All Things Considered: Advanced Reader of Modern Chinese. [Paperback]

Chih-p'ing Chou (Editor), Yan Xia (Editor), Meow Hui Goh (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0691090483 | ISBN-13: 978-0691090481 | Publication Date: July 1, 2001

This modern Chinese language textbook bridges the gap between intermediate and advanced Chinese. It is ideal for students who have completed intermediate courses but need more language practice to prepare them for the complexity of advanced Chinese.

The text is divided into two parts. The first section consists of twelve dialogues; the second is a selection of recent newspaper articles about contemporary Chinese society. A novel feature of All Things Considered is that several topics appear in both dialogue and essay forms. This repetition is designed to improve students' retention of grammar and vocabulary as well as to highlight differences between spoken and written Chinese.

All of the articles and dialogues center on everyday issues in contemporary China. Several of the topics featured are controversial in the hope that they will spark students' interest and promote participation in class discussions.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Chih-p'ing Chou is Professor of East Asian Studies at Princeton University. Yan Xia is Lecturer of Chinese at Princeton University. Meow Hui Goh is Lecturer of Chinese at Princeton University.

Product Details

• Paperback: 536 pages
• Publisher: Princeton University Press (July 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0691090483
• ISBN-13: 978-0691090481
• Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 8.5 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #197,497 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #55 in Books > Education & Reference > Dictionaries & Thesauruses > Foreign Language > Chinese

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a comprehensive Chinese language textbook, September 4, 2003

By 

orbit13 "orbit13" - See all my reviews

This review is from: All Things Considered: Advanced Reader of Modern Chinese. (Paperback)

This Chinese language text is appropriate for intermediate to advanced students. It contains 32 passages divided into two sections. The first part is a series of dialogues while the second part is a collection of newspaper articles. Each lesson is followed by grammar points used in the text, with additional examples, and by exercises based on grammar and vocabulary. Both vocabulary and passages are given in simplified and traditional characters. Chinese (pinyin) and English indexes with page references are also provided.

This book has many strengths and, as a student, it's one of the better Chinese language textbooks I've come across. The dialogue and article format exposes students to both spoken and written Chinese. Also, passages are long enough to familiarize one with vocabulary and grammar but not so long as to become repetitive. Occasionally subjects are recycled but in a way that reinforces vocabulary and/or demonstrates variations within the language. Probably the most refreshing asset is the scope of topics. Everything from food, travel, and etiquette to Chinese culture to social and political issues (and yes, even sex) are covered. This is one of the few books that provide relevant vocabulary and discussion for students and does not feel vocab force feeding.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars All Things Considered: A good textbook, May 24, 2004

By 

A. J. Huang (Cleveland, OH) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: All Things Considered: Advanced Reader of Modern Chinese. (Paperback)

This book progresses from traditional speech lessons to more difficult newspaper readings that have been edited to better suit the level of students. The vocabulary/crib sheets are extremely helpful as well as the exercises. The only slight drawback is that while the text is written in both traditional and simplified characters,the exercises are written only in simplified characters.

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Chinese text book ever!, August 10, 2011

By 

Jiangshan - See all my reviews

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This review is from: All Things Considered: Advanced Reader of Modern Chinese. (Paperback)

I really enjoy the layout of this book. Other textbooks are too complicated and confusing. This one provides an article or other form of text, a couple of vocab pages, and then explains new grammar. You can tell this book is really designed for intermediate learners wishing to transition to the advanced level. The articles seem to be taken from real newspapers and do not have the make-up of a cheesy dialogue concocted by a language teacher. I recommend this.