Modern Chinese Language. Phonetics in Schemes

The Chinese language is a tonal language, so the most important factor in achieving a good level of proficiency in Chinese is correct pronunciation, especially the correct pronunciation of syllables in the four tones, that is, appropriate phonetic training. This tutorial is aimed at high school students and students of non-linguistic specialties and is designed for 16-20 class hours (with a total course duration of no more than 1.5 months). It practically lacks special phonetic terms and diagrams of the speech apparatus structure. The principles of sound pronunciation are described not from a theoretical point of view, but from the perspective of the pronunciation process, relying on the innate ability of people to imitate pronunciation. The textbook includes a large phonetic material available via the link on the cover. Listening to audio materials is an essential condition for mastering pronunciation skills. The presence of four tones in the Chinese language complicates language study for Russian-speaking students and leads to prolonged mastery of correct pronunciation. For each case of syllable reading, where the tone pronunciation presents particular difficulty, the tutorial offers graphic schemes developed by the author with detailed comments. The visual perception of the scheme helps students understand how to correctly pronounce the syllable. Each of the four lessons of the tutorial considers the pronunciation of syllables and combinations of syllables and provides exercises in reading and listening in the following sequence: individual syllables, two-syllable combinations, and multi-syllable combinations. Examples for the pronunciation of two-syllable and multi-syllable combinations are generally taken from the frequency vocabulary contained in Chinese language textbooks. Thus, students obtain not only sufficient phonetic practice but also solid knowledge of pronunciation rules, which facilitates the learning process later. After completing the stage of studying the phonetic part of the language course, it is necessary to constantly pay attention to phonetics, use phonetic tasks, and correct incorrect pronunciation in the next stage of language learning.