The Pioneer in Chinese Language Planning: In Memoriam of Zhou Youguang
Wang Min
Chinese Journal of Language Policy and Planning ›› 2017, Vol. 2 ›› Issue (2) : 70-75.
The Pioneer in Chinese Language Planning: In Memoriam of Zhou Youguang
CJLPP colleagues are saddened by the passing of an important fi gure in Chinese language modernization, Mr. Zhou Youguang, who passed away peacefully at 112 year old in Beijing, January 14, 2017. This article attempts to summarize his life achievements in simplifying and transliterating Chinese characters and to evaluate the influence on scholarly work on Chinese language planning in the future. Mr. Zhou Yuanguang is both “a theorist and a professional in Chinese language planning”. He had significant contribution in practical work of devising and promoting Chinese Pinyin Scheme, and his insights on various issues about theorizing Chinese language planning are specially inspirational and should be further studied and carried on by future researchers. Language planning in Zhou’s work is referred to as ‘language modernization’, and this behooves us to pay special attention to the characteristics of Chinese language planning and to give more importance to studying it from perspective of academic history. Mr. Zhou’s practical success in Chinese language planning and his observation in working guiding principles and theories concerning language and script has many implications for both researchers and practitioners, including to focus more on practical application in real life and to pursue a scientific and rigorous working culture. To follow Zhou’s step, we should also develop a vision with wider spectrum aiming at future development, and it is also important to respond to social demand when conducting research in accordance with developing rules of language and script.
Chinese language planning / language modernization / applications of language and script / Chinese Pinyin Scheme
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