China faces serious linguistic invasion

The English abbreviations (letter words) have shown a trend of rapid expansion in Chinese language in recent years. For example, the Modern Chinese Language included 39 letter words in its fourth edition but included 239 in the sixth edition. Unfortunately, letter words are wrongly used according to the Law of the National Commonly−Used Language and Script, which is nothing new nowadays.

Mixing letter words with Chinese language is definitely a wrong signal to Chinese people that the two languages could be used miscellaneously. It has been stipulated clearly in 2010 that foreign words such as English words and abbreviations are prohibited to appear in Chinese publications. However, it has not yet had a specific way to limit the use of letter words up to now.

The abuse of English words has aggressively endangered Chinese language. English is changing the language and thinking habits of Chinese young people in the past two or three decades, and changed their feeling for Chinese language. Chinese characters are the gene and footstone of Chinese culture, and the free expansion and overflow of letter words will harm the purity of Chinese and impact Chinese culture.

The cultural globalization led to the globalization of letter words. We are unable to refuse the appearance of the letter words in Chinese culture but we also should not let them be used rampantly. Therefore, the use of them should be regulated and limited. Can the use of letter words follow the example of the regulations of transportation?

Language can be used in three fields, namely personal life, professional field and common field facing the public. The personal life field can be seen as "sidewalk" where the letter words can be used freely.

In the professional field, only the professionals and special groups of people use some professional terms including X-ray, B-ultrasound, A-share and B-share because it will be inconvenient if the letter words are replaced by Chinese characters.

The professional letter words are only used in special fields, books and newspapers, so that the public do not need to understand them. As long as they do not enter the common field, the letter words have little effects on Chinese. Therefore, the professional field can be counted as "slow traffic lane," which only let a smaller number of letter words in.

The common field facing the public seems like the "fast traffic lane," which should forbid the use of letter words. The Law of the National Commonly−Used Language and Script has stipulated that five aspects of state organs, press and publications, radio and television, communal facilities and public service must use Putonghua and standardized Chinese characters. As foreign language, the letter words do not meet the norms and standards of common language of China.

Some people advocate the abolition of restrictions of letter words in common field for two reasons. First, absorbing foreign language can enrich the Chinese.

Second, the letter words are simpler and more convenient than Chinese. In fact, no one opposes to absorb the foreign words, but they should be translated into Chinese before absorption.

Some simple and convenient Chinese abbreviations can be found to replace the letter words. Now, some letter words used in the common area indeed have not a corresponding Chinese abbreviation.

Therefore, the relevant government department should organize authoritative translation committee to regularly announce them. For example, "CPI" can be replaced by "xiaozhi" in Chinese and "PM2.5" can be substituted by "weichen 2.5" in Chinese.

The language in common area is used to serve the public, but many people fedo not understand the meaning of letter words because they cannot speak English. The restriction of use of letter words in common area shows not only a respect for the Law of the National Commonly−Used Language and Script but also an understanding and respect of people who do not understand foreign language.