To read enough for your PhD:
Must read preface and intro of each book. Use the index and contents page and read the relevant sections. This way, you'll be flying through the text.
To make notes:
Use endnote. Read article and make notes by typing. This would come in extremely useful when you start writing your chapters.
Good luck!

Hi Swantje,
I have read the articles you recommended, so thanks for that. Unfortunately, I have to tell you that Cantonese is a Chinese dialect. The loose use of terms between language and dialect is prolific even amongst Chinese linguists; a parallel found in the categorisation of Chinese medicine as a form of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) . In asmuchas there is a clear distinction between CAM and Chinese medicine, this applies to Cantonese and Chinese language as well. Sorry to disappoint you. But thanks for the links.

On the contrary,dialects are mutually incomphrensible. Hence, the compulsory use of Standard Chinese (Putong hua) in China. The Chinese language is notoriously complicated, challenging even for sinologist. Apostrophe, spot on. You've got it sorted, mate.

Amongst Chinese academics, clear distinctions are made between regional speech and national speech. Academic journals highlight the blurring of boundaries between dialects and languages, especially in Oriental languages.
Thanks for the advice and the links. Most helpful.

Nadal.
Reasons: He wants a match with Federer, and he wants a second victory for Spain following the footie win.

My bet is on Nadal.

Thanks, chaps. Feels as though I'm drowning in mud.

Thanks, Aloha. Just browsed the book online. Looks OK. Any recommendations for bilingual studies?

Need intellectual exchange on what constitute language and dialects. Constructive comments most welcomed.

Perhaps you should consider what your specific area is before commenting on other people's work. Truly unprofessional to pass comments on areas you are not familiar with.

Well, may I suggest you read Tong and James (1996)and a recent article entitled "Fuzzy Cantonese".

Now that is an interesting comment. Are you a linguist? I'm curious to know how you arrive at the conclusion that Cantonese is a language rather than a dialect. What about Fujianese, Hakka, Chaozhou, Shanghainess... and the list goes on?

Hey Hattie,
Why don't you email your proposal to one of us for comments? We might be able to help? There are loads of PhD scholarships around. Have you thought of applying for those? or have I just lost the plot?

Great to hear from you Shani! Yes, I am interested in the forthcoming event. Like Swiss German, Cantonese is largely a spoken language, hence a dialect rather than language due to the limited script. Translation is a major concern in validity as it depends on the linguistic and cultural skills of the researcher. Have you read Brislin (1976) on translation issues? Latest article written by Esposito (2005) is very enlightening too.
Call me: 0113 2480479! Looking forward to hearing from you.

Thanks, Rick. My fieldwork was carried out mainly in Cantonese. As such, speech patterns, translation issues and code-switching are major areas of discussion.
It sucks!