The Method of Judging of Light Tone in PSC

As a special phenomenon of tonal change in Putonghua (Mandarin), the light tone is very active and prominent in spoken language. Some words that are not marked with light tone and some words with different phonetic notation in light tone in special word-lists and dictionaries, often appear in the form of light tone in spoken Putonghua. This condition constitutes not only an important and difficult aspect of learning and application of Putonghua, but also one of the difficult elements in PSC assessment. It presents a new question which is worth discussing for PSC workers. This article aims to address this question. The authors of this article enumerate, explain and sum up, multi-form communication and tests, by means of repeatedly sifting and checking, carefully comparing and analyzing, so as to make the case for the adaptation of a flexible approach in judging the voice of light tone words for those who undergo the PSC test. Such an approach advocates the combination of rational and customary principles. It is hoped to invite further discussion among experts, colleagues and others who have an interest in the subject.