The Past, Present and Future of Mandarin

 

The Past, Present and Future of Mandarin

By David Moser

Moderated by: Tan Chee Lay

 

In this opening lecture at TranslateSingapore 2017, world renowned language expert David Moser 莫大伟 (A Billion Voices: China’s Search for a Common Language) explores the question, "Where did our current global version of standard Chinese come from, and where is it going?"  Whether it is called Mandarin, huayu, guoyu, or putonghua, the world's Chinese now have a common tongue.  In the 21st century, the problems are largely pedagogical: What is the best way to teach the language to the tens of millions of foreigners and Chinese heritage learners who tackle it every year?  How can we address the problems of learners in Chinese diaspora communities in Singapore, and around the world?  How can we make the Chinese characters easier to learn in the new cyberspace century?  And how can the study of the language serve as a vehicle for the spread of Chinese culture itself.  David Moser answers these questions and more.

 

The lecture will be followed by a roundtable discussion.

 

Roundtable Discussion: Chinese and Me

Featuring: David Moser, Tan Chee Lay, Sukanya Pushkarna, Lai Chee Kien, Ho Ai Li 

 

With the rise of China, Chinese is gradually becoming a global language.  But as the language spreads around the world, could more local variants develop, as in the case of English?  How connected does a Chinese person in Southeast Asia feel to Beijing Mandarin compared to the vernacular version?  A diverse panel of speakers discuss their own relationship to the Chinese language and the roles the language plays in their cultural, economic and social lives.

 

The programmes will be in English and some Mandarin.

  

Tickets: $22, $18 (Students and Senior Citizens).

To purchase tickets, please visit http://peatix.com/event/286262

 

For more information on the programmes, please visit : http://www.selectcentre.org