The following term paper deals with the question how the standardization of languages developed around the foundation of the Republic of China. In addition to that, the author tries to assess why the first attempt of standardization and its manifest, the guóyīn zìdiǎn failed.
The term paper starts with an overview of the language situation in China at the turn of the 19th century. The author then gives details about the guóyīn zìdiǎn and how it was developed. In the last part, the term paper tries to evaluate why the guó yīn zì diǎn in its first attempt had to fail and why the second attempt, the guó yīn cháng yòng zì huì almost a decade later, was able to function as a first sucessful base for the standardization of the Chinese language. The basis for this evaluation is the change model by John P. Kotter, which defines eight steps for a sucessful change (1995).
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Reasons for the standardization of the Chinese language
2.1 External reasons
2.2 Internal reasons
3. First structured attempt to standardize the Chinese language and its manifest: guóyīn zìdiǎn
3.1 Decision making
3.2 Content
3.3 Principles
4. Theoretical approach to change management: Kotter’s eight step-model
5. Why did the guóyīn zìdiǎn fail in the first place?
6. Reasons for the success of the guóyīn chángyòng zìhuì
7. Conclusion
Research Objectives and Themes
This paper examines the historical efforts to standardize the Chinese language between 1895 and the 1930s, specifically analyzing why the initial attempt, the guóyīn zìdiǎn, failed compared to later, more successful initiatives. By applying John P. Kotter’s change management model, the author evaluates the political and social obstacles that hindered early linguistic reform while highlighting the factors that ultimately led to the adoption of a standardized national language.
- The historical context of Chinese diglossia and language reform.
- Evaluation of the guóyīn zìdiǎn project and its methodological shortcomings.
- Application of Kotter’s eight-step change management model to governmental reform.
- The role of the guóyīn chángyòng zìhuì in successful language standardization.
- Institutionalization and societal acceptance of modernized Chinese.
Excerpt from the Book
3.1 Decision making
As already mentioned, the standardization of the language was decided upon by a commission that was put together shortly after the foundation of the Republic of China in 2012. It comprised of members that were selected by the newly founded Ministry of Education and alledgedly two delegates of each of the 22 provinces. The members were chosen according to their expertise in either traditional phonology, traditional philology, Chinese dialects or the knowledge of a second language (Chen 17). The main goal of the dúyīn tóngyì huì was to work on and find a conclusion for three major topics: the standard pronunciation of characters in common use, the repertoire of basic sounds in the standard language and a phonetic alphabet, which could be used for sound annotation and should be able to represent each basic sound in standard Chinese by a distinctive letter (Chen 17).
Taking a look at the constellation of the represented provinces, it becomes evident that the provinces were represented very heterogeneously. While the most of the provinces where just represented by one to four members, the eastern provinces Zhejiang, Jiangsu and Zhili together accounted for more than thirty members, with Zhejiang itself accounting for 17 members. In addition to that, most members of the Jiangsu and Zhejiang delegation were representatives of the educational establishment or well-known intellectuals (Kaske 409). But due to the fact that the decision about pronunciation, spelling and orthography were all made on a one-province-one-vote basis, the final result did not just represent a single regional dialect, but was rather a compromise, which mixed specification from different regional dialects (Kaske 413).
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: The introduction outlines the state of diglossia in China at the turn of the 19th century and introduces the research question regarding the failure of the guóyīn zìdiǎn.
2. Reasons for the standardization of the Chinese language: This chapter details the external and internal pressures, such as defeat in the Sino-Japanese War and the desire to bridge the gap between classical and vernacular language.
3. First structured attempt to standardize the Chinese language and its manifest: guóyīn zìdiǎn: This section describes the commission established to standardize Chinese, the decision-making process, and the content of the resulting dictionary.
4. Theoretical approach to change management: Kotter’s eight step-model: The author introduces John P. Kotter’s framework for organizational change and argues for its applicability to governmental reforms.
5. Why did the guóyīn zìdiǎn fail in the first place?: This chapter analyzes the reasons behind the failure of the dictionary, citing its hybrid nature and political inconsistencies.
6. Reasons for the success of the guóyīn chángyòng zìhuì: The chapter explores the success factors of the successor publication, emphasizing its alignment with the Beijing dialect and societal institutionalization.
7. Conclusion: The conclusion summarizes the 30-year development of Chinese standardization and suggests future areas for research regarding post-1949 reforms.
Keywords
Chinese language, Standardization, guóyīn zìdiǎn, diglossia, Kotter’s change model, Republic of China, Phonetic notation, zhùyīn zìmǔ, báihuà, linguistic reform, Beijing dialect, language policy, language history, education, modern Chinese.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core subject of this paper?
The paper examines the historical attempts to standardize the Chinese language in the early 20th century, focusing on the failure of the first major dictionary project and the later success of subsequent efforts.
What are the primary themes discussed?
The paper explores linguistic diglossia, the influence of Japanese educational reforms on China, the political impact on language policy, and the application of management theory to historical change.
What is the main research objective?
The objective is to understand why the first standardization attempt, the guóyīn zìdiǎn, failed while later attempts, such as the guóyīn chángyòng zìhuì, succeeded in establishing a base for modern standard Chinese.
Which methodology is applied?
The author uses a historical-analytical approach, utilizing John P. Kotter’s eight-step change management model to evaluate the success and failure of these linguistic reform initiatives.
What topics are covered in the main body?
The main body covers the external and internal drivers of standardization, the decision-making processes of the early 20th-century linguistic commissions, and the practical application of organizational change theory to nation-wide language reform.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include Chinese standardization, guóyīn zìdiǎn, diglossia, Kotter’s model, and linguistic reform in the Republic of China.
How does the author explain the failure of the guóyīn zìdiǎn?
The failure is attributed to the dictionary's hybrid, non-standardized pronunciation, which was a compromise of various dialects rather than a cohesive phonetic system, as well as shifting political support during the post-revolutionary era.
Why was the successor, guóyīn chángyòng zìhuì, more successful?
It was more successful because it was based on the widely accepted Beijing dialect, simplified phonetic requirements, and benefited from a simultaneous administrative push towards vernacular literature (báihuà) in schools.
- Quote paper
- Holger Weinreich (Author), 2015, Reasons for failure and implications on later standardization efforts. Standardization of the Chinese language, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/450380
