Jiayan Lin

Like its predecessor, the second edition of Fundamental Written Chinese provides students with a clear, systematic, and graduated introduction to written Mandarin Chinese with chapters designed not only to teach the content of the lessons, but also build on the proficiency the student has acquired. The authors continue the tradition of separating the teaching of written and oral skills, leaving the instruction of vocabulary and grammar exclusively to the accompanying Fundamental Spoken Chinese, also in its second edition. The lessons in the two textbooks, however, are keyed to each other, so they may be used simultaneously or the parallel written skills introduced at a later time. Both textbooks were developed for learning in the classroom and for independent study.Fundamental Written Chinese begins by educating readers on the crucial knowledge of the Chinese writing system so they are well-equipped for the practical application of Chinese characters. Following chapters include a list of vocabulary items, exercises, multiple charts explaining the characters’ usage, mnemonics and memory suggestions, supplementary texts, and space for writing practice. This textbook teaches comprehension of written Chinese by methodically focussing on structural regularities such as radicals, phonetic components, and stroke order. The lessons are organized so students begin with simple independent characters before moving to the more complex compound characters.

Like its predecessor, the second edition of Fundamental Spoken Chinese places primary importance on providing a clear, systematic, and graduated introduction to the basic grammar and vocabulary of spoken Mandarin Chinese through chapters that center on identified sentence patterns and vocabulary items rather than particular social functions or daily activities. The authors continue the tradition of separating the teaching of oral and written skills, leaving the instruction of reading and writing in Chinese characters exclusively to the accompanying Fundamental Written Chinese, also in its second edition. The lessons in the two textbooks, however, are keyed to each other in terms of vocabulary and grammar, so they may be used simultaneously or the parallel written skills introduced at a later time. Both textbooks were developed for learning in the classroom and for independent study.The exercise book contains a wide variety of exercises and activities specifically designed to reinforce a systematic progression of spoken Chinese that focuses on developing accuracy then fluency in conversations.

Like its predecessor, the second edition of Fundamental Spoken Chinese places primary importance on providing a clear, systematic, and graduated introduction to the basic grammar and vocabulary of spoken Mandarin Chinese through chapters that center on identified sentence patterns and vocabulary items rather than particular social functions or daily activities. The authors continue the tradition of separating the teaching of oral and written skills, leaving the instruction of reading and writing in Chinese characters exclusively to the accompanying Fundamental Written Chinese, also in its second edition. The lessons in the two textbooks, however, are keyed to each other in terms of vocabulary and grammar, so they may be used simultaneously or the parallel written skills introduced at a later time. Both textbooks were developed for learning in the classroom and for independent study.The bilingual teacher’s manual provides detailed instructions on how the different types of drills, exercises, and activities in the Fundamental Spoken Chinese Exercise Book reinforce students’ oral and aural proficiency. These Core Pedagogical Instructions are followed, when appropriate, by brief summaries of grammatical explanations presented in the Fundamental Spoken Chinese textbook, together with their specific grammar note numbers for easy reference.

Like its predecessor, the second edition of Fundamental Spoken Chinese places primary importance on providing a clear, systematic, and graduated introduction to the basic grammar and vocabulary of spoken Mandarin Chinese through chapters that center on identified sentence patterns and vocabulary items rather than particular social functions or daily activities. The authors continue the tradition of separating the teaching of oral and written skills, leaving the instruction of reading and writing in Chinese characters exclusively to the accompanying Fundamental Written Chinese, also in its second edition. The lessons in the two textbooks, however, are keyed to each other in terms of vocabulary and grammar, so they may be used simultaneously or the parallel written skills introduced at a later time. Both textbooks were developed for learning in the classroom and for independent study.Every chapter of Fundamental Spoken Chinese begins with key grammar points and vocabulary arranged by part of speech. A list of sentence patterns and a few short dialogues follow to illustrate contextual use of the language—all new and updated for the second edition. Lessons are introduced in a planned order that gives students time to assimilate a concept before learning the next one. The material is explained in a concise yet complete fashion that alerts users to the similarities and differences between Chinese and English grammar. Non-technical explanations of each grammar pattern, written from the perspective of an English-speaking learner and supported by ample examples, are presented together with vocabulary, culture, and dialectal notes when appropriate. The accompanying Fundamental Spoken Chinese Exercise Book contains a wide variety of exercises and activities specifically designed to reinforce a systematic progression that focuses on developing accuracy then fluency in conversations.

Like its predecessor, the second edition of Fundamental Written Chinese provides students with a clear, systematic, and graduated introduction to written Mandarin Chinese with chapters designed not only to teach the content of the lessons, but also build on the proficiency the student has acquired. The authors continue the tradition of separating the teaching of written and oral skills, leaving the instruction of vocabulary and grammar exclusively to the accompanying Fundamental Spoken Chinese, also in its second edition. The lessons in the two textbooks, however, are keyed to each other, so they may be used simultaneously or the parallel written skills introduced at a later time. Both textbooks were developed for learning in the classroom and for independent study.The bilingual teacher’s manual provides detailed instructions on the underlying principles behind the design of the exercises in Fundamental Written Chinese and how best to use them to reinforce students’ written proficiency. These Core Pedagogical Instructions are followed by explanations on the purpose of the exercises in each chapter.