중국어 학습이나 임용고시를 준비하는 학생들이 어렵고 하기 싫은 분야가 중국언어학의 학습일 것이다. 문학분야와 달리 내용이 쉽게 눈에 들어오지도 않고 학습하는 이해하기 어렵게 느껴지는 것은 사실이다. 그렇지만 어떤 언어이든 학생들이 음성, 어휘, 문법, 문자 등 언어에 대한 전반적인 학습 없이는 그 언어나 사회를 이해할 수 없다. 한 국가의 사회생활을 이해하려면 해당 언어의 기초지식을 튼튼해야 쌓아야 한다. 인간의 의사소통은 항상 말과 글로 시작하기 때문이다. 더욱이 21세기에 들어서 짧은 기간에 G2로 급부상한 중국을 깊이 이해하고 불확실한 미래에 대비하기 위해서 언어에 대한 도전은 중요하다. 현대중국어의 기초 지식을 토대로 중국 언어, 문학, 역사, 사상, 문화 등을 이해하는 기회가 되었으면 하는 바람이다. 더 나아가 새로운 관점에서 언어, 언어학습, 언어교육을 되돌아보고 새로운 통찰력을 얻을 수 있는 사고의 틀이 되기를 기대한다. 그 것을 깨닫게 되면 정말 재미있는 언어여행을 할 수 있을 것이다. 이론적인 내용이 너무 전문적이라고 생각하여 학습을 포기하는 학생들은 중국 문장에 담긴 내용을 이해하거나 문제를 해결하는데 어려움을 겪을 것이다. 텍스트를 읽고 문제에 답하는 교육에 익숙한 우리의 습관을 바꾸어 한 번쯤은 총체적인 언어이론과 실제를 학습하는 것도 좋으리라 생각된다. 중국어에 대해 자신이 무엇을 알고 있는지, 무엇을 어떻게 알고 있는지를 아는 것이 문제를 해결하려는 사고력, 창의력의 중요한 출발이기 때문이다. 이 입문서가 여러 가지 정보가 담긴 글을 편안히 읽을 수 있도록 조금이나마 도움이 되었으면 한다.

제1장 중국어 개설 1. 언어란 무엇인가?······················································· 9 2. 중국어의 의미와 명칭················································ 19 3. 중국어의 형성과정·····················································22 4. 현대 중국어의 발전··················································· 23 5. 중국어의 방언···························································27 6. 중국어의 규범화························································ 33 7. 중국어의 특징··························································· 34 8. 중국어학의 연구························································ 37 제2장 음성 1. 음성개요··································································· 43 2. 음성의 성질······························································46 3. 음성체계·································································· 51 4. 한어병음방안···························································· 86 5. 음성의 변화······························································ 95 6. 중국어 표기법의 발전···············································106 제3장 어휘 1. 어휘개요··································································127 2. 형태소····································································128 3. 단어의 내부구조·······················································132 4. 단음절어와 다음절어················································139 5. 단어의 의미·····························································140 6. 숙어·······································································148 7. 어휘의 기원·····························································152 제4장 문법 1. 문법개요··································································163 2. 단어의 외부기능·······················································163 3. 구조와 구································································164 4. 단어와 단어의 조합··················································166 5. 문장분석 방법··························································168 6. 문장의 이해·····························································171 제5장 한자 1. 한자개요··································································183 2. 언어와 기호·····························································187 3. 문자에 의미 첨가·····················································189 4. 한자제작의 환경······················································190 5. 한자의 상징화··························································193 6. 한자 의미의 다양성··················································194 7. 한자와 소학·····························································195 8. 한자의 원리·····························································198 9. 한자 형태의 발전···················································· 205 10. 중국문자의 규범화··················································211 11. 한자의 근대화······················································ 213 12. 한자의 부수와 필순·················································219