John DeFrancis
American linguist and sinologist known for influential Chinese language textbooks, advocacy for practical script reform, and works such as The Chinese Language: Fact and Fantasy; editor of the ABC Chinese–English Dictionary and long-time professor at the University of Hawai‘i.
Books
This list of books are ONLY the books that have been ranked on the lists that are aggregated on this site. This is not a comprehensive list of all books by this author.
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1. The Chinese Language
Fact and Fantasy
A concise, myth‑busting exploration of how the language and its writing system actually function, it dismantles the idea of a purely ideographic script and highlights the pervasive role of sound in characters and in literacy. Using linguistic evidence and historical perspective, it explains tones, grammar, and regional variation; assesses the impact of education policy, script reform, and romanization; and evaluates the challenges and opportunities posed by modernization and computing for reading and writing.