Exploring the Interaction of Guiyangese Dialect and Mandarin in Daily Life through Transcription and Discourse Analysis

Abstract

Although it is easier for people to understand each other and communicate in a fairly complete and standard “official” language, the distinctive culture of a region is in most cases reflected and conveyed by the language spoken by the local people. With the spread of Mandarin and the influence of education since the founding of New China, coupled with the negative effects of new media and the Internet, Guiyang accent is disappearing among young people. The author practiced Professor Seedhouse’s approach by transcribing and discursively analyzing a video of a family chatting and having a meal in the mountains of Guizhou. Mutual understanding in cross-cultural communities is not only achieved in educational contexts such as schools, but also in person-to-person interactions. Awareness of issues related to bilingualism is naturally raised in everyday life situations.