The Influence of Chinese Dialects on English Pronunciation Acquisition

Abstract

Dialect, as one of the most influential forms of standard language, has a great influence on second language pronunciation acquisition. As a unique symbol of Chinese culture, Chinese dialect has been paid more and more attention by researchers in recent years. It is important for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers to realize the effect of dialects on English education for Chinese students. Therefore, this paper will focus on Chinese dialects, especially on the negative influence of Chinese dialects among different regions on English pronunciation. Firstly, as a statement of background information, this paper introduces the main condition of Chinese dialects, including classification and distribution. By utilizing a quantitative method of research, the authors collected data of participants from three different provinces in China via the questionnaire designed independently. Moreover, through reviewing existing literature and information, this paper cites the research results shown in the literature as supplementary of our own data and thus to make a more complete analysis of the transfer of Chinese dialects to English pronunciation. After combining original data of the research group with previous literature, this paper summarizes common negative influence of Chinese dialects on EFL by discussing specific English pronunciation problems in different dialect regions in China, finds reasons for each problem from perspectives like language transfer theory and linguistic characteristics of Chinese dialects, and gives solutions and pedagogical countermeasures accordingly. It is expected that this paper can provide some useful reference for EFL learners and teachers in China.