A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE TONES BETWEEN NORTHERN THAI DIALECT TAI YUAN LANGUAGE AND MANDARIN CHINESE

Abstract

          The Northern Tai Yuan dialect in Thailand belongs to the tonal language of the Zhuang-Dai branch of the Zhuang-Dong family of the Sino-Tibetan language family, and the Mandarin Chinese belongs to the tonal language of the Han-Chinese language of the Sino-Tibetan family. Since the northern Tai Yuan dialect and Chinese language belong to different countries, they have their own unique tones. However, comparison between the two languages shows similarities or even common points. Therefore, they have comparable research basis and value. In this paper, we applied phonetic experimentation and phonological analysis methods using the phonetic experiment tool called Praat software to conduct an experimental study on the pronunciation of Chinese tones for students whose mother tongue is northern Thai Tai Yuan dialect. The purposes of this study were to find the similarities and differences in the tones between northern Thai Tai Yuan dialect and Mandarin Chinese, and to analyze as well as summarize the errors associated with learning Chinese tones by learners who use the northern Thai dialect, Tai Yuan language in their mother tongue. The study showed that students who used the northern Thai dialect, Tai Yuan language, were not only influenced by their own dialect, but also by the standard Thai language during the learning of Chinese tones. Being able to understand the commonalities and differences in tones between the two languages could help to understand the effect of Thai dialects on the study of Chinese tones. Finally, the goal of the study is to provide guiding significance for learners who use the northern Thai dialect, Tai Yuan language in their mother tongue so they can learn Chinese tones better.