A RETIRED music teacher has published a book to help students master the complex Chinese language.
Keith Robinson, who used to work at Wade Deacon High School in Widnes, is now a consultant in Mandarin Chinese.
He has written the book with his friend Wang Lingli, a senior English teacher at No 12 Middle School in Tongling City, Halton’s twin town.
Keith said: “In English, we often use the tone of our voice to express anxiety or other moods but because Mandarin Chinese is a tonal language, this is not possible.
“Changing the tone in Mandarin can change the meaning of the word. The Chinese use special characters called modal particles to express mood or imply a feeling.
“The book lists all the commonly used modal particles and gives examples of how to use them in everyday situations.”
Keith hopes students and teachers will find the book a helpful resource.
Priced £11.95, it is available from Lulu.com or can be downloaded for £5 from http://www.lulu.com/shop/keith-robinson-and-wang-lingli/modal-particles/paperback/product-21298647.html
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