Interactions II [text + workbook]: A Cognitive Approach to Beginning Chinese (Chinese in Context Language Learning Series) (v. 2) [Paperback]

Jennifer Li-chia Liu (Author), Margaret Mian Yan (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0253211239 | ISBN-13: 978-0253211231 | Publication Date: February 22, 1998 | Edition: Stg

The need for a modern text to teach Chinese to English-speaking students has long been recognized. Even today Chinese tends to be taught by rote rather than concept for the want of pedagogically sophisticated course materials. Jennifer Liu and Margaret Yan, two Indiana University professors, have now produced a cognitively based first year course for learning Chinese. The innovative features of their texts include.

* An introduction to the cultural and social contexts of Chinese
* A presentation of Chinese calligraphy
* Lessons with real-life situations and lively dialogue
* Explanations of Chinese pronunciation and grammar
* Illustrations including cartoons
* Chinese characters with mnemonic visuals
* Criteria-grouped vocabulary
* An instructor's manual
* Student workbook

Product Details

• Paperback: 456 pages
• Publisher: Indiana University Press; Stg edition (February 22, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0253211239
• ISBN-13: 978-0253211231
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.5 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #755,041 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Effective and engaging, December 11, 2010

By 

westcoaster (CA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Interactions II [text + workbook]: A Cognitive Approach to Beginning Chinese (Chinese in Context Language Learning Series) (v. 2) (Paperback)

The text and workbook for Interactions II are among my favorite materials. The optional audio CD and DVD (sold separately) add plenty of practice with listening and speaking. The dialogues are fun and represent very natural interactions with contemporary language use. Everything is presented 4 ways: traditional characters, simple characters, pinyin, and English. These are on different pages, not all cluttered together, so it's easy to skip or ignore parts you either don't need or aren't studying. This item comes with the text and workbook together if you purchase a new copy, and it's hard to find the workbook being sold by itself, so if you buy used be sure that you're getting both - a lot of used copies are just the text without the workbook.

1 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Interactions I and II review, August 13, 2004

By 

Chem Guy - See all my reviews

This review is from: Interactions II [text + workbook]: A Cognitive Approach to Beginning Chinese (Chinese in Context Language Learning Series) (v. 2) (Paperback)

Interactions I and II provide basic knowledge in Mandarin Chinese. The learning activities are decent, but I would recommend purchasing a text that contains an audio version of the text. One such example is A New China. One can learn how to read and write Chinese without audio, but pronunciation will still be very poor. Also, I do believe that this book was published in Taiwan. Some of the characters are a bit different than those from mainland China. Despite these shortcomings, Interactions I and II will provide a starting point for those interested in Mandarin. But for a few dollars more, one could purchase an even better beginning.