Wall Posters• Songs and Model Opera• To this day many Chinese people tend to categorize their world into

black versus white and good versus evil. This type of either/or thinking has affected every aspect of Chinese life, from judgment made about international crisis to personal interactions and intrapsychic life.

Lucy Xing Lu (2004). Rhetoric of the Chinese Cultural Revolution: Impact on Chinese Thought, Culture, and Communication, University of Souh Carolina Press.

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Notion of Harmony

China• Everything is in

harmony• Change is viewed as

disruptive• Reason -- too many

people

US• Efficiency and

effectiveness• End result• logical reasoning on

facts• change to get desired

results

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Importance of Relationship

China• 4 important social

groups: relatives, schoolmates, personal friends, and the indirect relationship from the 3

• Importance of “guanxi” (connection)

US• constitutions

guarantee the rights• a short history to

inherit traditions• stress on

individualism for personal achievement

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Relationship (continued)

• Agricultural state (small community mentality)

• privacy is not highly valued

• individualism is not singled out

• “rule of man” over “rule of law”

• Relatively few norms• melting pot• Increased tolerance

on diversity• separate personal

and business relationship

• friendship can be formed and dissolved quickly

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Communication-continued

• Non-linear thinking• pragmatic thinking• rare physical contact• no eye contact• “Yes” means “I am

listening” (not I accept)

• Linear thinking• pragmatic and look

for innovation• normal touching • eye contact is

important (implying I have no harm)

• Hi- means friendly

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Rule of Banquet

China• Much attention to

eating and drinking• Private rooms in

restaurant• round table with

chopsticks• Seats assigned• Do not stretch arm

for food

US• using club members

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                                                   Dumpling Vs.

Pizza

                                               

    

  Indirect Vs. Direct

                             

                      

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Collectivistic Vs. Individualistic

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Module Three

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Indiana- China: E-Pal Project Dear American friend,

I am glad to talk with you. My name is Sophia and i am from zhejiang province. i think it wonderful to make friends with a person who i will never see.

In my school ,everyone is strict with himself even though, we don't have too much homework .most of our classmates are far better than me and it makes me a little worried. but i am always well confident. the worst thing to stay in school is that i can't sleep well. i sleep for only less than 7hours and the next day i feel sleepy. the cause is that some of my roommates are always studying until very late. I become a little angry but i am not able to do anything for myself. however, I like school life.how about you.i'm looking forward to your reply.

Yuanjing

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Letter from China

Hello my dear friend, my name is HuangDecheng. With a lot of homework to do, I feel tired. What’s worse, my study doesn't go well. I have some difficulties in learning English. I find it hard to remember the words, the grammar and other useful language points. I feel worried, how can I improve my English? can you give me some advice? Thank you for your help! I am looking forward to receiving your letter.

yours, HuangDecheng

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Closing thoughts: