No matter what textbook you're using to learn Chinese, it requires a lot of practice! Here is a wealth of practical activities and drills—plus over 16 hours of audio recordings—to help you improve your spoken Mandarin quickly and efficiently. This book is interchangeable with its earlier edition, Intermediate Spoken Chinese Practice Essentials but works equally well with other course books or on its own.
The free disc contains hours of audio recording as well as printable PDF files providing hundreds of pages of extra practice exercises and activities. This book includes hundreds of carefully designed activities to help you with every aspect of your Chinese language skills, including:
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Chinese grammar and vocabulary summaries
- Substitution drills
- Transformation and response drills
- Role-playing exercises
- Listening comprehension exercises
The accompanying CD-ROM contains:
- 16 hours of audio recordings by native Mandarin-speakers
- Printable practice pages
- Printable exercises and activities
- All CD content is downloadable and streamable online
Industry Reviews
"Meticulously planned, carefully prepared and patiently tested for over a decade, the Basic Chinese series represents the most comprehensive introductory materials available now. The eclectic approach, the flexibility in use, the attention to authenticity of language in its sociolinguistic context, the myriad of audio and visual aids, and the array of rigorously designed exercises makes the Basic Chinese the ideal material for any committed learner embarking on the journey of learning the Chinese language." -Dr. Jun Yang, Senior Lecturer in Chinese, University of Chicago
"This is one of the best elementary Chinese textbooks, I believe, ever produced in the history of teaching Chinese as a second language... A great and unique work which will benefit students and teachers for many years to come." -Dr. Shengli Feng, Professor of Chinese Linguistics, Chinese University of Hong Kong
"A breath of fresh air... Its dual track for spoken and written language finally gives American students a chance to develop oral proficiency without being slowed down by the character writing... An ideal textbook for any program that seeks to advance rapidly in spoken Chinese and to fully prepare the students for their encounter with China." -Dr. Jingqi Fu, Associate Professor of Chinese, St. Mary's College of Maryland
"Outstanding for its carefully graduated presentation of material in easily digestible sub-units, comprehensive and clearly written grammatical and cultural notes, and perhaps most important of all, its separation of the task of learning to speak the language from the very different processes of learning to read and write Chinese characters... The most exciting Chinese language textbook I have seen in many years." -Dr. James E. Dew, retired associate professor of Chinese, University of Michigan; former Director of the Inter-University Program for Chinese Language Studies in Taipei
"Revolutionary in its approach to teaching and learning Chinese as a second language, this textbook series is easily one of the best that are currently on the market. In addition to the highly useful content, grammar explanations and cultural notes for each lesson are extensive, detailed and straightforward. The dream of having engaged and fully-prepared students in every class is an easily reachable reality for any program that adopts this series." -Professor Cecilia Chang, Chair, Department of Asian Studies, Williams College
"ISC/IWC represents an ambitious attempt to work out the complex logistics involved in coordinating the two tracks with different foci and schedules ... truly 'in a league of its own...'" -The Journal of the Chinese Language Teachers Association
"I have been teaching Chinese to high school students for over 25 years and have used a variety of texts. I decided to try Basic Spoken Chinese (BSC) with one of my classes on an experimental level, and I have to say it is the best text of its kind that I have ever seen. -Richard Ayres, St. Xavier High School, Louisville, KY
"Contextualized so learners know not only what to say, but why, when, and with whom it is appropriate to use such language. ...thorough and clear...refreshing." -Dr. Matthew Christensen, Associate Professor of Chinese, Brigham Young University
