Publisher: Sinolingua

Description:

This is a relatively complete package for adult or older teen (e.g. college) learners. Volume 1 begins with an introduction to pinyin, including some very simple dialogues which use the pinyin sounds being introduced. This "preparation" section includes a thorough discussion of phonetic sounds in Mandarin as well as tones, and also includes a pull-out chart of all initial and final combination syllables in Mandarin, as well as a zhuyin (bopomofo) chart with comparisons to pinyin and the IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet). Each lesson then begins with a dialogue in pinyin, simplified characters, and English. The dialogue is followed with a definition of all vocabulary words used in the lesson (including traditional characters), then two short "text" readings, presented first in hanzi with tone marks, then pinyin, and finally in English. These practice texts use the same vocabulary as the initial dialogue but vary from it in form. Each text is followed by general notes, then after both texts come specific lessons in phonetics and grammar relevant to the lesson, additional reference words, and cultural notes. The volume concludes with an additional short supplementary text, two Chinese folk songs including musical notation and translations, and three indices, one of vocabulary, one of grammatical items, and one of "functional" items (a sort of topical index).

Strengths:

The lessons are well-designed. The dialogues and texts follow several typical characters, e.g. an international student and an employee whose company is moving an office to China. This consistent scenario provides context for learning and should match many learners' needs. The coverage of phonetics and grammar is unusually thorough. The repetition of vocabulary and grammar between the dialogue and two texts in each lesson, combined with the practice exercises in the Exercise Book, will provide a solid grounding in the topics covered in each lesson.

Weaknesses:

There seems to be no tape or CD to accompany the books. The practice of presenting the written texts in sequence (the entire text in hanzi followed by pinyin followed by English) is somewhat confusing. More group interaction exercises would make the lessons more interesting, but this is addressed somewhat in the Exercise Book. There is no character instruction (i.e. stroke order) in the main textbook; presumably that is addressed in the separate Character Book (not provided for review). The book package is slightly expensive for the range of topics covered.

Recommendation:

With a competent and experienced teacher, this could be a good textbook set for an adult or college class. However, the lack of a tape or CD makes it hard to recommend this package for self-study. Even for a classroom setting, the teacher may wish to create study tapes for students to listen to between classes. This first volume would be best for a class which doesn't need to move too quickly, as there are plenty of texts and exercises per lesson, but the lessons in Volume 1 don't cover a wide range of topics. Students should get a thorough grounding in the content covered by the text, but won't be able to handle many social situations after only completing Volume 1.

Details:

Book Name:        Contemporary Chinese
Book Type:        Textbook
Age Range:        Adult
Number of Pages:    219
Number of Lessons:    8
Dialogues:        y
Vocabulary:        y
Grammar:        y
pinyin, zhuyin, or both:    pinyin
Explanations in English:    y
Character instruction (traditional or simplified):    both (reading only, see character book)
Illustrations (color, b&w, none):    spot color
Class/Group Activities (games, songs, etc.):    no (except appendix)
Glossary - pinyin, zhuyin, hanzi, English:    P, H, E
Index - pinyin, English, both:            pinyin (zhuyin chart)
Textbook available:                yes
Workbook  available:                yes
Teacher's Book available:            yes
Practice Media Available (Tape, CD, CDROM):    no
Cost:                        24.95 (Textbook)

Lessons:

0. Preparation - Phonetics (pinyin)
1. What's Your Surname
2. Glad to Meet You
3. How Many People Are There in Your Family
4. This Map Is in English
5. May I Try
6. What Are You Going to Do Tomorrow
7. When Will You Come Back?
8. Is There a Bank Nearby
Supplementary Text
Two Chinese Folk Songs
Index of Vocabulary
Index of Grammatical Terms
Index of Functional Terms