A SARJANA PENDIDIKAN THESIS Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements to Obtain the Sarjana Pendidikan Degree in English Language Education
A PRELIMINARY PHONOLOGICAL CONTRASTIVE ANALYSIS ON THE CONSONANTS OF ENGLISH AND CANTONESE A SARJANA PENDIDIKAN THESIS Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements to Obtain the Sarjana Pendidikan Degree in English Language Education By Bezaliel Aditya Agung Sutono Student Number: 071214079 ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION STUDY PROGRAM DEPARTMENT OF LANGUAGE AND ARTS EDUCATION FACULTY OF TEACHERS TRAINING AND EDUCATION SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
A PRELIMINARY PHONOLOGICAL CONTRASTIVE ANALYSIS ON THE CONSONANTS OF ENGLISH AND CANTONESE A SARJANA PENDIDIKAN THESIS Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements to Obtain the Sarjana Pendidikan Degree in English Language Education By Bezaliel Aditya Agung Sutono Student Number: 071214079 ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION STUDY PROGRAM DEPARTMENT OF LANGUAGE AND ARTS EDUCATION FACULTY OF TEACHERS TRAINING AND EDUCATION SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
ABSTRACT
Sutono, Bezaliel Aditya Agung. 2014. A Preliminary Phonological Contrastive
Analysis on the Consonants of English and Cantonese. Yogyakarta: English
Education Study Program. Sanata Dharma University.The study of speech sound pronunciation is both prerequisite and important. That is why the English Language Education Study Program (ELESP) of Sanata Dharma University equips its teacher-candidates with the required knowledge through linguistics classes such as Phonetics and Phonology, and Pronunciation. This is to prepare them to help learners of English from various cultural backgrounds to overcome their pronunciation problems. One of these English as a Foreign Language Learners (EFL) is the Cantonese Chinese people. Having a mother tongue which is vastly different from English, the Cantonese EFL are facing difficulties in pronouncing the Consonants of English. Therefore, the research focused first on discovering the similarities and differences of English and Cantonese consonants, and later to elaborate some possible implementations of the research findings as a recommendation in developing learning material for Cantonese EFL learners.
This research mainly equated and analyzed the consonants of English and Cantonese according to their place and manner of articulation. To achieve the objective of the research, three research problems were formulated: (1) How are the consonants of English and Cantonese similar and different? (2) What English consonants can be considered as problematic for Cantonese EFL learners to pronounce? (3) How can the research findings of the contrasted English and Cantonese consonants be implemented as a recommendation in developing learning material for Cantonese EFL learners?
In this qualitative research, the researcher employed a library-study-based phonological contrastive analysis. The research data are the cardinal consonants of English and Cantonese, analyzed in a form of phonemic inventory. The obtained data were then analyzed based on the James
’s (1980) theory on four steps of executing a contrastive analysis of the sound systems of two languages. The data obtained were based on the equation tables derived from the two languages’ phonemic inventory. Regarding the first research problem, there are 12 consonantal phonemes of English which are similar to Cantonese. They are: /p, t, k, m, n,
ŋ, f, s, h, j, w, l/. Concerning the second problem, there are also 12 consonantal phonemes of English which are nonexistent in Cantonese. They are: /b, d, g, v,
θ, ð, z, ʃ, ʒ, tʃ, dʒ, r/. Regarding the third problem, there are three possible implementations of the research findings, namely: auditory based contrastive analysis, phonological contrastive analysis on the suprasegmental features, and recommendations in developing learning material for English pronunciation teaching for Cantonese EFL learners.
ABSTRAK
Sutono, Bezaliel Aditya Agung. 2014. A Preliminary Phonological Contrastive
Analysis on the Consonants of English and Cantonese. Yogyakarta: Program
Studi Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris. Universitas Sanata Dharma.Pembelajaran pelafalan bunyi ujaran penting dan perlu untuk dikuasai. Inilah
mengapa Program Studi Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris (PBI) Universitas Sanata Dharma
memperlengkapi mahasiswa calon gurunya dengan pengetahuan yang terkait dengan
kemahiran linguistik melalui kelas-kelas seperti Phonetics and Phonology dan
Pronunciation . Ini unuk mempersiapkan para calon guru agar dapat membantu
pembelajar Bahasa Inggris dari berbagai latar belakang budaya yang mengalami kesulitan
belajar melafalkan bunyi ujaran Bahasa Inggris. Salah satu kelompok pembelajar Bahasa
Inggris sebagai bahasa asing ini adalah orang-orang Tionghoa Kanton. Memiliki bahasa
ibu yang sangat berbeda dengan Bahasa Inggris dalam berbagai aspek, orang-orang
Tionghoa Kanton menghadapi kesulitan dalam belajar melafalkan konsonan tertentu
dalam Bahasa Inggris. Menyikapi hal ini maka riset ini terfokus pertama-tama untuk
menguak kesamaan dan perbedaan konsonan dari Bahasa Inggris dan Bahasa Kanton, dan
kemudian untuk menjelaskan beberapa penerapan hasil riset ini sebagai rekomendasi
dalam mengembangkan materi pembelajaran bagi orang Tionghoa Kanton pembelajar
bahasa Inggris sebagai bahasa asing.Penelitian ini terutama dibuat untuk menyamakan dan menganalisa bunyi konsonan
Bahasa Inggris dan bahasa Kanton menurut tempat dan cara pengucapannya. Untuk
mencapai tujuan penelitian, dikembangkanlah tiga permasalahan penelitian, yakni: (1)
Apakah persamaan dan perbedaan konsonan Bahasa Inggris dan Bahasa Kanton? (2)
Konsonan Bahasa Inggris apa sajakah yang sulit dipelajari bagi orang Tionghoa Kanton
pembelajar Bahasa Inggris sebagai bahasa asing? (3) Bagaimana hasil riset dapat
diterapkan sebagai rekomendasi dalam mengembangkan materi pembelajaran bagi orang
Tionghoa Kanton pembelajar bahasa Inggris sebagai bahasa asing?Dalam penelitian kualitatif ini, peneliti melaksanakan analisa kontrastif fonologis
yang berdasar pada studi pustaka. Data yang diteliti adalah konsonan utama yang dimiliki
Bahasa Inggris dan Bahasa Kanton, semuanya diteliti dalam bentuk tabel inventaris
fonemik. Data yang didapatkan kemudian di analisa menggunakan teori milik James
(1980) yang menjabarkan empat langkah melaksanakan analisa kontrastif terhadap sistem
bunyi ujar dari dua bahasa yang dibandingkanData yang diperoleh adalah berdasarkan tabel persamaan yang dibuat dari kedua
tabel inventaris fonemik utama. Mengenai permasalahan yang pertama, ada 12 fonem
konsonan yang dimiliki Bahasa Inggris maupun Bahasa Kanton. Fonem-fonem tersebut
yakni: /p, t, k, m, n,ŋ, f, s, h, j, w, l/. Terkait permasalahan yang kedua, terdapat 12 fonem Bahasa Inggris yang tidak dimiliki oleh Bahasa Kanton, yakni : /b, d, g, v, θ, ð, z, ʃ,
ʒ, tʃ, dʒ, r/. Mengenai permasalahan yang ketiga, terdapat tiga penerapan yang mungkin
dilakukan, yakni: pelaksanaan analisa kontrastif auditorial, analisa kontrastif fonologis
terhadap fitur-fitur suprasegmental, dan rekomendasi dalam mengembangkan pembuatan
material pengajaran pelafalan bunyi ujar Inggris bagi orang Tionghoa Kanton yang
belajar Bahasa Inggris sebagai bahasa asing.Kata kunci: preliminary phonological contrastive analysis, consonants of English,
皇
天
上
帝
耶和华是我的岩石，我的山寨，我的救主，我的上帝，
我的力量，在其中我会信任; 我的盾牌，拯救我的角，
我的高台.
（诗篇18:2）
THE LORD IS MY ROCK, AND MY FORTRESS, AND MY DELIVERER;
MY GOD, MY STRENGTH, IN WHOM I WILL TRUST; MY BUCKLER,
AND THE HORN OF MY SALVATION, AND MY HIGH TOWER
(Psalm 18:2, KJB)
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First of all, I would like to deliver my deepest gratitude to my one and only 皇天上帝; LORD Jesus Christ the God Almighty, whom mercy endureth for ever. It was all because of His relentless guidance, blessing, and grace that it has been possible for me to finish this research and complete my study triumphantly. The glory and honor are all His to keep.
Through toil and pain have I completed my study, and it would not have been so without the kindness and charity coming from brilliant people around me.
I would like to deliver my sincere appreciations to my sponsor, Bapak Drs. Barli
Bram, M.Ed., Ph.D. It was under his patience, his guiding advices, his support,
and responding to every bit of knowledge that he has given me that I managed to surpass the impossible moments. His passion for linguistics and English has inspired me to create this humble work of mine.
I would also like to express how thankful I am to be able to finish my study under the caring hands of Bapak Paulus Kuswandono, Ph.D. as the head of the English Language Education Study Program, Ibu Dr. Retno Muljani, M.Pd. as the head of the Language Institute, and also to all PBI lecturers of Sanata
Dharma University, altogether with the PBI secretariat staffs, especially Ibu
Maria Martarina Pramudani. All my efforts would have been in vain without
their kind assistance and support. It was in PBI that I have learned so many things being a real man for others, to serve the nation and the society with my very best.
I am so thankful for my family. My profound thankfulness should be delivered to my father Papa Sutono, my mother Mama Lily Yuliana Tandany, and to my awesome younger sisters Adela Lavinia Sutono and Natasya Vicky
Vania Sutono. My thank goes also to my Emma Ekawati Sahli, Ku Agus
Tandany and family, and A’i Lindawati Tandany and family. I am most gratefulto them for everything they have been granting me: the prayers, the patience, and the wholehearted supports shall not return in vain.
My thanks goes for my splendid brothers Nofian Junaedi, Handika Dwi
Kurniawan, Yulius Andar, Nicolaus Primawan, Adiguna Widjaja, Ian
Susanto, and Johan Lumento. Thank you for the joys and the tears we shared.
Thank you for the supports you guys have been giving me. I also thanks my fello w ’07 PBI students for the support and the time we spent struggling together.
Good luck to you all in everything you do.
And finally, last but not least, this humble research, and also the whole process of finishing my study would not have been accomplished without the presence of my beloved
宝贝 Tabita Hermayani. It was her love, patience, compassion, and cheerfulness which have truly processed me to be a better man who always aims to live in truth and honor. It was upon her smile and gaze that I truly learned to never give up even in the brink of destruction. At the end of the rope, she has given me a whole new purpose to be finished, a whole new world to live in.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page TITLE PAGE
………………………………………………………………… i APPROVAL PAGES
………………………………………………………… ii STATEMENT OF WORK’S ORIGINALITY ……………………………… iv
PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN PUBLIKASI
………………………………. v ABSTRACT
…………………………………………………………………. vi
ABSTRAK
……………………………………………………………………. vii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
…………………………………………………. viii TABLE OF CONTENTS
……………………………………………………. xi LIST OF TABLES …………………………………………………………… xv LIST OF FIGURES
………………………………………………………….. xvi LIST OF APPENDICES
…………………………………………………….. xvii
CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION
1
1.1 Research Background …………………………………................... 1
1.2 Research Problem ………………………………………................. 10
1.3 Problem Limitation ………………………………………………... 10
1.4 Research Objectives ………………………………………………. 12
1.5 Research Benefits …………………………………………………. 12
1.6 Definition of Terms ………………………………………………..
13 CHAPTER II. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
17
2.1 Theoretical Description …………………………………………... 17
2.1.1 Theories on the Definition of Phonetics ………………............... 17
2.1.2 Theories on the Definition of Speech Production ……………… 19
2.1.2.1 The Air Stream Mechanism ………………………….............. 20
2.1.3 Theories on the Definition of Articulation ……………………... 21
2.1.3.1 Organs of Speech …………………………………….............. 22
2.1.3.1.3 The Articulatory System …………………………………… 28
2.1.3.1.3.1 The Nasal Cavity ………………………………………… 30 2.1.3.1.3.2 The Lips …………………………………………………. 30 2.1.3.1.3.3 The Teeth ………………………………………………… 32 2.1.3.1.3.4 The Alveolar Ridge
……………………………………… 33 2.1.3.1.3.5 The Hard-p alate …………………………………………. 34 2.1.3.1.3.6 The Soft- palate …………………………………………... 35 2.1.3.1.3.7 The Uvula ………………………………………………... 35 2.1.3.1.3.8
The Tongue ……………………………………………… 36 2.1.3.1.3.9 The Pharyn x ……………………………………………... 37
2.1.4 Theories on Phonetic Transcription ……....…………………... 38
2.1.4.1 Phonetic Transcription ………………………………………. 38
2.1.4.2 Phonemic Transcription ……………………………………… 38
2.1.4.3 International Phonetic Alphabet ……………………………... 39
2.1.5 Theories on the Classification of the English Consonants …….. 44
2.1.6 Theories on the Classification of the Cantonese Consonants …. 47
2.1.7 Theories on Transfer Error in Interlanguage Process …………. 50
2.2 Theoretical Framework …………………………………………..
51 CHAPTER III. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 54
3.1 Research Method ………………………………………………… 54
3.2 Research Setting ………………………………………………… 57
3.3 Research Data …………………………………………………… 58
3.4 Data Gathering Technique ………………………………………. 58
3.5 Data Analysi s Technique ………………………………………... 59
3.6 Research Procedure ………………………………………………
67 CHAPTER IV. RESEARCH FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION
69
4.1 English and Cantonese Consonants ’ Similarities and Differences 69
4.1.1.2 Alveolar Plosives of English and Cantonese ………………… 76
4.1.1.3 Velar Plosives of Englis h and Cantonese ……………………. 77
4.1.1.4 Bilabial Nasals of English and Cantonese …………………….. 78
4.1.1.5 Alveolar Nasals of English and Cantonese …………………..... 79
4.1.1.6 Velar Nasals of English and Cantonese ………………………... 80
4.1.1.7 Labio- dental Fricatives of English and Cantonese …………….. 81
4.1.1.8 Alveolar Fricatives of English and Cantonese ………………… 82
4.1.1.9 Glottal Fricatives of English and Cantonese …………………... 83
4.1.1.10 Palatal Approximants of English and Cantonese …………….. 84
4.1.1.11 Labio- velar Approximants of English and Cantonese ……….. 85
4.1.1.12 Alveolar Lateral Approximants of English and Cantonese …... 86
4.2 Possible Problematic English Consonants for Cantonese EFL Learners ……………………………………………………………………… 87
4.2.1 The Voiced Plosives of English …………………………………. 87
4.2.2 The Majority of the Fricatives of English ……………………….. 88
4.2.2.1 Voiced Labio- Dental Fricative /v/ ……………………………. 88
4.2.2.2 Voiceless and Voiced Dental Fricative / θ/ and /ð/ ……………. 89
4.2.2.3 Voiced Alveolar Fricatives /z/ ………………………………… 89
4.2.2.4 Voiceless and Voiced Palato-alveolar Fricatives / ʃ/ and /ʒ/ …… 90
4.2.3 Voiceless and Voiced Palato-alveolar Affricates /tʃ/ and /dʒ/ … 91
4.2.4 Voiced Palato-alveolar Frictionless Approximant /r/ ……………. 92
4.3 Possible Implementations of the Research Findings ……………… 93
4.3.1 Auditory Phonetics based Contrastive Analysis …………………. 93
4.3.2 Phonological Contrastive Analysis on the Suprasegmental Features ……………………………………………………………………. 95
4.3.3 Recommendations in Developing Learning Material for English Pronunciation Learning for Cantonese EFL Learners
……………
96 CHAPTER V. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 98 REFERENCES …………………………………………………………….. 101
APPENDIX A ……………………………………………………………… 104 APPENDIX B ……………………………………………………………… 105 APPENDIX C ……………………………………………………………… 106
LIST OF TABLES
Table Page
3.1 Sample of English Phonemic Inventory ……………………………........... 63
3.2 Sample of Cantonese Phonemic Inventory ………………………………... 63
3.3 Sample of the Equation on English and Cantonese Phonemic Inventory …. 65
4.1 English Phonemic Inventory ………………………………………………. 72 4.2 Cantonese Phonemic Inventory .
…………………………………………… 73
4.3 Equation on the Bilabial Plosives of English and Cantonese ……………… 75
4.4 Equation on the Alveolar Plosives of English and Cantonese ……………... 76
4.5 Equation on the Velar Plosives of English and Cantonese ……………........ 77
4.6 Equation on the Bilabial Nasals of English and Cantonese ……………....... 78
4.7 Equation on the Alveolar Nasals of English and Cantonese ……………...... 79
4.8 Equation on the Velar Nasa ls of English and Cantonese ……………........... 80
4.9 Equation on the Labio- dental Fricatives of English and Cantonese ……...... 81
4.10 Equation on the Alveolar Fricatives of English and Cantonese …….......... 82
4.11 Equation on the Glottal Fricatives of E nglish and Cantonese ……............. 83
4.12 Equation on the Palatal Approximants of English and Cantonese ……...... 84
4.13 Equation on the Labio- velar Approximants of English and Cantonese …... 85
4.14 Equation on the Alveolar Lateral Approximants of English and Cantonese ……………………………………………………………………………... 86
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure Page
2.1 Sound-producing System ……………………………………………......... 20
2.2 Human Respiratory System ……………………………………………….. 23
2.3 The Larynx …………………………………………………………........... 26
2.4 Four Glottal States ………………………………………………………… 27
2.5 The Vocal Tract …………………………………………………………… 29
2.6 Vowel Lip Postures ……………………………………………………….. 31
2.7 Divisions of the Tongue …………………………………………………… 37
2.8 Pulmonic Consonants ……………………………………………………… 40
2.9 Non- pulmonic Consonants ………………………………………………… 41
2.10 Vowels …………………………………………………………………… 42
2.11 Other Symbols …………………………………………………………… 43
2.12 Chief English Consonantal Articula tions ………………………………… 46
2.13 Initial Cantonese Consonants and Syllabics ……………………………... 49
LIST OF APPENDICES
Appendix Page
A Map of Guang Dong Province ………………………………………….. 104
B Map of Hong Kong Districts ……………………………………………… 105
C Map of Major Southern Chinese Dialects ………..……………………….. 106
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION This chapter consists of six sections, namely the research background,
research problem, problem limitation, research objectives, research benefits, and definition of terms. In general, the chapter presents the main idea, relevance, significance, and the focus of this research.
1.1 Research Background
The role of language as the primary means of human communication is without a doubt, very important. Only by undergoing the oral process of language people are able to convey meanings, ideas, and even feelings spontaneously. These conveyances are products of speech-sounds. Jones (1975) explains speech- sounds as “certain acoustic effects voluntarily produced by organs of speech; they are the result of definite actions performed by these organs
”. It can be implied then, to successfully be able to speak a language fluently, one must firstly be able to identify, discriminate, and understand the distinctive speech-sounds of that language in the manner of how they should be pronounced properly (Sapir, 1921, p. 106). According to this basis, the study of accurate pronunciation is both prerequisite and important.
In response to the importance of the study of English speech-sounds and their of Sanata Dharma University equips its teacher-candidates with the needed knowledge through classes such as Phonetics and Phonology, and Pronunciation.
Being prepared as excellent English language teachers, the candidates are expected to professionally be able to teach spoken English to speakers of any cultural or language backgrounds. For it is widely known that English, as the world‟s lingua franca, has been learned by other tongues as well (Historically, it can be said that the forerunner of English learning in an international scale, had begun since the dawn of the United Kingdoms‟ colonial days; around the end of
th
15 century (Kachru, 1983). Crystal (2003) notes that the trigger of the phenomenon of English language learning in worldwide scale was the international need for a universal language. It means that in the era of globalization, many people from various non-English speaking nations, who speak different tongues, have been learning to be able to speak English well in order to gain access to properly communicate their ideas in an international range.
However, learning English speech-sounds pronunciation for non-native English speaker is not as easy as how they acquired their first languages (L1).
Sanata Dharma University teacher-candidates must be prepared to help these non- English native speakers to learn English speech-sounds properly. Fries (1956) explains that to be able to comprehend a foreign language, a continuant process should occur. But then maintaining the so called continuant process in learning English as a foreign language is also not easy because of the learner‟s L1 habitual influence. Fries pinpoint the main problem of foreign-language learning by further that of learning vocabulary items. It is first, the mastery of the sound system
- – to understand the stream of speech, to hear the distinctive sounds features and to approximate their production
”. Thus, it should be noticed that the English speech- sounds pronunciation learning will usually be interrupted by the interference of the learner‟s L1 pronunciation habit. That is why the study on English speech- sounds pronunciation needs to be taken seriously. English teacher-candidates of Sanata Dharma University must have the sufficient knowledge necessary to help their students to achieve their purposes of learning English by overcoming this problem.
The purposes of learning English as a foreign language are various. The purposes can be just as simple as having the fun of learning it as a foreign language or can be as serious as developing one‟s business or political influence. Jenkins (2000), in her explanation on the theory of English as an international language, notes that the motivation of foreign language learning can be as blunt as to “further trading and commercial interests”, or to directly “promote the empire” (it should be emphasized here that the term „to promote the empire‟, as further explained by the author, contains the same message as to spread the British Empire‟s ideologies and aspirations) (p. 5). These purposes mentioned by Jenkins were exactly the purposes held by the emissaries of the British Empire‟s East Indian Trading Company when they landed on the land of the Cantonese-Chinese, Southern China.
The people of East Indian Trading Company who arrived in Southern China Chinese people (Kachru, 1983, pp. 126-127). This is then, the moment when spoken English and spoken Cantonese met. However, the history noted that the meeting was not what one would say, a delightful one. The Cantonese, like the other Chinese sub-ethnics at that time believed that the people from outside the mother-land of China were barbarians (experts believe that this antipathy-attitude is on account of the trauma upon the Mongolian and the Manchurian invasions).
Hence their first attitude towards the Englishmen and the language they spoke was not very positive even though they were noted as one of the very first groups of English-learning people in Eastern-Asia (Kirkpatrick, 2007, pp. 137
- –146; Kachru, 1983, pp. 126-127). Concerning the historical moment, Kachru (1983) continues to explain that in 1664, when the British fleet firstly made contact with the residents of Guangzhou, it was the time when English had to “undergo a difficult adaptation process, because for nearly two centuries, the Cantonese people refused to learn English as a full language, until the first Cantonese-English
th
pidgin emerged in the early 18 century” (p.126).
The emergence of the first Cantonese-English pidgin was the result of the Cantonese‟s willingness to finally accept the stimulating changes that had been happening in their land for more than a hundred year. The dawn of spoken English-language learning in Canton then began when the Cantonese was beginning to accept, trading with the British. At that time, their English-speaking ability was limited as only to assist their commercial activity with the foreign trader they had been resenting (Kirkpatrick, 2007, p. 137). It is worth to be noted English language, spoken and written, as compared to the other ethnics in mainland China (Kachru, 1983, p. 127; Lo, 2000, p. 1). The question remains then, on what could have changed the people‟s mind after two hundred years of reluctance?
According to Kachru (1983), non-native people learn English mainly because of their great need for modernization (which in essence meant Westernization) (p.
126), while Lehmann (1975) mentions the term “to serve the revolution” as the primary purpose of the study of English (p. 53). He also mentioned English as a key to gain access to Western science and technology. For example, in Northern China, the trigger for the English learning craze is the increasing flow of Western tourists and businessmen since the Mainland was internationally opened in 1980s for the globalization era (Cowan et al., 1979 in Kachru, 1983, p. 127). This is certainly explaining what happened in Southern China as well. As a proof, Hong Kong, one of the Cantonese-
Chinese people‟s main trading region was once a British Commonwealth nation (Notice that similar thing also happened to Macau).
Because of this so called „Westernization‟, the Cantonese-speaking people have been learning to speak English. Even until today along with the other non-native English speaking people from around the world, in the same excitement experienced by their ancestors, Cantonese-speaking people inside and outside mainland China are still learning and improving their spoken English (Chan, 2009; Chen et al., 1999; Lo, 2000).
The language that the Cantonese people speak, the Cantonese language is considered as a language. Chinese language itself is a language with many regional dialects. These dialects divide Chinese, as a spoken language, with varieties of tones, and different ways in pronouncing one, monosyllabic, Chinese character (Forrest, 1973). Forrest (1973, pp. 215-218) divides these dialects into two major groups, the northern dialects and the southern dialects. Each group has one dominant dialect serving as the role pattern to the others. It is explained in his book, The Chinese language, that the dominant dialect of the north is Mandarin, or the [
官话 „Guanhua‟. The dialect includes all the varieties spoken to the north and west coastal provinces of Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, and some parts of northern Guangdong, and Guangxi. The dominant southern dialect is Cantonese, or the [
粤语 „Yueyu‟. The dialect covers the varieties spoken to the east and t he majority of mainland China‟s south-coasts. The provinces in which its people speak Cantonese as their mother tongue are as the following:
Guangzhou, the majority of Guangdong province, and the prefecture-level cities of Zhongshan, and Foshan, the major city of Shenzhen, the Pearl River Delta area, Hainan island, the eastern and southern parts of Guangxi, and last but not least, the People‟s Republic of China‟s (PRC) two Special Administrative Regions; Macau and Hong Kong.
Even though Cantonese is included as one of the seven acknowledged major Chinese dialects (alongside Gan, Guan; Mandarin or Pekingese, Hakka, Fukian, Wu, and Hunan), it is considered as another language. This, as Forrest (1973) other six dialects. The differences include the syntax system, the word- pronunciation system, the preserved archaic- Chinese‟s six-tone system, the lexicon, and the archaic pronunciation system. Based on this condition,
Cantonese, though being a dialect, is also a language which can stand on the same degree as both Mandarin Chinese and English. There is one more thing that should be noted about the unique feature of the Cantonese language; its „ancientness‟. Forrest (1973) argues that Cantonese is said to be the most archaic of the existing Chinese dialects. It is one dialect that has been successfully preserving “the essential traits of Ancient Chinese”. He also highlighted that “the tones in Cantonese … insisted on exact enunciation, in contrast with the latitude in the north. Cantonese has kept intact the six primary tones of Ancient Chinese”, whereas the other dialects, including Mandarin Chinese, have only four tones. In a positive agreement, Lo (2000) also agrees with the previous highlight by stating “from cultural point of view, this southern China dialect preserves many ancient types of pronunciation and phrases
”. He called Cantonese as “an invaluable vehicle for the investigation and research in Chinese culture”.
It is therefore intriguing to know that the same archaic dialect used only by the people in Guangzhou and its neighboring provinces when the British trading
th
company arrived in the 16 century, is now the most common mother language used by the inhabitants of Chinatowns in the United Kingdoms, Europe, the United States of America, and Asia Pacific. Apart from this certain historical background, there are yet other features that make Cantonese language special. used as the Standard Chinese, the modern Cantonese is still “the mother language of many Chinese people in the south China region” (Lo, 2000; Bauer & Benedict,
1997). It is now spoken by approximately more than 70 million people worldwide (Kuehn, 2012; Lo, 2000). Including the previously-mentioned United Kingdoms and the United States, this number includes also the Cantonese inhabitants outside mainland China such as in France, Germany, Canada, Brazil, Japan, India, Madagascar, New Zealand and most of the South-East Asia nations like Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia (Sheik, 2012).
On Thursday November 10, 2011, a Memorandum of Understanding between Sanata Dharma University Yogyakarta with Guangdong University of Foreign Studies People's Republic of China has been signed. As stated by USD (2011), the Memorandum was signed by the rectors of both universities. In the report, it is also said that two kinds of cooperation were dealt, namely educational and cultural. It is explained further that the two channels had made it possible for the two universities to exchange lecturers and students, to develop joint researches, as well as to increase the cultural understanding between the two parties.
Based on the this event, the writer believes that there is a great chance in the future, for either the lecturers and teacher-candidates of Sanata Dharma University‟s ELESP, including the writer himself, to be having an opportunity of being engaged in a Cantonese-English conversation. Even the opportunity to teach spoken English to Cantonese EFL (English as a foreign language) learners is not the members of the study program to have the knowledge upon Cantonese speech sounds; especially upon how similar and how different the two languages‟ consonant speech-sounds are. The knowledge attained from these findings can bring even further understanding on the possible problematic English consonant- sounds for Cantonese native speakers. The information resulting from the second step can be useful in phonetics and phonology class, pronunciation class, speaking class, or can even be used as a reference to make sets of material design.