Message no. 1

From:	MikeE@******.dragonsys.com
Subject:	Re: non-SR: school quality (Dialects)
Date:	Fri, 12 Jan 1996 11:01:30 -0500

>If you're using Chinese dialects, do make the
>English sopoken there English
>English or American English. After all, they're
>dialects, too.

The different "Dialects" of Chinese are actually
diferent spoken languages (mostly unrelated),
that share a common written language. This is
possible because the written language is
non-phonetic, so the fact that the words have
completely different pronounciations is irrelevant.

Compare this situation with dialects of English:
The pronounciation of various phonemes has
shifted a bit, but not unrecognizeably, some
spellings were rationalized in American English
about 200 years ago, and of course a large
number of slang differences. Speakers can
always make themselves understood to other
speakers, no matter what the dialect. In Chinese
they would have to write it down in order to make
themselves understood.

Mike