ESL Blogs

English Vs Mandarin By Dayne Collins – Academia ESL

The best thing about learning a language is discovering the unique differences, and sometimes uncanny similarities. What makes Mandarin and English so different? Do we have anything in common?

The most obvious difference is the written forms of both languages. English uses an Alphabetic system to construct words. Mandarin has no Alphabet, but instead uses symbols that represent words. This is called a logographic system.

It’s probably fair to say that Mandarin and English have very little in common phonetically. Many sounds that exist in one language don’t exist in the other. These differences can make pronunciation and listening difficult for learners. In my experience working with Mandarin and Cantonese speakers, I often find myself paying extra attention to voiced and unvoiced sounds, as well as the difference in distinguishing and pronouncing l, r, and n.

 The unique traits don’t stop with phonetics. The other differences may go unnoticed from the outside looking in, but they come as no surprise to English speakers learning Mandarin, and Mandarin speakers learning English.

Unlike English, Mandarin is a tonal language. This means that the pitch and tone of a sound will directly affect the meaning of the word, and can be the difference between one word and another. English is non-tonal, so in English, pitch and tone can emphasize emotion, intention, or even an implied meaning of a word, but it does not change the overall word entirely.

Formalities are very important in Mandarin. There is a plethora of ways to address different people regarding their age, and/or status in relation to yours. It can be difficult for Mandarin speakers to assert themselves appropriately when communicating in English in the absence of this strict formal structure. It is equally difficult for English speakers to familiarise themselves with the appropriate cultural formalities when learning Mandarin.

But what about rhythm? Surely we have nothing in common there… Right? English is a stressed-timed language, and if you’re familiar with my blogs, then you would be aware of how obsessive I am about the stress patterns of the English language. You might be interested to know that Mandarin is also a stress-timed language, unlike its syllable-timed sibling, Cantonese.

Do you know any other similarities/differences between English and Mandarin? Share them in the comment section below.

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