Chen Dongyan, Bell Daniel. Explorations of Chinese Theoretical and Applied Linguistics

Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2020. — 265 p.This volume explores the implications of Chinese for linguistic theory building and for the field of second language acquisition. Bringing together selected papers from the first International Symposium on Chinese Theoretical and Applied Linguistics, it sheds light upon under-documented topics in a variety of areas within theoretical and applied research. The topics covered here include competing approaches within optimality theory to phonological opacity, formal solutions to puzzles in Shanghainese morphosyntax, and different approaches to polarity items and presentational sentences in Chinese. With regard to applied linguistics, the contributions in this volume address challenges in the acquisition of Chinese phonology by L1 Danish speakers as well as the acquisition of the Mandarin ba construction by Cantonese learners, and the expression of social judgements in the L1 and L2. Taken together, the papers in this volume contribute to the empirical documentation of aspects of the Chinese language and its acquisition, as well as helping to unpack the significance of Chinese for mainstream linguistic theory.
Dr Dongyan Chen obtained her PhD from Newcastle University, UK, and has held lectureships in Linguistics and Chinese in China and the UK. She also serves as the Honorary President of the International Symposium on Chinese Theoretical and Applied Linguistics. Her research interests are stage-like development of L2 morpho-syntax from the generative perspective, teaching English and Chinese as an L2, and Chinese/English acquisition in a bilingual/multilingual context.
Dr Daniel Bell completed his dissertation on the Xining Mandarin dialect at Newcastle University, UK. He has since worked at various universities in the UK, preparing international students for their degree programmes by providing language and research skills training. His research interests include Chinese syntax, contact-induced language change, and academic writing in a second language.