Customer Reviews

The Chinese Language for Beginners

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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!

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.

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.

My 4 yr old son wanted to learn Chinese. I can't remember why. We put him in Chinese school. The first half is writing Chinese. The second half is story and song time. My son reads and when he realized that the pictures wouldn't help him sound out the words, he got frustrated and wouldn't write in class or at home.

I found this book and the problem's solved. He really liked the story time in class and now he "sees" that each character in Chinese is a story. He loves writing Chinese now. I wish Lee Cooper had written a whole series. That is how helpfull this little book is. I don't speak Chinese and can't help my son with his homework. But I feel like I can help him with his writing now.

The 6" X 9" (-ish) book has 39 pages. 32 characters are covered and a few are combination characters. Right to left reading is covered. Three illustrated stories and a few picture stories are included. The illustrations are pencil drawings with an old fashion look. My son's favorite story is "The Big Man". The words "big", "man", and "too", are all related. The book lets you see how the characters have "root" characters inside them. This book made me feel like learning chinese could even happen for me. It also made me "see" the stories behind the characters. Now I can remember the characters better. They aren't just random lines. They are beautiful picture stories.

I got my copy for $6.95 at the Borders store.

This booklet is geared for children but is ideal for the adult who wants to team up with a youngster to learn a few basic Chinese characters. Approximately forty simple characters are introduced along with instruction on how to read Chinese sentences. Storybook- type illustrations are reminiscent of those found in fairy-tale books and the English explanations, which are usually accompanied with a brief story, are written such that a second-grader can easily follow along. Particularly enjoyable were the explanations on why some of the characters are written the way they are. There is also instruction on how the Chinese words are spoken.

If you want a quickie tour of some basic Chinese characters try Julie Mazel Sussman's "I Can Read That." Her pocketbook teaches you how to recognize 71 Chinese characters that are frequently encountered by tourists. But if you have a young son or daughter, or grandchild, and would like to explore this beautiful language together them this book is definitely the one you want.

If you have any interest in the Chinese language, this is a fun book to start with. You will read a simple Chinese sentence easily in the first few pages. (You will appreciate this when you get to page 17, 'Man too much big') The author quickly introduces you to the basic components necessary to get started, some of which are not explained well or hidden in more sophisticated texts. Very fun to read!

when i frist saw this book i didnt think it was going to be helpful so i kept looking around for books to hepl me learn. But one day when i was in a book store i saw it and fliped through it, and saw that it looked helpful and had all the information you would need to learn some of the basic chinese characters.I highly sugest getting this book if you are looking to learn to wright Chinese.

Only 39 Pages. But you LEARN to READ THE CHARACTERS, Breaks down complicated Chines Characters into simple things you can easily memorize and remember. Build a small READING VOCABULARY. Fun Book, Small, Thin, Booklet, you can LEARN CHINESE on Bus, Waiting, or in a car as passenger, makes learning fun.

This book is very easy to understand and gives the reader a fundamental view of the chinese language. I just wish the book was a little longer. The author though really makes it easy and clear.

This book was fairly useless if traveling to China. I wanted a review as I spoke Chinese as a child and was rusty. The phonetics were weird.