The Chinese Language for Beginners [Paperback]

Lee Cooper (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 15, 1989

Reading basic Chinese becomes child's play with this simple, attractive introduction to writing, pronunciation and intonation.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Lee Cooper is the author of several popular and successful books on language arts and folklore for children, including Fun with Spanish, Fun with French, Fun with Italian, and Fun with German.

An award-winning writer, Lee Cooper is listed in Who's Who of American Women, Who's Who in the South and Southwest, Contemporary Authors, and the Directory of British and American Writers. Her home is in Fredericksburg, Virginia.

Product Details

• Paperback: 40 pages
• Publisher: Tuttle Publishing (December 15, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0804809186
• ISBN-13: 978-0804809184
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 6.1 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #388,056 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #14 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Reference > Dictionaries & Thesauruses > Foreign Language > Chinese
  • #19 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Reference > Foreign Languages > Instruction > Chinese
  • #60 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Reference > Writing > General

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If a Kid Can, I Can, February 11, 2005

By 

Virgil Brown (White Oak, Texas USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Chinese Language for Beginners (Paperback)

This very basic Chinese primer was written for kids. However as I read through the pages, I realized that it was just my speed as well. Chinese had seemed too formidable because when it is spoken, it is a tonal language, and when it is written, it uses a new character for every word.

Lee Cooper starts out his book with the latter. Yes, each word has its own character, but there are some basic characters which are built upon to make other words. And the tones of saying the words are explained using a musical scale. Cooper then goes on to explain some of the basics of Chinese grammar.

By golly, I think I *could* learn Chinese!

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect Beginner Book, February 17, 2006

By 

J. Nespoli - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Chinese Language for Beginners (Paperback)

I was looking for a book to get me started learning Chinese, and this one was the least intimating of all the ones I found. It provides a good foundation for understanding how characters are drawn, gives instructions on reading multiple lines of characters, and introduces some basic vocabulary. The pictures are well-drawn and provide a little humor and entertainment while you try to learn the characters. It includes a story to help you test your newly-learned language skills.

I would recommend this to anyone who plans to start learning Chinese, and doesn't want a heavy, overwhelming textbook-type of study guide. It would also be great for children.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A little too simplistic, August 12, 2007

By 

James Guenther "xi huan" (Overland Park, KS United States) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Chinese Language for Beginners (Paperback)

This is a great book for small children, but not for anyone who cares to really learn Chinese. It is very interesting with some simple words and builds both characters and sentences. I thought is was helpful in gaining an understanding of how the language works and how characters are related. My biggest complaint is only the very small size and the small number of words you actually learn. If you want to get a flavor of Chinese and learn about 50 words, it's OK; for anything more serious, it is too simple.