Correlation between proficiency in Hanyu Pinyin input method and the pronunciation of Mandarin Chinese characters by Singaporean Chinese university students

Abstract

This study aims to examine the possible correlation between the proficiency in using pinyin input method to input Mandarin Chinese characters into electronic devices, and the pronunciation by Singaporean Chinese university students. Few studies touch upon whether a good knowledge of hanyu pinyin necessarily aid Singaporean Chinese in improving their speaking skills e.g. the accuracy of pronunciation in nasal finals for-in and -ing, or accuracy in pronouncing Mandarin Chinese tones. With the shift towards emphasis on speaking instead of writing skills in recent years for Chinese language education, and promotion of using pinyin input method for electronic devices, it is vital to examine the relationship between proficiency of using the input method and accuracy of pronunciation of Mandarin Chinese. 10 Singaporean Chinese university students perform three tasks to assess their accuracy of pronunciation nasal final (-in and -ing) and tones, knowledge of hanyu pinyin and proficiency at inputting Mandarin Chinese characters with the pinyin input method. Results showed that there is no clear correlation between proficiency of using the pinyin input method with accuracy of pronunciation, varying between individuals. While there are limitations due to the nature of the study and other methodological flaws, future studies could expand on this exploratory study to examine other features for pronunciation, on other electronic devices, or implementation on a larger scale.