Chinese for Beginners ─ Mastering Conversational Chinese

Chinese is a fascinating language that seems impossibly difficult to many people, but is actually very learnable. This user-friendly approach to the basics helps you learn Chinese quickly and easily by drawing parallels with something you already know: English.

This book will work for anyone who wants to speak and understand Chinese for business, for pleasure, or for travel—and who wants to enjoy the process of learning a new language while they're at it!

Chinese for Beginners abounds with extra hints and tips drawn from the authors' many years of experience teaching the language in adult evening classes. Answer Keys help you keep track of your learning process; an "Extend Your Vocabulary" feature in each chapter helps you to remember and understand more words that you'd think possible; and photos and insider tips about China's culture, special places, and everyday life add to the adventure.

Chinese for Beginners focuses on realistic situations you'll encounter when you meet people in China. New words are explained in terms of how you'll actually use them to communicate with new friends. The disc lets you listen and repeat and remember the sentences with ease, and will help you soon declare with pride, "I can say that in Chinese!"

• * A lighthearted guide brings Chinese to life in a down-to-earth fashion


• * Real-life dialogues and situations help you converse with confidence


• * Native-speaker audio recordings teach you to pronounce Chinese accurately


• * Interesting notes, idioms, sayings, and poems introduce you to Chinese culture

Yi Ren taught and did research in Beijing after graduating from Tsinghua University. On moving to the U.S. she began to teach Chinese to children at weekend Chinese Schools, and also to tutor others in Chinese. After years of being worn down by her adult students' begging her to do it, Yi decided to capture her special teaching methods on paper, in a book to help other adult Chinese learners. She lives with her family in Denver, Colorado.

Xiayuan Liang practiced medicine in China before coming to the United States in 1986. She did biomedical research at Washington University in St. Louis and Georgetown University, then resumed her career as a physician. She currently is an associate professor at University of Colorado School of Medicine. In her spare time, Xiayuan likes to read and to discuss interesting topics with friends—in Chinese, of course!