Get to know Fundamental Chinese
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Fundamental Spoken Chinese, 2nd edition provides a clear, systematic, and graduated introduction to spoken Mandarin Chinese. Rather than focusing on particular social situations or contexts, which can limit learners’ understanding of how language works, each chapter of Fundamental Spoken Chinese (FSC) begins with key grammar points and vocabulary arranged by part of speech. A list of sentence patterns and a few short dialogues follow to illustrate contextual use of the language—all new and updated for the second edition. Lessons are introduced in a planned order that gives students time to assimilate a concept before learning the next one. The material is explained in a concise yet complete fashion that alerts users to the similarities and differences between Chinese and English grammar. Non-technical explanations of each grammar pattern, written from the perspective of an English-speaking learner and supported by numerous examples, are presented together with vocabulary, culture, and dialectal notes when appropriate.
The accompanying Fundamental Spoken Chinese Exercise Book contains a wide variety of exercises and activities specifically designed to reinforce a systematic progression that focuses on developing accuracy then fluency in conversations.
The bilingual Fundamental Spoken Chinese Teacher’s Manual provides detailed instructions on how the different types of drills, exercises, and activities in the Fundamental Spoken Chinese Exercise Book reinforce students’ oral and aural proficiency. These Core Pedagogical Instructions are followed, when appropriate, by brief summaries of grammatical explanations presented in the Fundamental Spoken Chinese textbook, together with their specific grammar note numbers for easy reference
Fundamental Written Chinese, 2nd edition provides a clear, systematic, and graduated introduction to written Mandarin Chinese. Fundamental Written Chinese (FWC) begins by educating readers on the basics of the Chinese writing system so they are well-equipped for the practical application of Chinese characters. Chapters include lists of vocabulary items, exercises, charts explaining the characters’ usage, mnemonics and memory suggestions, supplementary texts, and space for writing practice. This textbook teaches comprehension of written Chinese by methodically focusing on structural regularities such as radicals, phonetic components, and stroke order. The lessons are organized so students begin with simple independent characters before moving to more complex compound characters. The vocabulary and grammar lessons in FSC and FWC are keyed to each other so the books may be used simultaneously, or the parallel written skills may be introduced later, allowing for instructional flexibility.
The bilingual Fundamental Written Chinese Teacher’s Manual provides detailed instructions on the underlying principles behind the design of the exercises in Fundamental Written Chinese and how best to use them to reinforce students’ written proficiency. These Core Pedagogical Instructions are followed by explanations on the purpose of the exercises in each chapter.
Why choose Fundamental Chinese?
Approach
Fundamental Chinese separates the instruction of listening and speaking (FSC) from Chinese character reading and writing (FWC) so that language learning is a pleasant and positive experience.
Organization
FSC is organized around grammar, recognizable sentence patterns, and vocabulary. This structural approach builds a strong foundation for language acquisition, scaffolding recognition and retention of material.
This approach is especially helpful for those seeking further study and mastery of the language.
Instructional Flexibility
The separation of Spoken and Written allows teachers the flexibility to adjust the pacing of instruction to maximize student success and adapt and differentiate instruction to meet learners’ needs.
Lessons in FSC and FWC are keyed to each other in terms of vocabulary and grammar, so that the books can be used simultaneously, together in stages, or serially, whichever approach makes the most sense for the learning situation.
Heritage learners fluent in spoken language can use FWC only to learn characters and reinforce grammar and vocabulary.
Spoken Chinese:
Focus on the basic grammar and vocabulary of everyday spoken Chinese
FSC introduces in 20 chapters almost all of the basic grammar and vocabulary of everyday spoken Chinese. The content is presented in Hanyu Pinyin Romanization only, allowing students to firmly focus on pronunciation accuracy in the development of their speaking and listening skills. All of the particulars of the Chinese writing system are systematically introduced and developed instead in the accompanying textbook FWC. A free online Pinyin and pronunciation self-learning tool is available for students to listen to every possible Pinyin syllable in either a male or female pronunciation and to compare similar pronunciations by tone and by spellings.
Written Chinese:
Focus on the structural particulars of the Chinese writing system
FWC fully explains the basics of the Chinese writing system and character formation before beginning instruction in characters. Lessons are organized systematically so students begin with basic independent characters in simplified Chinese before moving to progressively more complex compound characters.
FWC highlights structural regularities such as radicals, phonetic components, and stroke order to assist with recognition and memorization.
About the Authors
Margaret Lee taught Chinese at the tertiary level for more than thirty years and was a senior tutor at the University of Auckland.
Jiayan Lin is a learning advisor at Massey University.
Robert Sanders was a professor of Chinese language and Chinese linguistics for thirty-five years at universities in the United States, New Zealand and Japan.
Download PDF samples
Fundamental Spoken Chinese (Student Textbook)
Fundamental Spoken Chinese Teacher’s Edition
Fundamental Spoken Chinese Exercise Book
Fundamental Written Chinese (Student Textbook)
Fundamental Written Chinese Teacher’s Edition
Please contact us at uhpbooks@hawaii.edu to request examination, review or desk copies or buy the textbooks here
“The Fundamental Chinese books are original, innovative, and replete with insightful observations on language and culture. The lessons are systematically laid out and include rich and varied exercises. Together the spoken and written volumes form a complete package for both self-study and classroom instruction.”
—Zheng-sheng Zhang, professor of Chinese, San Diego State Univ.”
“The essence of the Fundamental Chinese textbooks that distinguishes them from all others widely used today is their focus on building a Chinese language acquisition foundation in the learner’s linguistic mind—one that will enable them to acquire native or near-native proficiency.”
—Vivian Ling, former director of the Chinese Flagship Program, Indiana Univ.