Research Process - Influential Academics, Publishers and Designers of Chinese language learning (07 Jan 2011)

Influential Experts, Academics, Publishers and Designers of Chinese language learning materials
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1200s
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1294 - JOHN OF MONTECORVINO (MISSIONARY) First Roman Catholic missionary to reach China proper and first bishop of Khanbaliq (Beijing) - learned the Mongolian language and translate the New Testament and the Psalms.

1500s


1700s - systematic romanisation of Chinese
MATTEO RICCI (JESUIT PRIEST) (1552-1610)

NICOLAS TRIGAULT (1577-1628)
Trigault produced one of the first systems of Chinese Romanisation (based mostly on Ricci's earlier work) in 1626, in his work Xiru Ermu Zi (西儒耳目資 "Aid to the Eyes and Ears of Western Literati")
Image of book:
http://www.thebeijingcenter.org/show/?c=show&height=500&width=700&id=115

1800s
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ROBERT MORRISON (MISSIONARY) (1782-1834)
Books/Biographies?
1815 - VOLUMES 1-3: DICTIONARY OF THE CHINESE LANGUAGE IN THREE PARTS
from: http://www.babelstone.co.uk/morrison/morrison/biography.html

Tynes & Wear Archives and Museums
http://www.twmuseums.org.uk/explorers/robert-morrison/

WILLIAM MILNE (MISSIONARY) (1785-1822)
TRACT: THE TWO FRIENDS (1819) - Chinese Christian Tract
from: http://www.bdcconline.net/en/stories/m/milne-william.php

THOMAS F.WADE (SECRETARY BRITISH EMBASSY) ()
1867 - Published a book Yuyan Zi Er Ji (Teach Yourself Chinese) - used a romanisation system adapted from Robert Morrison

H. A. GILES (1845-1935)
1892 - Published a Chinese English Dictionary in which he used Thomas Wade's system with slight modifications.
from: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/233634/HA-Giles
1892 - introduction of WADE-GILES system until 1958 (66 years)


1900s
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1913 - CHINESE GOVERNMENT - ZHUYIN ZIMU / later BOPOMOFO
At the Government sponsored Commission on the Unification of Pronounciation, delegates led by Woo Tsin-hang adopted a standard phonetic alphabet called initially zhùyin zìmu (phonetic alphabet), but later was renamed to gúoyin zìmu (national phonetic alphabet). It was renamed yet again in 1930, to its current name, zhùyin fúhào (注音符號, or phonetic symbols), but is commonly refered to simply as the bopomofo today, after the first four letters ㄅㄆㄇㄈ.
from:  http://www.mandarinbook.net/bopomofo/


1958 - CHINESE GOVERNMENT - PINYIN ROMANISATION - HANYU PINYIN
from: http://www.white-clouds.com/iclc/cliej/cl4ao.htm (TO READ MORE)
International Standard Organisation passed a resolutio adopting Hanyu Pinyin as the international standard for Chinese romanisation.

2000s
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2000 - PLECO MOBILE SOFTWARE: MICHAEL LOVE - Lived in China for 11 years.

2008 - SKRITTER.COM WEBSITE: NICK WINTER/SCOTT ERICKSON - Inspired by drawing stylus game.