The Structure of the Mandarin Syllable: Why, When and How to Teach it

Students of Mandarin mostly have to rely on blindly imitating their teachers while learning the basic syllabary. We believe that a timely explanation of Mandarin syllable structure and its functional components in the early stage of teaching pronunciation could make teaching Mandarin syllabary considerably more efficient. The article is concerned with an isolated segmental syllable of Mandarin, leaving aside the suprasegmental component of tone. Two basic models of the Chinese syllable are introduced: the traditional Initial-Final model, adopted as the basis of the pinyin spelling system, and the modern Onset-Rime model. The advantages of the first model for language teaching are identified. The four traditional components at the level of segment an initial, a medial, a main vowel and a terminal (C, G, V, X) are introduced. A review of their articulatory properties follows. This knowledge can be directly used in training the correct pronunciation of Mandarin syllables. The suggested approach, drawing on the traditions of Chinese phonology, is viewed as more benefitial than the "Western" phonological approach of working with the concept of vowels and consonants - at least for pedagogical purposes.