Segmental structure of Mandarin syllable

This dissertation concerns itself with the segmental syllable of Mandarin, i.e., of standard Chinese as codified in P.R.C. and known as putonghua. While it leaves aside the aspect of tone it explores all major topics related to the phonological and phonetic description of the isolated Mandarin segmental syllable and the ways in which they are treated in broad literature, both Chinese and Western. We approach the subject from the perspective of teaching Chinese as a second language (TCSL), where mastering the syllabary (cca 400 segmental syllables, 1300 tonic syllables) represents a crucial basic step. Poor command of the pronunciation of isolated syllables will inevitably have a detrimental effect on the spoken language competence of a student. Because the pinyin romanization system (developed in P.R.C., officially approved in 1958) assumedly is the only feasible phonological system for the paedagogical purposes, the present dissertation does not aspire to establish any new phonological interpretation of the Mandarin syllable (although some attempts will be made). After making a broad comparison of existing analyses and their pros and cons, we strive to explore the solutions most convenient for the purposes of teaching pronunciation.Along with accepting pinyin as a phonological background, we advocate for a..