A Study on the Publication of English Textbooks with Chinese Character Phonetic Notation in the Late Qing and the Republican China

Abstract

This study examines the development of English textbooks annotated with Chinese characters for pronunciation (1748-1949). These materials, categorized into vocabulary, conversation, comprehensive, and ESP types, used dialects like Cantonese and Mandarin to transcribe English sounds. They served as both a bridge for Sino-English phonetic systems and a cultural adaptation strategy: while leveraging native language influence to facilitate early learning, they risked distorting cultural nuances. Research on these textbooks reveals grassroots responses to Western linguistic impact and offers insights into localization practices and identity negotiation in language learning.