Guide To Proper Usage Spoken Chinese (Chinese University Press) [Paperback]

Shou-be Tian (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 9622015395 | ISBN-13: 978-9622015395 | Publication Date: March 29, 1996 | Edition: 2 ed

This book, accompanied with two video tapes, is intended as a companion reference work to Chinese textbooks for beginners. Over 200 points of grammar and vocabulary which frequently present difficulties to students of Chinese are dealt with here. Comparisons between Chinese and English are also made.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Tian Shou-he taught Mandarin (Putonghua) to both foreign and Chinese students at The Chinese University of Hong Kong.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 197 pages
• Publisher: The Chinese University Press; 2 ed edition (March 29, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 9622015395
• ISBN-13: 978-9622015395
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,111,937 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Very Useful Book but the Audio Tape is Useless, August 16, 2000

By 

"ashershow" (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Guide To Proper Usage Spoken Chinese (Chinese University Press) (Paperback)

What a wonderful idea for the English speaking student of Mandarin Chinese: a very comprehensive book of Chinese grammatical points that are easily confused specifically by native speakers of English. This approach makes the book useful for beginning, intermediate, advanced, and even very advanced students. Indeed, I found more that a few examples that I have been saying wrong for years.

Unfortunately, the tape that accompanies the book is completely useless. It goes like this: an English speaking lady with terrible diction recites a phrase in English. Then, lightening fast and without pause, a Chinese speaker recites the phrase in Chinese, and again without pause an English phrase follows. This approach gives one no chance to repeat the phrase in Chinese, and the author makes no attempt to present drills or other audio learning devices.

I can't imagine what use the author thinks this tape could possibly have. Or, conversely, why he didn't think to complement the excellent text with four or five tapes that would really hammer home the principles he is trying to teach.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars great reference for common grammatical errors, December 30, 2002

By 

D. chen "toaster" (New York, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Guide To Proper Usage Spoken Chinese (Chinese University Press) (Paperback)

This book is a good companion piece for those with other beginner books on grammar and vocabulary. The author provides 114 common mistakes that are made by beginners and clearly explains the correct way of speaking. This book focuses less on vocabulary and more on phrases and expressions in spoken chinese. Therefore, you'll probably be able to get some immediate use for the book right after you crack it open.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Guide To Proper Usage Of Spoken Chinese: Simplified Chinese Edition, March 22, 2007

By 

Siriluck Tevichankhun (Bangkok, Thailand) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Guide to Proper Usage of Spoken Chinese (Simplified Chinese Edition) (Paperback)

when i have read it, i think that it's quite good. it is easily to understand because of in this book had been given the example sentences in the english language and comparative with Chinese Language. At last, very usuful for by self study.