Chinese Signs
An Introduction to China's Linguistic Landscape

Highlighting stylistic and rhetorical characteristics, this book provides authentic snapshots of the linguistic landscape of China.

Zheng-sheng Zhang (Author)

9781108969697, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 7 March 2024

238 pages
24.4 x 16.7 x 1.3 cm, 0.42 kg

Highlighting stylistic and rhetorical characteristics, this fully illustrated book explores the written form of Mandarin Chinese in a range of everyday settings. Taking examples from Chinese public writing across a variety of textual genres, such as signs, banners and advertisements, it prepares students for navigating 'real world' Chinese, not only in terms of its linguistic and stylistic characteristics, but also its social and cultural context. Drawing over 500 pictorial examples from the linguistic landscape, it explores the signs from a variety of perspectives, for example by highlighting elements of classical Chinese that are still used in the modern language, showing the most popular rhetorical patterns used in Chinese, and presenting the interactions between both Standard Mandarin and dialect, and Chinese and other languages. Detailed annotations are provided for all signs, in both Chinese and English, to accommodate readers of all proficiency levels in Chinese.

Part I. General Characteristics: 1. Why signs?
2. Stylistic traits
3. Rhetorical devices
4. Non-uniform format
Part II. Essential Signs
5. Airport and arrival
6. Hotels
7. Basic services
8. Getting your bearings
9. Getting around
10. Eating
11. Shopping
12. Schools and offices
13. Culture and entertainment
14. Alerts
15. Health
Part IV. Other Signs
16. Advertising
17. Civic signs
18. Dialetical elements
19. The Chinese diaspora
20. Foreign infusion
21. Mistranslation.

Subject Areas: Linguistics [CF]