Beginner's Chinese (Beginner's (Foreign Language))

Rating:
Summary: Structure and background, a great intro
Review: The material is on practical daily life but despite the blurbs it is not a phrasebook; it is organized into ten lessons but it seems to have about a first semester's worth of material. The book's strength is that the author explains grammar and structure (and even 'Worfian' aspects of the mindset of Chinese speakers!) along the way to depths you wouldn't expect to find in a beginner's book. The author is a linguist and the reader gets the benefit. This is a great, authoritative (but accessible) linguistic and cultural introduction for those new to and curious about Chinese.

Rating:
Summary: Good Introduction to Chinese
Review: There is an audio tape that goes with this book. It is sold separately and you should get it to help you with pronounciation.

This is a very basic book and you can go through it relatively fast, without getting stuck along the way.

Highy recommended for beginners.

Some other program to help you with pronounciation of Chinese are Pimsleur's programs and to help you write Chinese characters - Easy Chinese Tutor CD.





Rating:
Summary: Good Introduction to Chinese
Review: There is an audio tape that goes with this book. It is sold separately and you should get it to help you with pronounciation.

Chinese text is written in pinyin and simplified Chinese characters, with appropriate text in English.

You are also guided through the basic grammar.

If you can't find the recording for this book, then you may be better off getting Colloquial Chinese (the new version is easier, the older version is harder, but more thorough).

This is a very basic book and you can go through it relatively fast, without getting stuck along the way. Highy recommended for beginners.

Some other program to help you with pronounciation of Chinese are Pimsleur's programs and to help you write Chinese characters - Easy Chinese Tutor CD.