Primary Textbook consists of two parts: Phonetics and texts. In Phonetics, we will first learn the general table of the phonetics, the rule of Pinyin and then practice Pinyin. In the book, Exercises 1 to 5 are designed to practice vowels, consonants and accents; Exercises 6 to 8 are for useful words, expressions and simple sentences to make the learner get familiar to the basic knowledge of Chinese phonetics. In the textbook there are 22 lessons, each has two theme-related short passages available for classroom teaching. The grammar of this level is mainly about four kinds of predicate sentences and five interrogative sentences. We will discuss the main sentence structure as the attribute, adverbial (modifier) and complement, etc., and the combined or complicated sentences, e.g., the comparative sentences and the sentences with “把” or “被”. On vocabulary, we will begin with the number, pronoun, interrogative, location words, and then the common verb, adjective, adverb and proposition. Since the classifier (or measure word) is always regarded as one of the most difficult problems in Chinese language teaching and learning for an English speaker, we have changed the usual detached teaching method of classifier-learning and, instead, focused on teaching the classifier (or measure word) in a condensed way, e.g., the lesson We’re Singing the Song of Classifiers together with Please Tell Me the Classifiers in this textbook may impress you somehow as funny and functional as well. Totally in Primary Textbook, 90% of the words are A-level words. And in order to make students learn or remember words easily, we combine the similar words in a group (e.g., 上午、下午、晚上；哥哥、姐姐、弟弟、妹妹、母亲、父亲) or show the synonyms and antonyms in the same text (e.g., 多少、大小、远近、新旧、上下、左右、买卖、存取) , etc.. As for Primary Workbook, we focus on the practice of grammar and sentences. There are lots of exercises on “Substitution”, “Make a sentence by using the following words in a right order,” and “Reading the following sentences” to make students get familiar with the words or expressions and sentences in the text. And there are also some dialogues designed for students’ imitation. Nevertheless, the beginners shall enhance their character-writing practice. Hence the Character-Writing Workbook is designed for the beginners to practice writing about 5 to 7 Chinese characters everyday, i.e., 25 to 35 characters per week (from Monday to Friday). Generally speaking, the Beginner’s Textbook is designed for about 4 to 6 hours’ study per week for about one year’s teaching.
Zheng Guoxiong
(International Cultural Exchange School of Fudan University)
Shortly after the publication of New Concept Chinese ( by Beijing Languages & Culture University Press), I edited a second series of Chinese textbooks entitled Chinese for English-Speakers, mainly for the Europeans and Americans, hoping to make the Chinese-language-learning interesting and practical. Here, “interesting” means that we have tried our best to find some interesting topics and contents for the reader; while “practical” means that the words, expressions and sentences in the texts are frequently used in Chinese daily life.
Now this new series of Chinese for English-Speakers mainly distinguish itself in the following four aspects:
First, we have enriched the vocabulary with A-level words. Primary Textbook and the first ten lessons in Intermediate Textbook have almost covered all the 1,033 A-level words, which are the most frequently used words in daily life and henceforth make a basic knowledge for the learner and prepare the reader for a further learning of Chinese language.
Second, we have paid special attention to grammar and main points in Chinese language learning. For example, the classifier (or the measure word) is always regarded as being the most difficult in Chinese language teaching and learning for an English speaker. So in this series of Chinese for English-Speakers, we have changed the usual detached teaching method of classifier-learning and, instead, focused on teaching the classifier (or the measure word) in a condensed way, e.g., the lesson We’re Singing the Song of Classifiers together with Please Tell Me the Classifiers in Primary Textbook may impress you somehow as funny and functional as well.
Third, the topics and contents of this Chinese for English-Speakers are deliberately chosen for 3 reasons: 1) trying to show the history and traditional culture of China; 2) to reflect the focused issues of modern China; 3) to explain the moral attitude of Chinese people and the difference between Chinese and foreign cultures.
All the topics and materials in the textbooks are selected through repeated comparisons, a planned survey and from experimental teaching in order to be objective and up-to-date. In introducing Chinese and global celebrities, for example, we choose topics about Confucius, Sun Yat-sen, Lu Xun, Mei Lanfang, Marco Polo and Bill Gates to profile their life or personality. As for the introduction of China’s geography and famous scenery, we only select some typical ones for a brief and concise introduction. Since the cities always reflect truthfully the modern life of a country, we choose Beijing — capital of PRC and a city with a long history — and Shanghai — a modern metropolitan as our topics. On the focused issues of present China, we introduce some topics about China’s peasants, population control, education, economical development and environmental protection, etc., which are mainly concerned by many curious foreigners.
Fourth, we have designed in the supplementary workbooks a large amount of exercises and have paid special attention to the reappearing and use of the new words and expressions, the important grammar and syntax in the textbooks. Therefore the reader can review what he/she has learned from the texts and master the skill of the language by practice.
Altogether this series of Chinese for English-Speakers has 3 levels: Primary Level, Intermediate Level and Advanced Level. Each of them includes a textbook and a workbook besides a Primary Character Book for beginners’ imitation. There’re 22 lessons in each textbook for foreign learners at certain level. Each textbook is designed for about 4 to 6 hours’ study per week for about one year’s teaching. While Primary Character Book is designed for the beginner to practice writing about 5 to 7 Chinese characters every day, i.e., 25 to 35 characters per week (from Monday to Friday).
Last but not least, this series of Chinese for English-Speakers is edited in both original complex and simplified form of Chinese characters for the learner’s sake that he/she can choose to learn according to his/her pleasure. Actually, I myself quite agree with Mr. Yuan Xiaoyuan that the foreigner may learn Chinese in a way that they can “know the original complex form but write in simplified one.” The reason is that you will not be able to read the Chinese newspaper printed abroad or the original text of Chinese classics without knowing the original complex form; and similarly you will have difficulty in taking notes if you cannot write in simplified form. That’s, of course, my own humble opinion for your reference.
Above all, I’m obliged to Prof. Zhu Yongsheng, Dean of International Cultural Exchange School of Fudan University, for his sincere help and support.
Lesson 1 I You He
Lesson 2 Read and Write
Lesson 3 I Like Fish and Eggs, Too
Lesson 4 I’m a Bookworm
Lesson 5 Who Is He
Lesson 6 This Is My Younger Brother
Lesson 7 There Are Many National Flags Over There
Lesson 8 I’ll See You Off at the Airport
Lesson 9 You Have a Headache, I Have a Footache
Lesson 10 The New House Is in the City
Lesson 11 East, West, South, North and the Middle
Lesson 12 We’re Singing the Song of Classifiers
Lesson 13 Please Tell Me the Classifiers
Lesson 14 A Car Is Parking in the Street
Lesson 15 I’m Back from the Shopping
Lesson 16 Have You Ever Visited the Great Wall
Lesson 17 I’m Too Slow to Catch You
Lesson 18 Come Back, Go Back, Come Out, Go Out
Lesson 19 Shanghai and Sydney
Lesson 20 Close the Door and Open the Window
Lesson 21 Strong Wind and Heavy Rain
Lesson 22 Do Not Play a Joke on Me
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