Introductory Chinese (Volumes 1 and 2)

Author: Guo Huichun (Compiler)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-01-01
Features: This book is designed for Westerners to learn Chinese in a short period, especially suitable for foreign business professionals working in China. It uses Pinyin instead of Chinese characters, focusing on practicality and emphasizing the development of listening and speaking skills. Upon completing the upper part of the book, learners can engage in simple daily conversations. The lower part is more lively and includes a few common Chinese idioms. Studying five hours per week, completing both parts takes approximately six months. The arrangement of sentences in the book highlights the comparison of word order between Chinese and English, making it easier for learners to understand and remember, thus avoiding a systematic and detailed introduction to Chinese grammar. To meet the comparative requirements, the English translations may sometimes seem forced to fit the constraints. Some grammar notes appear in the lower part to explain more complex linguistic phenomena. These notes are intended only to help learners understand the content of the lesson and should not be considered rigorous or comprehensive knowledge of Chinese grammar. Several new words appear in each lesson, some of which are basic vocabulary used in sentence patterns, while others are reference vocabulary for practice. When reference vocabulary is used in later sentence patterns, these words will reappear in the new words list as basic vocabulary. Since this book does not use Chinese characters, teachers should pay special attention to vocabulary instruction and strengthen review and practice. Chinese homophones can only be distinguished through repeated, flexible, and vivid review, so the guidance of an experienced native teacher is essential for successful learning.