Communicating in Chinese : Listening & Speaking (Far Eastern Publications Series) [Paperback]

Cynthia Y. Ning (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0887101755 | ISBN-13: 978-0887101755 | Publication Date: March 11, 1993

This series features:
* separate listening/speaking and reading/writing volumes
* detailed teacher activity and planning manuals
* communicative, task-based, interactive classroom activities
* proficiency-based orientation
* focuses on the learner
* includes both forms of the Chinese character
* presents real-life, graded tasks in various contexts
* students develop their own strategies to express meaning
* already adopted by many secondary schools and college level programs

listening and speaking development in Hanyu Pinyin; illustrated with exercises; insightful cultural notes

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Yale University Press (March 11, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0887101755
• ISBN-13: 978-0887101755
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #964,268 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good beginning text but ...., December 28, 2007

By 

Robert Veale (Cleveland, Ohio) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Communicating in Chinese : Listening & Speaking (Far Eastern Publications Series) (Paperback)

For a beginning text, this provides a reasonably quick start for the beginning western learner. There are many frequently used phrases which you can just memorize and then later substitute different words. There are two flaws for the beginner in purchasing this book. First, the edition I have is all in pinyin with no introduction to Chinese characters. Some introduction to the characters is needed to add richness to the learning as well as to move on after completing the book. In this latest edition I see a reference in the description that some introduction to characters may now be included. The second flaw is more significant for the serious learner. After completing the book there is no migration path to the elementary and intermediate level. This is the situation I experienced. If you are serious about the Chinese language, then I would consider the Integrated Chinese series or the Ni Hao series which will take you from the beginning all the way through intermediate levels. Overall though, it is a good starting book for the beginning learner of Mandarin Chinese.

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Communicating in just a short while..., October 31, 2000

By 

Angela R. Bourgeau "tranquiltherapy" (Portland, OR) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Communicating in Chinese : Listening & Speaking (Far Eastern Publications Series) (Paperback)

This text is well-formatted to give useful phrases for common dialogue. It has focused, short lessons that lead you through an idea and get you communicating quickly. It also includes cultural notes and some more important linguistic notes, (though it is not a heavy-duty linguistics book). It really delivers quickly with phrases you can use and understand right away. For pronunciation, though, I would recommend the tapes as well.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great textbook, February 24, 2006

By 

Julia Cannistra "Great book digger" (Hawai'i, USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Communicating in Chinese: Listening & Speaking (Communicating in Chinese Series; An Internactive Approach to Beginning Chinese) (CD-ROM)

The book is very down to earth and helpful for learning Chinese . The author approached Chinese via Communicative Learning Approach, which is very crucial for people who
want to acquire Chinese oral/aural skills.