ABSTRACT
pinyin has been used to represent Chinese lexical items in Western academic literature and official publications since the 1980s, so chances are that students will encounter pinyin words in other books about China published in a Western language. Public signage in China, especially those signs containing geographical names for streets, around highway exits, at airports or train stations, or proper names on plaques for shops and restaurants, often has pinyin accompanying characters to assist foreign visitors. Chinese syllable shapes are a closed set – that is, there are a limited variety of permissible syllables – so it is conceivable to learn to pronounce every possible syllable. If students master pinyin, they will be able to pronounce passages of Chinese Romanized in this script even if they do not yet understand the textual meaning, and the ability to do so brings they one step closer to learning the language.
