The language that will be examined in the future research paper is Standard Chinese language, namely the Beijing dialect. One of the reasons this particular language was chosen is because “Chinese dialects entail rich variation and present a wealth of research question, encompassing historical phonology, family classification” (Tang, 2018, p. 547). Such aspects of it will be explored as the structure of Mandarin syllables and characteristics of phonemes. Their conventional classification models will be given and explained. Moreover, at least a third of the work will be devoted to the analysis of Standard Chinese through Optimality Theory. The upcoming study aims to expand personal knowledge of the Beijing dialect, other languages, and linguistics in general. The development of research skills is also seen as one of the goals.
Optimality Theory offers a complex theoretical framework for the study of the Beijing dialect. To be more precise, its approach to phonology allows detailed analysis of phonemes’ characteristics from different perspectives. One of them is the cognitive view of phonemes, their origin, and development, which van de Weijer (2019) describes in his work. Another article that was selected for the subsequent research is Constructing the Mandarin Phonological Network: Novel Syllable Inventory Used to Identify Schematic Segmentation by Neergaard & Huang. The authors provide readers with the unique Mandarin phonological network (Neergaard & Huang, 2019). This information will help understand and develop new knowledge of such components of Standard Chinese as CV syllables, coronal stops, obstruent, and minimum foot size better. Book by Boberg, Nerbonne, and Watt provides insight into the discipline of dialectology in general and Chinese dialects in particular. Dialectical features are important even in the study of a single dialect. Dialectic features are important even in the study of a single dialect.
References
Neergaard, K. D., & Huang, C. R. (2019). Constructing the Mandarin phonological network: Novel syllable inventory used to identify schematic segmentation. Complexity, 2019(6979830), 1-21. Web.
Tang, C. (2018). Dialects of Chinese. In Boberg, C., Nerbonne, J., & Watt, D. (Eds.), The handbook of dialectology (pp. 547-559). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
Van de Weijer, J. (2019). Where now with optimality theory? Acta Linguistica Academica, 66(1), 115-135.