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Chinese For Dummies
 
 
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Chinese For Dummies [Paperback]

Wendy Abraham (Author)
2.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)

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Book Description

047178897X 978-0471788973 October 14, 2005 Revised
China has become a major influence in the world today. Not only is China full of opportunities in business and politics, but Chinese culture, such as movies and literature, are also making their way into the western world. And with Chinese as the second most widely- spoken foreign language in America, more and more Americans are exposed to its language and culture. This revised edition of Chinese for Dummies shows you the basics of Mandarin Chinese and culture points that will make great impressions while communicating.

Many Americans are taking time to learn Chinese, especially since it is becoming one of the most widely used languages in the world. Currently, there are:

  • Over 1 billion people speak some form of Chinese
  • More Chinese speakers in the United States than French or German speakers
  • 102.6 million internet users who obtain access using Chinese
  • At least 25 million people worldwide who are learning Chinese

Chinese For Dummies will show you how to communicate effectively in Chinese as well as inform you on Chinese culture. Some of the topics this book covers include:

  • Basic vocabulary
  • Everyday conversations, including phone dialogue and small talk
  • Speaking in perfect pitch and tone
  • Easy-to-understand grammar rules
  • Getting around in a Chinese-speaking country
  • Cultural references like maintaining face, dining etiquette, and social mores

Also included is an audio CD that features actual Chinese conversations by native Chinese speakers, which allows you to hear how Chinese is really spoken. Written by a leading Chinese language teacher in the United States, Chinese for Dummies will introduce an often daunting language to you in a fun-and-easy For Dummies manner.


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Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Features real-world examples and a mini-dictionary

Your friendly guide to understanding Chinese—quickly and easily!

Curious about Chinese? Whether you’re a student, a traveler, doing international business, or you just want to pick up basic Chinese, this clear, easy-to-follow guide will have you pronouncing words in standard Mandarin like a native speaker. From grammar, numbers, and vocabulary to greetings, popular expressions, and proper etiquette, you’ll make yourself understood in no time!

Discover how to:

  • Have everyday conversations
  • Speak in “perfect pitch”
  • Construct sentences
  • Understand cultural rules and taboos
  • Get around in Chinese-speaking country
All This on the Audio CD
  • Pick up Chinese the easy way—through actual conversation
  • Features dialogues by native Chinese speakers
  • Allows you to hear Chinese as it’s really spoken
  • Reinforces lessons from the book

Get smart!
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  • Sign up for eTips at etips.dummies.com

About the Author

Wendy Abraham is the Associate Director of the Stanford Center for Buddhist Studies and the Asian Religions & Cultures Initiative. She has taught courses on Chinese language, Chinese literature, and Asian cultures at Hunter College, Georgetown University, New York University, and Stanford University, where she’s currently pursuing her second doctorate in modern Chinese literature. She spent a year researching Shang Dynasty oracle bones in Taiwan, which sparked her deep interest in the development of China’s written language. Wendy has directed Chinese language programs for American students in Beijing and Shanghai and has interpreted for high-level arts delegations from China. Her first doctoral dissertation from Teachers College (Columbia University) was on the Chinese Jews of Kaifeng, a subject about which she has written widely and continues to lecture frequently throughout the United States. She also created Jewish Historical Tours of China, bringing people to visit Shanghai and Kaifeng on educational trips. Her interest in all things Chinese continues unabated.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 384 pages
  • Publisher: For Dummies; Revised edition (October 14, 2005)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 047178897X
  • ISBN-13: 978-0471788973
  • Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 0.8 x 9.2 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 2.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #89,728 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

18 Reviews
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 (4)
4 star:
 (2)
3 star:
 (5)
2 star:
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Average Customer Review
2.9 out of 5 stars (18 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 32 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars not for beginning beginners!, April 13, 2006
This review is from: Chinese For Dummies (Paperback)
If you have no previous exposure to Chinese, this book/CD will make you FEEL like a Dummy! You are expected to repeat entire phrases and sentences from the start. It's better for a beginner who has already done some basic work in Chinese. However the book is wonderful for explaining Chinese culture, and the author definitely conveys her own love for China and the people and language. The cultural notes are fascinating and definitely more accessible for "dummies" than the audio section. If you are a beginner looking for a "step 2" program the CD is a great challenge and introduces a lot of new vocabulary.
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43 of 45 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars A good 2nd book, October 7, 2005
By 
Stephen Leahy (Appleton, WI United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This book suffers from two problems. One is that it throws readers directly into conversation and overwhelms them. I used the book to pick up a few cultural niceties, but my Chinese friends laughed at my failure to use the correct tones. The other problem is that it is shoehorned into the Dummies framework of organizing books rather than trying to absolute novices the basics first. This book has good appendixes and other reference material. It would be a great second book after you have mastered another approach of learning basic Chinese. I quickly ditched this approach, and bought the Pimsleur series.
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17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars Entirely useless!, May 18, 2008
By 
inktvis (Quakenbrück) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Chinese For Dummies (Paperback)
I cannot recommend this book to anybody who does not already have a basic knowledge of Chinese. If you intend to learn some Chinese as a beginner, please avoid this [...] and seek different literary introductions.
All this book does, is teaching you sentences and phrases and what they mean.

It would tell you, how to tell a person, that you are not Chinese:

W'ô bú shì zhö'ng guó rén. (I can't do all phonetics correctly)
I am not Chinese.

That's all it does. It would have been so easy, to make this a helpful exercise by pointing out what you were literally saying, namely:

I not be middle-land-man.

Concealing this fact, this book almost deliberately disables you from putting sentences together yourself because it won't tell you how to!

Again: It is consisting only of sentences and phrases that one must learn by heart. Maybe that's the Dummie's way, but - unless you are a chimp - I don't think anybody would be dull enough to learn an entire language this way.

DO NOT BUY if you are really interested in learning Chinese as a beginner.
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Inside This Book (learn more)
First Sentence:
Time to get your feet wet with the basics of Chinese. Read the first page
Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
kuh yee, chee chuh, dway boo chee, show jee, nee nuh, fay jee, verb shi, nee men, lee loo, hun how, soft sleeper, one tee, nee how, fourth tone, third tone
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Hong Kong, Pronunciation English Word, Republic of China, Peking Opera, United States, Chinese New Year, Chinese Pronunciation Translation, New York, Great Wall, American Embassy, Chinese For Dummies, Yao Ming, Barry Jones, Huangpu River, Jacob Smith, Miss Liu, National Palace Museum, Sun Yat-sen
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