A billion voices
Subtitle: China's search for a common language
By: David Moser
Series: Penguin specials; China specials; Penguin special
Publisher: Penguin Books
Published: 2016
Language: eng
Number of pages: 120
ISBN-13: 9780734399595
Subjects: Languages; Political aspects; Language planning; Chinese language; Language policy
Other titles: China's search for a common language
Description: "Mandarin, Guoyu or Putonghua? "Chinese" is a language known by many names, and China is a country home to many languages. Since the turn of the century linguists and politicians have been on a mission to create a common language for China. From the radical intellectuals of the May Fourth Movement, to leaders such as Chiang Kai-shek, and Mao Zedong, all fought to push the boundaries of language reform. Now, Internet users take the Chinese language in new and unpredictable directions. David Moser tells the remarkable story of China's language unification agenda and its controversial relationship with modern politics, challenging our conceptions of what it means to speak and be Chinese." -- Publisher's description
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (pages 111-120).