A Primer for Advanced Beginners of Chinese - (Asian Studies) (Paperback)

About the Book

This first-of-its-kind, two-volume primer is addressed to meet the needs of the rapidly growing number of Chinese language students who were raised in the United States in Chinese-speaking homes and can speak the language but who cannot read or write it. The book's lessons and exercises build upon the cultural knowledge of these "advanced beginners" in order to facilitate full language acquisition.

As a culture-based primer, this text takes an unusual and innovative approach, with lessons organized around readings on Chinese history, culture, geography, literature, folktales and mythology, customs, and cuisine. The focus, therefore, is not on sentence grammar, but rather on reading strategies and on "discourse grammar," a new, more authentic approach to the study of languages.

Book Synopsis

This first-of-its-kind, two-volume primer is addressed to meet the needs of the rapidly growing number of Chinese language students who were raised in the United States in Chinese-speaking homes and can speak the language but who cannot read or write it. The book's lessons and exercises build upon the cultural knowledge of these "advanced beginners" in order to facilitate full language acquisition.

As a culture-based primer, this text takes an unusual and innovative approach, with lessons organized around readings on Chinese history, culture, geography, literature, folktales and mythology, customs, and cuisine. The focus, therefore, is not on sentence grammar, but rather on reading strategies and on "discourse grammar," a new, more authentic approach to the study of languages.

Review Quotes

It is rare to find a Chinese language textbook that is linguistically accurate, culturally rich, and pedagogically sound. . . . The attention paid to the principles of character formation makes Chinese character learning an unexpected pleasure. The emphasis on culture and literacy addresses most directly the needs of heritage language learners. The ample opportunities for reading and writing and the varied and flexible exercises make teaching and learning a truly productive and creative experience.

About the Author

Duanduan Li is a lecturer of Chinese, and currently director of the Chinese Language Program at Columbia University.

Irene Liu was director of the Chinese Language Program at Columbia University.

Lening Liu is a senior lecturer of Chinese in the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures at Columbia University.

Hailong Wang is a lecturer of Chinese in the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures at Columbia University.

Zhirong Wang is a lecturer of Chinese in the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures at Columbia University.

Yanping Xie, a speech and language pathologist, was a lecturer of Chinese in the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures at Columbia University.