Pronunciation According to the Cantonese Dialect and the Teaching of Ancient Literary Composition in Rhyme

This article discusses what kind of pronunciation should be used in recitation during the teaching of ancient Chinese literary composition in rhyme. The author thinks that pronunciation according to the Cantonese dialect is a very reasonable choice. When compared with Putonghua in the teaching of ancient Chinese literary composition in rhyme, the use of the Cantonese dialect excels in the following aspects: the tones of the Cantonese dialect resemble that of the medieval times in China whereas those of Putonghua do not; the tones of the Cantonese dialect fit well with the tonal pattern of classical Chinese poetry whereas those of Putonghua do not; the Cantonese dialect retains the entering tone whereas Putonghua does not; the Cantonese dialect retains the bilabial nasal syllable coda (m) whereas Putonghua does not; the Cantonese dialect retains both the sharp and rounded sounds whereas Putonghua only retains the rounded sound; ancient Chinese poems usually rhyme well when recited in the Cantonese dialect whereas they often do not rhyme when recited in Putonghua. Therefore, if teachers use pronunciation according to the Cantonese dialect when they teach ancient Chinese literary composition in rhyme, things will go smoothly.

Keywords

Cantonese dialect ancient Chinese literary composition in rhyme recitation Putonghua archaic Chinese phonology

source

International Journal of Chinese Language Education; Dec 2018; Issue No. 4; p.1 - 23

Publisher

Department of Chinese Language Studies, The Education University of Hong Kong
Chinese Language Program, Columbia University
Chung Hwa Book Co. (H.K.) Ltd.

Language

Chinese

ISSN

2520-7733 (Print); 2521-4241 (Online)