Recommended Books
The Best 16 Books for Learning Mandarin Chinese
Browse through our finely selected book recommendations for learners of every level. Read the descriptions and choose what is more suitable for you.
Pick the right Chinese learning books for you
Have you recently decided that learning Mandarin Chinese is something that you want to do and don’t know where to start or can’t find suitable materials for you to keep you on track with your study goals? Either way, this is the place for you. Browse through our finely selected book recommendations for learners of every level. Read the descriptions and choose what is more suitable for you.
We invested time researching the marketplace for the best Mandarin Chinese textbooks and other printed materials, so you don’t have to. Just scroll, read and pick the ones you like or need the most. Depending on the part of the language you want to focus on, you can choose from the following categories: Grammar, Vocabulary, Read & Write or if you want it all, from All-in-one.
Before you start browsing, we want to let you know that for a complete and solid foundation in Mandarin Chinese, we recommend that you pair your printed or other online learning resources with our Online Mandarin Chinese Dictionary for HSK for the simple reason that it is the only online dictionary that you will ever need to learn Chinese both thoroughly and quickly.
Enjoy your Mandarin Chinese learning journey and feel free to return to us anytime; our gates are always open.
A. Mandarin Chinese Grammar Books
Let’s begin our list of recommended books for learning Chinese with the easy part: the grammar. Although Mandarin Chinese is renowned worldwide for being extremely complicated and hard to acquire, especially as a second language, it has a far more straightforward and logically-structured grammar than most European or American languages. It is easy to learn for English speakers. The basic word order of Chinese is subject — verb — object, exactly as in English. Many key terms of Mandarin Chinese (such as state, health, science, party, inflation, and even literature) have been formed as translations of English concepts.
Chinese grammar points that make the language easy to learn can therefore be summarized as follows:
- No conjugations: each verb only has one form, and for that matter: no irregular verbs
- No tenses: use of particles to express if an action takes place in the past, present or future. Again, the verb form never changes in the function of the tense.
- No articles: no such thing as ‘the’ and ‘a, no le/la, no der/die/das
- No plurals: quantifiers before the noun, or simply the context, will make clear whether we are talking in singular or plural
- No gender: no masculine, feminine or neuter words
- No declensions of adjectives by number or gender: just like nouns, adjectives never change
- Fixed sentence patterns, no inversion: set way of the subject – verb – object.
Here are the best options we could find on the market to help you learn the rules and structures of Mandarin Chinese grammar in no time.
The best Chinese Grammar Textbook & Workbook Pack you can find. Very straightforward and useful.
Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar provides an innovative reference guide to Mandarin Chinese, combining traditional and function-based grammar in a single volume.
The book is divided into two parts. Part A covers traditional grammatical categories such as phrase order, nouns, verbs and specifiers. Part B is carefully organized around language functions and notions such as:
- Communication strategies
- Making comparisons
- Giving and seeking information
- Expressing apologies, regrets and sympathies
The two parts of the Grammar are closely linked by extensive cross-references, providing a grammatical and functional perspective on many patterns. All grammar points and functions are richly illustrated with examples, with a strong focus on contemporary usage.
Main features of the book include:
- Examples given in simplified characters, traditional characters and romanization (pinyin)
- Clear explanations and accessible descriptions
- Particular attention to areas of particular difficulty for learners of Mandarin Chinese
Implementing feedback from users of the first edition of the Grammar, this second edition has been revised throughout to offer expanded explanations, examples, cross-referencing, and indexing and brand new chapters on aspect, resultative verbs, directional verbs and “ba” sentences.
This is the ideal reference grammar for learners of Mandarin Chinese at all levels, from elementary to advanced. No prior knowledge of grammatical terminology is assumed, and a glossary of grammatical terms is provided. This Grammar is accompanied by the Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar Workbook (978-0-415-83488-9; available for separate purchase), which features related exercises and activities.
54 Essential Chinese Grammar Wiki grammar points
Part of the larger Chinese Grammar Wiki Book series, this volume focuses specifically on the grammar points required for the Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi (HSK) Level 1 standard test of Mandarin Chinese proficiency.
HSK 1 Chinese Grammar includes:
- 54 grammar points aligned with the HSK 1 test
- Over 600 simple example sentences illustrating the grammar points
- Pinyin and English translation for all word and sentences
- Simple grammar explanations that any learner can understand
- Extensive interlinking of similar grammar points
- Full keyword index (with pinyin)
- Learner-centric design.
- 150 words
- Native audio pronunciation
- Dictionary Pop-up
- Etymology
- Write it!
- 750 Sentence examples with audio
A word from the author:
Having spent years trying to learn Chinese the traditional way, I quickly realised that the logic behind it was not suitable for me. Therefore, as a teacher, I have spent the last 5 years designing a series of Chinese grammar books that allow a native-born English speaker to go from English grammar to Chinese, rather than the traditional way of starting from Chinese grammar and then relating it to English grammar. In this way, a native-born English speaker, who thinks in English can learn to translate from English to Chinese using this style of learning.
Who is this book for?
This book is for anyone wishing to learn to use Chinese for speaking, reading and writing. The information in this book is enough to pass HSK 3, but the book itself is designed to get non-native speakers to use Chinese effectively daily.
You might want to send messages, write emails, conduct in-depth conversations, or give presentations in Chinese. If so, the beginner to intermediate edition provides all the grammar needed to communicate with native Chinese people about everyday issues.
How to use the book:
The book is divided into 140 units, and after every 7 units, there is a summary page that can be used to review what has been studied. With this book, students will start learning simple nouns, then simple sentences, and finish on intermediate-level structures. The tenses taught are ‘present simple, present continuous, future simple and past simple. In other words, by the end of the book, students should be able to talk and write about the past, present and future. There is enough information within so that students can live and work in China without fear of making any mistakes or being unable to communicate aa simple idea or opinion.
What we like about this book:
Readers will find that this book becomes progressively more challenging as they go along, starting from simple nouns and working up to sophisticated lessons on sentence structure. In short, by the end of this book, you should be able to speak and write about everyday topics with minimal grammatical errors.
- Divides each topic into separate chapters
- Comes with a summary page after several units to help with revision
- Helps learners speak confidently and fluently
A systematic overview of Mandarin grammar, oriented toward self-study, English-speaking students.
Through explanations of common mistakes learners make, useful example sentences and exercises with an answer key, this book provides a detailed introduction to the unique grammar structures of the Mandarin language.
Ideal for any student who is interested in taking their skills to the next level, this book makes the difficult task of perfecting grammar efficient, interesting and rewarding. Essential Mandarin Chinese Grammar is a perfect tool to help you form correct and natural-sounding sentences, and determine how to best use the grammar you need for reading or writing Mandarin.
Each example and exercise is written in both pinyin and Simplified Chinese Characters to accommodate learners with varying levels of character literacy, including those who have learned only to speak but not read.
When it comes to learning from your mistakes, this is arguably one of the best Chinese grammar books you can get.
Rather than provide accurate examples, the book highlights the most common Mandarin grammar mistakes that learners make and corrects them. Before that, it provides detailed information on the grammar structure in question to give you a fairly solid understanding of the particular topic. There are also exercises at the end of each chapter.
Because of the unique way that this book presents examples, it makes learning grammar efficient, practical, and memorable. By the end of it all, you’ll be able to speak almost with native-level fluency with minimal grammatical errors!
What we like about this book:
- Uses meaningful examples that highlight common mistakes
- Provides decent exercises and explanations
- Focuses on natural-sounding speech patterns
We believe that our Online Characters Dictionary for the HSK learner is best used with the most reliable and helpful books designed for successfully learning Mandarin Chinese and passing the HSK or other Chinese language examinations.
One of the essential things you need to do in order to understand and communicate like a native Mandarin speaker is learning to recognize and use Chinese characters and familiarise yourself with the basics of word formation and usage.
Our Dictionary’s main advantage is that instead of throwing random characters at you to memorize, it takes the time to break down each of the words into more basic elements. You will learn about the word’s etymology, stroke number, and pronunciation, practice writing it, and read and listen to sentences that best exemplify how natives use the words in everyday contexts.
This helps you develop a better understanding of the morphology of the Chinese language and enables you to learn about the history and evolution of the words of your pleasing.
- Over 7000 words
- Native audio pronunciation
- Dictionary Pop-up
- Etymology
- Write it!
- 24000 Sentence examples with audio
Search Box
Use the search box near the menu to browse the dictionary for words by typing their Hanzi, Pinyin or English translations.
Dictionary Pop-up
A simple and practical explanatory pop-up for the words showing the Pinyin with audio pronunciation and English meanings of the word .
Write it!
Practice your Chinese writing skills and learn precisely where and when to draw every stroke of over 8000 words that compile the dictionary.
Audio Assistance
All the Chinese words and sentences in the Temple are accompanied by audio pronunciations that help you step up your Mandarin learning game.
Etymology
Extensive etymological details of the words, such as formation types with their explanation, radicals contained, hints for easy learning & more.
Sentence examples
Broaden your vocabulary by interacting with over 24000 audio-assisted sentences using Chinese words in different contexts.
B. Mandarin Chinese building Vocabulary Books
Chinese vocabulary is built up in a very logical way. Once you know some essential words, your learning process will speed up in no time. As you progress, you will notice that many new words you learn are simply creative combinations of other essential words you have learned before.
If you know 1000 commonly used characters, you will recognize 90% of the characters in Chinese newspapers.
Fantastic Resource for all the Visual Learners out there
This Mandarin picture dictionary covers the 1500 most useful Mandarin Chinese words and sentences. Each word and sentence is given in Chinese characters with Hanyu Pinyin pronunciation and English definition. The words are grouped into 37 themes or topics. Each theme has 25 to 35 words and 5 to 8 sentences and is richly illustrated with colour photographs.
A free CD contains audio recordings by native Mandarin speakers of all the vocabulary and sentences. A brief introduction to Chinese pronunciation and tones is included and indexes at the back allow you to quickly look up any of the words or characters in the book. Since this dictionary covers all the words for the AP Chinese Language and Culture Exam and the Chinese HSK Levels 1 & 2, it is an ideal test prep resource for a visual learner.
- 150 words
- Native audio pronunciation
- Dictionary Pop-up
- Etymology
- Write it!
- 750 Sentence examples with audio
Get fluent & increase your Chinese Vocabulary with 2000 Chinese Phrases
Have you been trying to learn Chinese (Mandarin) and simply can’t find the way to expand your vocabulary?
Do your teachers recommend you boring textbooks and complicated stories that you don’t really understand?
Are you looking for a way to learn the language quicker without taking shortcuts? If you answered “Yes!” to at least one of those previous questions, this book is for you! We’ve compiled the 2000 Most Common Words in Chinese, a list of terms that will expand your vocabulary to levels previously unseen.
Did you know that — according to an important study — learning the top two thousand (2000) most frequently used words will enable you to understand up to 84% of all non-fiction and 86.1% of fiction literature, and 92.7% of oral speech? Those are amazing stats, and this book will take you even further than those numbers!
In this book:
- A detailed introduction with tips and tricks on how to improve your learning
- A list of 2000 of the most common words in Chinese and their translations
An example sentence for each word – in both Chinese and English - Finally, a conclusion to make sure you’ve learned and supply you with a final list of tips
Of course, beginners may find this book a challenge to digest, but intermediate and advanced learners should be able to grasp and comprehend its rich content reasonably well.
Every word is matched with its Chinese pinyin, an English translation of the word, and an example sentence that teaches you how to use it in context.
The emphasis leans more towards vocabulary edification and expansion rather than stroke-by-stroke character writing.
How to talk dirty and influence people — in Chinese!
This next book – Plume’s foreign language slang series, Niubi! Will make sure you learn all the colourful vernacular words and phrases used by Chinese people of all ages in a variety of situations, including flirting and dating, wheeling and dealing, and even specific Internet slang — not to mention plenty of Chinese words that are…well, best not to say.
This book includes all the dirty words, slang, and everyday Chinese you could ever want. While it won’t help you write essays at university, it could do wonders for your spoken Chinese in casual social situations.
You can study Chinese for years, but do you really know how to talk like a native speaker?
Accessible and useful to complete novices (Niubi! newbies), intermediate students of Mandarin Chinese, or just anyone who enjoys cursing in other languages, this irreverent guide is packed with hilarious anecdotes and illustrations, mini-cultural lessons, and contextual explanations. So whether you’re planning a trip to Beijing, flirting with an online acquaintance from Shanghai, or want to start a fight in Chinatown–Niubi! I will ensure that nothing you say is lost in translation.
Since some of the words and phrases in this book are very colloquial, we recommend you use them cautiously and if in doubt, ask your Chinese teacher when it’s appropriate to use them.
The great thing about this book is that it can be used by beginners, intermediates, and advanced students to make their own Chinese more interesting.
At under £10, this entertaining book is a steal for anyone wanting to learn more about contemporary Chinese culture.
Improve your Chinese skills and grow your vocabulary with these 10 entertaining Chinese short stories!
The best part of learning a new language is experiencing the culture and diving into activities that will enrich your life and vocabulary. The best way to learn a new language is by reading, and in this Chinese book you will find yourself turning page after page to get to the end of each captivating story that will engage your mind and help you improve your grasp of the Chinese language.
Chapter by chapter you will find yourself effortlessly reading each story. Not struggling like in basic textbooks or boring reads.
You will get involved by reading the dialogue of the characters by learning how to express yourself in different contexts and more importantly by learning new Chinese words that will get you closer to your goal of becoming fully conversational.
In this book you will find:
- 10 challenging and captivating stories containing a wide variety of topics that you will find easy to relate to – all while learning about Chinese culture and folklore!
- The stories are broken down into manageable chapters, so you always make progress with each chapter.
- Pinyin, which enables you to understand Chinese characters better and learn how they are pronounced out loud.
- Carefully written stories for intermediate-level readers like you, using straightforward grammar and commonly used words so you can enjoy reading while challenging yourself with new grammatical structures that aren’t overwhelming.
- Plenty of natural dialogues in each story that you would actually use in an everyday conversation, which will drastically improve your speaking and comprehension ability at the same time!
- At the end of each chapter, there will be a comprehensive guide specially designed for beginner-level readers – it will take you through a summary of each story, followed by a vocabulary of some of the words from the story to make sure that you understand the story entirely.
C. Read and Write in Mandarin Chinese Books
Chinese characters can also be frustratingly difficult and, compared with any other major language, extremely time-consuming to learn. This is particularly true for writing characters by hand, which takes many times longer than learning to read.
- Learn character components and what they mean.
- Use radicals to make mnemonics.
- Look for patterns in Chinese characters.
- Write the character as we guide you through our application to consolidate your knowledge.
- Learn a little every day.
A complete and easy-to-use guide for reading and writing Chinese characters.
Learning written Chinese is an essential part of mastering the Chinese language. Used as a standard by students and teachers learning to read Chinese and write Chinese for more than three decades, the bestselling Reading & Writing Chinese has been thoroughly revised and updated. Reading & Writing Chinese places at your fingertips the essential 1,725 Chinese characters’ current definitions, derivations, pronunciations, and examples of correct usage by utilizing cleverly condensed grids. This guide also focuses on Pinyin, which is the official system to transcribe Hanzi, Chinese characters, into Latin script, now universally used in mainland China and Singapore. Traditional characters (still used in Taiwan and Hong Kong) are also included, making this a complete reference.
Newly updated and revised, these characters are the ones officially prescribed by the Chinese government for the internationally recognized test of proficiency in Chinese, the Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi (HSK). The student’s ability to read and write Chinese are reinforced throughout the text.
Key features of this newly-expanded edition include:
- The 1,725 most frequently used characters in both Simplified and Traditional forms.
- All 2,633 characters and 5,000+ compounds required for the HSK Exam.
- Standard Hanyu Pinyin romanizations.
- More mnemonic phrases and etymologies to help you remember the characters.
- An extensive introduction, alphabetical index, and index according to stroke count and stroke order.
- Completely updated/expanded English definitions.
- Convenient quick-reference tables of radicals.
- Updated and revised compounds, plus 25% more vocabulary now offered.
- Codes to assist those who are preparing for the AP exam or the HSK exam.
20 Inspirational Classic Chinese Sayings in English, Pinyin and Mandarin Chinese Characters
- Cool Black Soft Matte Paperback Cover with Classic Chinese Dragon Image and Characters
- 1st Page with Sayings in English, Chinese Characters and Pinyin for:
- 2st Page with Sayings in English, Chinese Characters and Pinyin for:
- Interior Page Design Layout:
- classic Chinese Pīn Yīn Tián Zì Gé – Pinyin + Field Grid Style, the grid resembles Chinese character for field, 田 Tián tián.
- one top line for date and subject with classic inspirational Chinese quotes with pinyin on each page
- bottom with page numbers
- 10 x 7 Field Cells + 10 x 7 Pinyin Cells Per Page
- 160 Pages
- Page Size: 8.5 x 11 inches (21.59 x 27.94 cm) A4
- Paper Quality: Standard Amazon White Thick Book Paper
- Printing Feature: black and white, double-sided printing
Chinese Characters Practice Notebook For Beginners
Perfect Book for :
- Mandarin Chinese beginners
- Cantonese Chinese beginners
- Chinese Handwriting Learners
- Learning Chinese Pinyin, Alphabets, Letters, Characters, Calligraphy, Words, Phrases and Sentences.
- Chinese Grammar Practice
- Chinese Vocabulary Building, Self-Study
- Chinese HSK (1,2) Test Preparation
- Confucius Institute Courses Notebooks and Homework Workbooks
- Chinese Handwriting and Calligraphy Practice
- Traditional Chinese Characters Writing Practice (Taiwan and Hong Kong)
- Simplified Mandarin Chinese Characters Writing Pracice (Mainland China)
- Unique Cool Gifts for Loved Ones Who is learning Chinese, Cantonese Language and culture.
- 300 words
- Native audio pronunciation
- Dictionary pop-up
- Etymology
- Write it!
- 1500 Sentence examples with audio
Learn to write 100 characters in Chinese
Billions of people worldwide speak Chinese—and now you can learn to write 100 characters in the world’s most-spoken language! Whether you’re taking a course, looking to get ahead at work, or just want to up the ante when you’re communicating with Chinese-speaking family and friends, Chinese Character Writing For Dummies gets you up to speed fast.
This workbook will guide your first steps in learning Chinese characters. It contains 100 basic characters, including 44 simple characters (pictograms and symbols) and 56 composite characters (ideograms and ideo-phonograms). It helps you little by little to familiarize yourself with the pieces of the puzzle most frequently used, as well as some basic Chinese writing rules.
An Amazon best-seller
- Offers online bonus content that includes instructional videos, downloadable flashcards, and printable writing pages
- Shows you how to write 100 Chinese characters
- Provides instruction for beginners, students, and lifelong learners
- Gives you helpful tips on how to memorize characters
This series also contains a Chinese for Dummies Textbook which teaches basic grammar, as well as the necessary vocabulary to make introductions and greetings, use proper etiquette, make small talk, make transportation arrangements, order food and beverages, ask directions, deal with money, shop, access recreation, and handle an emergency.
- Concentrates on Mandarin Chinese and features new and revised content
- Includes major updates to all the necessary foundational information needed to speak Chinese
- Covers grammar, verb conjugations, and pronunciation
- Offers a refreshed mini-dictionary complete with even more vocabulary
- Find free conversational audio tracks online
Learning Mandarin Chinese Characters Vol. 1 & 2
Volume 1: Reinforce your written Chinese with this practice book for the best-selling Tuttle Learning Chinese Characters. Learning Mandarin Chinese Characters helps students quickly learn the basic Chinese characters fundamental to the language. Intended for self-study and classroom use, this character workbook presents 178 Chinese characters and over 534 common words using these characters.
Key features of this Chinese workbook include: Designed for HSK Level 1 and AP exam prep, Learn the 178 most basic Chinese characters, Example sentences and over 534 vocabulary items, Step-by-step writing diagrams and practice boxes.
Volume 2: Reinforce your written Chinese with this practice book for the best-selling Tuttle Learning Chinese Characters. Learning Mandarin Chinese Characters helps students quickly learn the basic Chinese characters fundamental to the language. Intended for self-study and classroom use, this character workbook presents 171 Chinese characters and over 513 common words using these characters. The meaning and pronunciation are given along with the key vocabulary compounds and an example sentence.
Mandarin Chinese for Beginners – Learning Conversational Chinese
Chinese is a fascinating language that can seem impossibly difficult to learn at first but is relatively easy if you focus on the spoken language.
The revised edition contains new dialogues, cultural notes, IT, smartphone and social media vocabulary and new manga illustrations, as well as:
- Real-life dialogues and situations help you to converse with confidence
- Sentence pattern exercises and drills help to reinforce what you are learning
- Native-speaker audio recordings teach you to pronounce
- Chinese accurately Interesting notes, idioms, sayings, and poems introduce you to Chinese culture
Mandarin Chinese for Beginners contains lots of extra hints and tips drawn from the authors’ many years of experience in teaching the language in adult evening classes. Answer Keys to the exercise questions are provided, and an Extend Your Vocabulary section in each chapter helps you to remember and understand more words that you’d think possible. Photos and insider tips about China’s culture and its many unique places, add spice to the adventure!
Learn Mandarin Chinese for Beginners Textbook
✓ Have you ever been urged to learn Mandarin but have been put off by other people saying it looks too tricky?
Trust me, and it is not as difficult as other people say. We agree that learning Mandarin can be seen as quite a daunting experience, which is why books like this exist.
As soon as you know what to expect and some rules regarding how to read and write Mandarin as a beginner, you will be well on your way to mastering the language. WhWhat’sreat about “L” in Mandarin Chinese for Beginners” i” is that it comes with a composite workbook that you can use to hone your Mandarin skills.
With this book, we will be explaining everything about Mandarin to you.
This will include some history and help you understand your learning style. This will ensure that you will perfect Mandarin in the quickest amount of time possible! You will find yourself understanding the four Mandarin tones, the different ways to master pinyin, and even learning some personal life lessons.
We have tailored this book to be unique for each student and not by using a one-size-fits-all approach.
It does not matter why you are learning Mandarin. As long as you have the passion and dedication to put time aside every single day and commit to learning the language, we will have you conversing with native Mandarin speakers in no time at all.
This book is your best guide!
By picking it up, you have taken the first step in learning Mandarin, and we are so excited to be on this unique, fun, and exciting journey with you.
Learn Mandarin Chinese for Beginners Workbook
✓ When learning Mandarin, you can learn all the rules, but you must practice. But where do you go to find the best resources?
You do not need to look any further because we are here to help!
With this workbook, you can expect to make great strides toward becoming proficient in Mandarin. You will learn how to read and write essential Mandarin words and phrases.
Upon completing this workbook, you can converse with a native Mandarin-speaking individual. You will learn about the weather, how to tell time, how to count, how to order a meal, and even how to ask about another person’s occupation.
You cannot learn Mandarin without ensuring a degree of culture embedded into your work. We have included some Chinese idioms for you to practice reading. According to history, these specific idioms inspire you to continue on your journey to becoming fluent in Mandarin.
As you immerse yourself in this book’s content, you will begin to feel the joy of correctly translating your first pinyin word into Chinese characters. When you can shuffle your knowledge between English, pinyin, and Chinese characters, you will be ready to tackle the next hurdle of Mandarin.
For now, remember how you felt when you started learning Mandarin. Keep that passion burning, as it is going to make the process of learning Mandarin that much easier!
D. All-in-one Mandarin Chinese learning Books
Do you want it all in just one book? These are the best books we could find that cover grammar, vocabulary and every other aspect of the Mandarin Chinese language. Enjoy!
Learning Chinese is easy peasy!
This crystal clear and completely comprehensive guide to Chinese is everything you need in one perfect package?
No Great Wall is stopping you from learning now. Follow Easy Peasy Chinese, and you’ll be speaking, writing, and understanding the most popular language in no time. This beginner’s book for adults and children is based on Pinyin, the system used to spell out Chinese characters using Roman letters. You’ll learn language and phrases to introduce yourself, read and write numbers, and chat about the weather, food, and interests. What’s more, you can give yourself a Chinese name, haggle over shop prices, master Chinese characters, and learn about the national culture.
Inside this visual guide is an audio CD to help you easily speak Chinese. Any time you spot the special headphones symbol inside, switch on the CD and make sure your pronunciation sounds spot-on.
An Amazon best-seller
This is one of the best sellers on Amazon and a highly-recommended resource for beginners. The book comes with a CD, so you can also listen to Chinese being spoken. Costing around £5, this is also one of the cheapest books on the list (which might explain why it sells so well) and to get the most out of the series; you’re probably going to have to invest in the workbook, too. That said, the workbook is also very cheap, and you can quickly get both books for under £20.
If you’re travelling to China for a business trip or just on holiday, you should consider getting both of these books and working towards speaking conversational Chinese before you get there. Make sure you also use the CD so that you can hear the Chinese pronunciation, which is a hugely important aspect of speaking Chinese well.
Delivering a cohesive system of print and digital resources for highly effective teaching and learning
Integrated Chinese is an acclaimed Mandarin Chinese language course that delivers a cohesive system of print and digital resources for highly effective teaching and learning. First published in 1997 and now in its 4th Edition, it has become the leading Chinese language textbook series in the United States and beyond. The Workbook of this time-tested series has been fully revised to align with the needs of today s learners: The core language skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing are given equal emphasis Lesson Opener checklists help students monitor their progress and self-assess Idiomatic language builds communicative competence and cultural literacy Streaming audio is provided for the listening comprehension exercises Visuals prompt students to answer in Chinese without translating from English Authentic realia presents language in context and helps develop predictive skills Pinyin and Tone exercises help build recognition of syllabic characters and progressively improve pronunciation Extra writing exercises expand recognition and production of Chinese characters Open-ended exercises help students personalize and internalize the language Interpretive, interpersonal, and presentational activities build proficiency and communication strategies while encouraging active use of language across different modes Cumulative review units test student progress after every five lessons
The Workbook
Integrated Chinese is an acclaimed Mandarin Chinese language course that delivers a cohesive print and digital resources system for highly effective teaching and learning. First published in 1997 and now in its 4th Edition, Integrated Chinese has become the leading Chinese language textbook series in the United States and beyond.
The Workbook of this time-tested series has been fully revised to align with the needs of today s learners:
- The core language skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing are given equal emphasis
- Lesson Opener checklists help students monitor their progress and self-assess
- Idiomatic language builds communicative competence and cultural literacy
- Streaming audio is provided for the listening comprehension exercises
- Visuals prompt students to answer in Chinese without translating from English
- Authentic realia presents language in context and helps develop predictive skills
- Pinyin and Tone exercises help build recognition of syllabic characters and progressively improve pronunciation
- Extra writing exercises expand the credit and production of Chinese characters
- Open-ended activities help students personalize and internalize the language
- Interpretive, interpersonal, and presentational activities build proficiency and communication strategies while encouraging the active use of language across different modes.
- Cumulative review units test student progress after every five lessons
The Workbook and Character Workbook are also available through the ChengTsui Web App. The Character Workbook is downloadable for handwriting practice.
For more information, visit chengtsui.com.
Take yourself from beginner to intermediate level
Complete Mandarin Chinese is a comprehensive book and audio language course that takes you from beginner to intermediate level.
The all-new edition of this successful course has been fully rewritten by top Chinese professors to incorporate the most essential language you’ll need to communicate in Chinese with confidence. New learning features will support you in your mastery of the four skills as well as your understanding of Chinese characters.
Do you want to develop a solid understanding of Mandarin and communicate confidently with others? Through authentic conversations, vocabulary building, grammar explanations, and extensive practice and review, Complete Mandarin Chinese will equip you with the practical skills you need to use Mandarin in various realistic settings and situations, developing your cultural awareness along the way.
What will I achieve by the end of the course?
By the end of Complete Mandarin Chinese you will have a solid intermediate-level grounding in the four key skills – reading, writing, speaking, and listening – and be able to communicate with confidence and accuracy.
Is this course for me?
This course is for you if you want to move confidently from beginner to intermediate level. It’s perfect for the self-study learner, with a one-on-one tutor, or for the beginner classroom. It can also be used as a refresher course.
What will I get?
- Maps from A1 to B1/B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) for languages
- HSK references and vocabulary benchmarking
- 24 learning units plus verbs reference, word glossary and revision section
- Discovery Method – figure out rules and patterns to make the language stick
- Teaches the fundamental skills – reading, writing, listening and speaking
- Learn to learn – tips and skills on how to be a better language learner
- Culture notes – learn about the people and places of China
- Outcomes-based learning – focus your studies with clear aims
- Authentic listening activities – everyday conversations give you a flavour of real spoken Mandarin Chinese
- Test Yourself – see and track your progress
Complete Mandarin Chinese maps from Novice Low to Advanced Low-level proficiency of ACTFL (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages) and from A1 Beginner to B1/B2 Intermediate level of the CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) guidelines. It also contains the vocabulary needed for the HSK (Chinese proficiency test).
The audio for this course is available for free on library.teachyourself.com or from the Teach Yourself Library app.
Also available: Get Started In Beginner’s Mandarin Chinese (ISBN 9781444174809), which is presented below.
Rely on Teach Yourself, trusted by language learners for over 75 years.
Do you want a solid foundation for your Mandarin Chinese studies?
If you are looking for a solid foundation to your language studies for school, work or travel, this engaging course will get you speaking, writing, reading and understanding Mandarin Chinese in no time. Through authentic conversations, clear language presentations, and extensive practice and review, you will learn the Mandarin Chinese you need to communicate naturally in everyday situations – from booking a hotel room to talking about friends and family.
What will I learn?
Basic Mandarin Chinese is slowly and carefully introduced to ensure you progress confidently through the course and build up a foundation to allow you to feel confident in everyday situations and move to the next level of your learning. It teaches grammar, vocabulary and listening, reading, writing, speaking and pronunciation skills. By the end of the course you will reach a solid Novice High proficiency level of ACTFL (The American Council for the Teaching of Foreign Languages) and A2 Beginner level of the CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) guidelines.
Is this course for me?
Get Started in Mandarin Chinese is for absolute and false beginners of Mandarin Chinese. Clear and simple explanations make the course appropriate and accessible to anyone learning Mandarin Chinese. There are extensive illustrations to support the learner working on his or her own. This course is also ideal to use with one-to-one tutoring and as a classroom course.
What do I get?
This book has a learner-centred approach that incorporates the following features:
- 10 units of learning content – covering everyday topics from booking a hotel room to talking about friends and family
- Discovery Method – figure out rules and patterns yourself to make the language stick
- Outcomes-based learning – focus your studies with clear aims
- Vocabulary building – thematic lists and activities to help you learn vocabulary quickly
- Test yourself – see and track your own progress
- Native speaker audio – available as a digital download
- Free, downloadable audio transcripts and vocabulary and language reference lists
This pack includes a book and one MP3 CD of audio material.
Where do I go next?
If you want to advance your Mandarin Chinese, our Complete Mandarin Chinese course (9781444199376) will take you to an intermediate level of Mandarin Chinese.
If you want to practice your speaking and listening skills, Get Talking and Keep Talking Mandarin Chinese (9781444185416) is the perfect audio course. Rely on Teach Yourself, trusted by language learners for over 75 years