Modern Chinese Language. Phonetics in Schemes

The Chinese language is a tonal language, therefore the most important factor in achieving a good level of proficiency in Chinese is correct pronunciation, especially correct pronunciation of syllables in four tones, that is, proper phonetic preparation. This textbook is... aimed at high school students and students of non-language specialties and is designed for 16-20 academic 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 articulation process, relying on the innate ability of people to imitate pronunciation. A large phonetic material is attached to the textbook, accessible 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 learning for Russian-speaking students and leads to a long acquisition of correct pronunciation. For each case of syllable reading, where tonal pronunciation poses particular difficulty, the manual offers author-developed graphic schemes with detailed comments. Visual perception of the scheme facilitates students' understanding of how to correctly pronounce the syllable. Each of the four lessons in the manual addresses the pronunciation of syllables and combinations of syllables and provides exercises for reading and listening in the following sequence: individual syllables, bisyllabic combinations, and multisyllabic combinations. Examples for the pronunciation of bisyllabic and multisyllabic combinations are usually taken from the frequency vocabulary contained in Chinese language manuals. Thus, students obtain not only sufficient phonetic practice but also solid knowledge of pronunciation rules, which eases the learning process in the future. After completing the phonetic part of the language course, at the next stage of language learning, it is necessary to constantly pay attention to phonetics, use phonetic tasks, and correct incorrect pronunciation.