Course Overview, Participants and Outcomes
This course is designed for Chinese-major undergraduates and CEAS-major graduate students who wish to develop their knowledge of Chinese language politics and reform. It is a 5-CET elective module that requires 130 hours of study.
In China, language has long been seen as a powerful instrument of statecraft, intricately linked to the nation's aspirations for modernisation and national unity. This course explores the complex historical trajectory of language reform in China, examining how linguistic policies have been utilised to reshape social, cultural, and political landscapes from the late-Qing dynasty to the present day. It covers issues such as the formation of a phonetic system for Chinese characters, the simplification of characters, and the creation and promotion of a common national language with consistent pronunciation. It also analyses the motivations and politics behind these reforms. The module is designed to provide a solid foundational understanding of these topics. It underscores several key points: the language reform process has not been simple or linear, particularly during the late-Qing and Republican eras; that conceptual confusion is easily possible regarding certain terms (e.g., Mandarin), which have meant different things at different times; and that there is ongoing contestation regarding important (and politically controversial) issues, such as are many of the non-Mandarin language varieties in China (e.g., Cantonese) simply Chinese dialects or separate Sinitic languages. To examine these issues the course provides a number of readings and multi-media resources. It is important to read/view these materials in the order they are presented in the syllabus as this will ensure you build your understanding of the complex language reform process incrementally.
By the end of the course you will:
1. Understand the key language reforms that have been enacted since the late nineteenth century
2. Understand the motivations and politics surrounding these reforms
3. Appreciate the main debates about the outcomes and implications of the reforms in relation to issues such as national unity and minority language rights
4. Develop your ability to debate and critique important language reform related topics with your classmates with reference to relevant literature
5. Develop academic research and writing skills through composing a literature-based essay that critically analyses a specific aspect of Chinese language reform.
- Teacher
Jiaqi Guo