Professor，East Asian Languages & Literature
Moore Hall 353; 956-2052
Department: 956-8940; Fax: 956-9515; 732-2884 (home fax)
Email: rcheng@hawaii.edu

BA 1960, Taiwan Normal University
MA 1963, Taiwan Normal University
PhD 1966, Indiana University

Prof. Cheng is a leading figure in the research on Taiwanese language: the development of its orthography, the comparison of its phonology and syntax with those of Mandarin, and the sociolinguistics of its use in Taiwan. More generally, he is interested in language data banks, language contact, language education, and language and cultural change in Chinese communities.

China-related courses taught
Chn 313-314 Mandarin for Cantonese Speakers
Chn 319 Spoken Taiwanese
Chn 414 Advanced Mandarin for Cantonese Speakers
Chn 451-452 Structure of Chinese
Chn 470 Language & Culture of China
Chn 631B Historical Chinese Phonology
Chn 633 Chinese Dialects
Chn 634 Syntax & Semantics
Chn 750C Research Seminar in Chinese Language—Structure
Chn 750E Research Seminar in Chinese Language—Sociolinguistics
EALL 750 Seminar in Comparison of East Asian Languages

Selected China-related Publications
台語、華語的結構及動向 [Taiwanese and Mandarin Structures and Their Developmental Trends in Taiwan]. Taipei:遠流出版社 Yuan-Liu Publishing Company, 1997.

Taiwanese Romanization—Exercises and Rules. Taipei: Wangwen Publishing Co., 1993.

Mandarin Chinese: A Practical Reference Grammar for Students and Teachers. Co-authored with Y.C. Li,
Larry C. Foster, Shang H. Ho, John Y. Hou, and Moria Yip. Taiwan: Crane Publishing, Chinese Materials Center
Publications, 1989 (2 volumes).

國語常用虛詞及其台語對應詞釋例 [Commonly Used Mandarin Function Words and Their Taiwanese Equivalents]. Taiwan: Crane Book Co., 1989.

走向標準化的台灣話文 [Essays on Written Taiwanese]. Taiwan: The Independence Post Press, 1988.

“A Comparison of Taiwanese, Taiwan Mandarin, and Peking Mandarin.” Language 61.2 (1985).