Cheng 1979

Cheng, Chin-Chuan. 1979. "Language reform in China in the seventies." Word: Journal of the Linguistic Circle of New York. Interest level: specialist.

In 1958, Premiere Zhou Enlai defined the following tasks of Chinese language reform:

• Character simplification
• Popularization of Putonghua, the standard language
• Popularization of Pinyin, the Chinese phonetic writing using the alphabet

Since discussion of the rationale and accomplishments of Chinese language planning before 1974 are already available, article covers only planning activities of the next few years. Predicts the status of Putonghua will remain the same, and local dialects will continue to be used for

• public broadcasts
• performing arts, and
• social functions.

States the Pinyin system is ancillary to the Chinese script, but is not used in ordinary writing or printing of running texts. Pinyin is used for

• writing minority languages
• railroad telecommunication
• Chinese Braille, and
• Chinese finger spelling for the hearing impaired.

However, Chinese writing script will remain in use for a long time because of the cultural heritage stored in the form of printing in characters.

• Bibliography module: Cheng 1979
• In overview module: Bibliography (Literacy): C
• In modular book: Bibliography (Literacy), by Doris Gallemore, Trudi C. Hunt, Jeanne Swanson, and Stephen L. Walter
• In document collection: Reference materials
• In bookshelf: Literacy

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