A Primer for Advanced Beginners of Chinese / Edition 1

by Duanduan Li

Overview

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780231125574
Publisher:	Columbia University Press
Publication date:	08/06/2003
Series:	Asian Studies Series
Edition description:	Volume 2
Pages:	224
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 11.00(h) x (d)
Age Range:	18 Years

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.

Table of Contents

Volume One
List of Abbreviations
Introduction: The Basics of Pronunciation and Characters
Lesson 1. Chinese Names
Lesson 2. Chinese Families
Lesson 3. China: The North and the South
Lesson 4. The Ten Suns
Lesson 5. Heaven and Earth
Lesson 6. The Story of Chinese Idioms
Lesson 7. The Great Wall
Lesson 8. Li Bai Learns A Lesson
Lesson 9. Shen Nong and Chinese Medicine
Lesson 10. Chinese Food
Appendix I. A Brief History of the Creation of Chinese Characters and the Evolution of the Chinese Writing System
Appendix II. Comprehensive Vocabulary List (English–Chinese and Chinese–English)
Appendix III. Character Stroke Order
Volume Two
List of Abbreviations
Lesson 11. The Chinese Zodiac
Lesson 12. Chinese New Year
Lesson 13. The Story of The Dream of Red Mansions
Lesson 14. Shaolin Martial Arts
Lesson 15. Confucius
Lesson 16. The Story of Mencius
Lesson 17. The Story of Silkworms
Lesson 18. Chinese Tea
Lesson 19. Chinese Porcelain
Lesson 20. The Character of Bamboo
Appendix I. Comprehensive Vocabulary List (English–Chinese and Chinese–English)
Appendix II. Character Stroke Order

What People are Saying About This

Agnes Weiyun He

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.