3 comments about Integrated Chinese: Simplified Characters Textbook, Level 1, Part 1.

1. (This review is for the 3rd Edition textbook).
   
   I've used several Chinese textbooks, and this one is by far the best. It is very intelligently written, with clear explanations of grammar and usage, and great dialogues and exercises. Unlike the majority of drab Chinese textbooks, this one is a pleasure to read - attractive to look at, with colour and some photos and illustrations. Also great are the "Culture Highlights" at the end of chapters which give more information about language in a cultural context. The book contains the following topics: Greetings, Family, Dates and Time, Hobbies, Visiting Friends, Making Appointments, Studying Chinese, School Life, Shopping, Transportation.
   
   Overall an excellent beginning textbook which I can highly recommend to anyone who wishes to or is already studying Chinese. Along with the supplements (Audio CDs and Multimedia DVDs - which I cannot attest to), it would be highly appropriate for self-study.



2. This is by far the best way to begin learning Mandarin Chinese. I just finished my second semester of Mandarin at the University of Missouri and have used both part 1 and part 2 of level 1 Integrated Chinese (simplified). Having tried other "over the counter" books from Borders or Barnes & Noble this is without a doubt the best way to get started. Other books that promise a quick, easy, and fun way to learn Chinese are rarely worth the money. This text has all of the above without promising to make you fluent while driving to work.
   
   It's very important to start learning this language in the proper way and this is the only book that set a good foundation for me. The vocabulary is always useful and the grammar explanations are easy to comprehend. The authors also publish a workbook and character exercise book that are indispensable to beginning Chinese. Couple this series of books with a good instructor and the language is fun, interesting, and not near as hard as everyone makes it out to be.
   
   I would recommend this book (and its workbooks) to anyone wanting to learn Chinese even if you aren't taking it as a class somewhere. The only other thing you'd need to go with these books is a native Chinese speaker to help with your pronunciation! Good luck!



3. I'm not 100% happy with the purchase. The book was suppose to be brand new, but it wasn't.

5 comments about Mandarin Chinese-English Bilingual Visual Dictionary (Visual Dictionaries).

1. Lots of language learners are wondering how to memorize new words. Especially for Chinese. If you knew that Chinese Characters partly originally from pics then you should know that visual dictionary could be the best way to learn Chinese words. This one is portable with delicate printing paper and very easy to find words you want to look up.



2. It is true that this dictionary has good high quality pictures, and it defines a wide variety of words in Chinese and English. However, when attempting to apply the gigantic vocabulary in this book, you begin to wonder how much of it you can actually use.
   
   If China was exactly the same as the western world, then this dictionary would be applicable, but I hardly expect the average Chinese person to know what I mean when I say I want a Kaiser Roll or Croissant whether or not I speak in Chinese. This book skips over words that define daily life IN CHINA, and instead defines Europe and the Americas in Chinese.
   
   Thus, I say this book is great for Chinese people learning English, but not English speakers learning Chinese.



3. I find this book very useful because it provides English, pin yin and chinese characters.
   
   The grouping of words is also helpful because the categories facilitate sentence formation and attempts to make conversaton.



4. I love this book. Or, more accurately, I should say, my WIFE loves this book! Here's why: My wife is Chinese (I am American), and she is learning to speak English. So, we are, essentially, using this book "in reverse!" Since she will be coming to America soon, all of the pictures and items are those that she will be using/seeing here in America, instead of in her native China! This is helping her familiarize herself with the "Western world" in addition to simply learning the language. If I had one concern, it would be that the index in the back only lists the words in English, and does not have a corresponding Mandarin or Pinyin index - but that's minor. I would highly recommend this book if you happen to be in a similar situation, or have a friend or companion who is Chinese and is attempting to learn English!



5. Excellent book! Very, very interesting for those who are learning Chinese or even for those who likes to learn Chinese!

5 comments about Langenscheidt's Pocket Dictionary Chinese/English English/Chinese.

1. marked slightly used, but actually brand new at a fraction of the cost of a new book, very fast shipping, I am MOST HIGHLY PLEASED and would order from this seller again. Highest recommendations.



2. All very good. Received before due and in excellent condition. Thanks, I will be looking them up for future purchases.



3. After taking a couple semesters of Chinese in the US, I realized I absolutely loved the Chinese language. I read a lot of reviews before choosing this dictionary. It is not comprehensive, but neither is any portable English dictionary. In order to make a useful tool that is easy to carry around, the editors had to choose certain elements to leave out. Fortunately, these editors chose wisely. I have encountered words that I couldn't find in this dictionary (like 'bagel'), but they are mostly colloquial Chinese or colloquial English (or, in the case of 'bagel', rather specific). If you are traveling to China and plan to have extensive conversations with native speakers, I would suggest something a little heftier, but for the casual traveler or Chinese learner, this is an awesome resource. As many have mentioned, the cover is very durable, the size is perfect (fits in the pocket of my cargo shorts easily), and it's incredibly lightweight. The pages seem to resist moisture, allowing for easy flipping and no sticking.
   
   Visually, I love this dictionary. As a graphic designer, I'm impressed with the type treatment, using a separate color for words and definitions, as well as using a whole host of characters to signify things like 'colloquialism' and 'not often used alone.' Despite the small size of this package, it's easy to read. My only qualm is that such a tiny dictionary has to print tiny Chinese characters. As a learner, some of the more complex characters become very difficult to distinguish. Even so, this has been an invaluable tool for communicating new concepts with language partners and finding characters when I only know the Pinyin.



4. A friend let me borrow his copy of Oxford Beginner's Chinese dictionary. It had some great explanations of the language in general, but I kept having a hard time finding a number of words. Once you learn a few of the basic, this book will take you the rest of the way. You can look up words from English, Pinyin, or characters. The Pinyin words are organized so you can find the words quickly. Mandarin is by no means an easy language to learn, and you'll need all the help you can get. This book has been a tremendous help for me.



5. This was a smooth transaction with no problems. The book came in a timely manner, and the student was happy to have it.

5 comments about Oxford Beginner's Chinese Dictionary.

1. We actually own four copies of this little dictionary as we've found it so helpful! The format is exceptional (Fei chang!) in that it provides easy readability even to those just getting started with chinese like us. The blue headings make the words stand off the page so they are easy to browse through. Also there are specialized topics spread throughout the dictionary which clarify some of the more complicated subjects. The many example sentences provide excellent usage tips rather than just a definition in a vacume. We only wish it were a larger dictionary with more words, though the majority of what we've needed, we've found. Fantastic little dictionary!



2. This is an excellent book and I am glad to have it! Although I was not sure what it was really like when I bought it online, it turned out to be a very useful and easy to use resource.



3. Really this is an invaluable tool for learning the Chinese language! What more needs to be said, buy it now?



4. I have been using this book for a long time and for everyday use find it very useful. Many expressions and non-dictionary items are in the book. The number of entries is seemingly small but the selection of words seems to be very practical. Occasionally I have to use the "big brother" but the simplified version is a wonderful tool.



5. This is an easy to use dictionary and i mostly recommend it for a beginner. If you're very advanced, you may not like it if you're looking for the more uncommon words but otherwise this is a pretty good dictionary. It had most of the words you'd need. I am a beginner at chinese myself and i thought it was adequate. It works and it even teaches you some basic knowledge. Overall this is a good buy but i don't recommend the smaller pocket version since it has less words. This book is pretty small and is the size of an adult hand so it is pretty pocket size.

5 comments about Niubi!: The Real Chinese You Were Never Taught in School.

1. After having spent a lot of time in China and picked up a lot of the vocab in the book already, I can vouch for its accuracy. The book is full of juicy vocab and sophisticated euphemisms that you are bound to hear if you ever go to China, but that your teacher won't teach you and CCTV doesn't dare to put on the screen. The vocab is not only accurate, but also up-to-date - incredibly so. Take the section on internet slang for example. The "jiong" phenomenon is only a couple of years old still has its own entry. The same goes for a lot of the chapter, like "cao ni ma"s and the other "shi da shenshou". The only problem with this might be that internet trends change quickly, and therefore some of the language in this section could quickly become outdated. (Although, I could be wrong. 1337-speak is a pretty old phenomenon and is still going strong.)
   
   Evelin has done great research into etymologies and ventured into subcultures that you might not even know exist. The book is therefore a gem for both those who are interested in the language as it is spoken in modern day China and those who are interested in seeing facets of Chinese culture that are hard to discover from the outside.
   
   
   * (After having read the book cover to cover, I've seen a couple of minor errors here and there with translations and pinyin transcriptions. They are few and far between. For example, sa3jiao1 on p. 58 should be sa1jiao1.)



2. The collection of Chinese words are very up to date. Fun if you are already an intermediate Chinese learner.



3. I like the cartoons because they are fun to read. I also admire many of the historical explanations provided by the author. However, as an educated Chinese, I even don't know some words and have tremendous trouble understanding why on the earth foreigners need to learn these words.
   Many of the dirty words in this book are extremely offensive. Normal Chinese despise those who use such words and simply stay away from them. Unless you want to find prostitutes (the upper class prostitutes don't even speak such language, only the cheap ones do) or join the criminals/gangsters, you don't need to know these words at all. You can recognize these people by their behavior/body language: rude, hostile, combative, and offensive.
   The Chinese language is probably one of the richest languages in the world. Some linguists spend their life time studying Chinese still know only a fraction of it. A foreigner can learn some Chinese for general communications, but don't expect to become an expert within a few years.
   This book is misleading because it does not represent real Chinese. If someone tells you that if you don't learn such a language, you are not learning Chinese, don't believe him because he is telling you that unless you watch porn movies, you don't know how to watch a movie.
   The bottom line: the book has some cartoons fun to read, and the historic description of the dirty language may be some use for those who study dirty Chinese language. Never use it as a textbook, and never speak the dirty words learned from this book in China--people will look down upon you and you will be kicked out at no time.



4. about 20 days later than the expected delieve date.....too long to wait!!! I almost cancel the order:(
   
   btw, the book is not bad.



5. I speak Chinese pretty well and wanted to shore up my slang, plus it's just kind of fun to know how to cuss people out. This book was a help in that regard. It's a pretty exhaustive list, it's well categorized, and there's good notes explaining when each slang is used. I've learned a lot of new words, and more importantly, I found out that I was sometimes using an uncommon or scientific word, instead of the proper slang.
   
   So mostly I'm positive about this book, and I recommend it highly. But I'll concentrate on the negatives, just because it's difficult to judge a slang book, and to let other buyers know what they're getting into. My first complaint is that while the book is largely accurate, it isn't entirely. Maybe a couple percent of them are off. I don't think it's just the vagaries of slang or regional differences, because I asked several people here in Shanghai about them, and they all told me "no way." Anyway, it's worth double checking favorite terms.
   
   Secondly, this is (for the most part) Beijing slang. OK a lot of the vocabulary is universal, and that's particularly true to the (really excellent) Internet slang section. On the other hand, there's a lot of words that I don't think most people would say in Shanghai. For a non-native speaker to use many of these words would be bizarre. I wonder, do people in Beijing swear a lot more? Even though she addresses the issue in the introduction, I think the author drastically overestimates how often and how deeply people swear. And a whole lot of the insults would instantly lead to a fight. Oh yeah, and the book is missing common Mandarin slang words that are used in Shanghai.
   
   Third, it's CRAZY that this book has pronunciation guides for people who don't even know pinyin. If you don't speak Chinese pretty well already, don't try this book. You'll just get in trouble. Maybe it can be read for the cultural notes, but personally I found the cultural notes could sometimes get a little cartoony, particularly in the introduction, about the marijuana smoking pro-democracy rock singers...
   
   Finally, I wish the book had better notes or division about which slangs were common, and which ones weren't. The most common words are often pointed out, but not always. And there's a whole lot of pages given to slangs that are hopelessly obscure. There is a "top 25" list at the end of the book, it could have used a similar section at the end of every chapter.

5 comments about Chinese in a Flash, Vol. 1 (Tuttle Flash Cards).

1. I love these little cards, they are small enough to put 10 or 20 troublesome characters in my pocket, and take them anywhere I might have 10 minutes free time. For example, this morning I was with a friend waiting for her outpatient back injection... and was almost sorry to see her come out so quickly. I'll be commuting to work on a shuttle bus starting this fall and am looking forward to studying my cards.
   
   They are a companion match to the "250 Essential Chinese Characters for Everyday Use", (although there are 448 flashcards) with the same character # and provide the same examples. The cards include some catchy examples that are funny, such as the character for "three" gives a term of "indecisive", literally translated as "3 hearts, 2 minds". I like the book too because there are lots of quizes that help reward a student like me w/ no class or other students.



2. This is a wonderful set of flashcards. It is well organized, with commonly used characters appearing at the front of the set and a handy pinyin guide to all the cards in the collection so that you can pick out the cards that match your lesson for the day. I've been using them in conjunction with MIT's free OpenCourseWare Chinese 1 class and have found that the cards are absolutely necessary for reinforcing my memory of basic characters. Good stuff--I'll be buying the second set soon.



3. These cards are fairly useful to the Chinese student seeking to increase his reading vocabulary. The Chinese character is displayed on one side so you can test your reading comprehension by reciting its pronunciation and definition to yourself. However, if you want to learn to write the characters---which, of course, ensures a higher level of comprehension---you're out of luck. On the other side of the card is displayed the Pinyin pronunciation, right next to a small picture of the character. You can't avoid seeing the character you're trying to remember.
   
   But that's not to say that these cards aren't helpful. An outline of stroke order is shown on each card, along with a list of character components and the radical used to identify it in a traditional Chinese dictionary. These are bonuses not easily added to home-made flash cards.
   
   I might recommend these cards if it weren't for one final complaint. These cards smell horrible. Let me repeat. These cards have the same toxic odor as new computer components, right out of the packaging---just stronger. I had to hang these cards in a mesh bag on my porch for a week before I could stand working with them for over five minutes. Even then, I had to turn the fan on full-blast.
   
   Considering that these cards don't provide much that you can't make yourself, or learn from other sources, I suggest getting Reading & Writing Chinese Traditional Character Edition or Reading & Writing Chinese: Simplified Character Edition instead. These books systematically introduce far more characters, and provide stroke order and helpful comments on radicals. They have the added bonus of allowing you to cover up either the pronunciation/definition or the character, so that you can thoroughly test your comprehension. They have the added bonus of not smelling like toxic waste.



4. If you're anything like me and your writing produces indecipherable marks scratched on index cards, you probably need this. Tuttle has produced a solid product that helps you learn through rote memorization the character, its meaning, and some of the more common word associations. The cards are rather small, however it does allow them to travel more easily than a 4x5 deck of 400+ index cards. All in all, it gets the job done. Just make sure that you practice writing the characters as well to help with your retention.



5. I used these cards all the time and they work if you use them (they don't work if you don't use them).

5 comments about Schaum's Outline of Chinese Grammar (Schaum's Outline Series).

1. A very good grammar book for an unbeatable price. Practical and broad in scope, with exercises and examples in pinyin, traditional, and simplified characters. I have gotten more use of this grammar gem over the years than other chinese grammar books that cost 4x more.
   
   The main drawback is that the formatting is not the best. Little use of whitespace between sections, and subheadings that don't always stand out, make it a challenge to scan for information.
   
   If you are willing to spend a bit more, I highly recommend Claudia Ross' most recent work: Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar (Modern Grammars) and Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar Workbook (Modern Grammars). This set presents the content of 'Schaum's Outline of Chinese Grammar', and much more, in a more organized, logical and thorough manner.



2. The book uses simplified as well as traditional characters. I use it as a supplement to "Practical Audio-Visual Chinese" which is an outstanding text book.



3. The seller in question is a very responsive and friendly one. The book I received in a perfect condition even though it was advertised, on Amazon, as a used one, very fast, and what I am pleased especially - I received a friendly message from the seller with a high concern that its customer be satisfied. This seller can be trusted.



4. One of the most easiest and best Chinese grammar!!!
   Highly recommended by me!
   Easy to use, easy to pronounce, easy to handle!
   What more can I ask for about it?!



5. Great book- good explanations with good examples and exercises.
   One thing that is missing is the "Table of Contents"!!! I don't understand why...

5 comments about Oxford Picture Dictionary: English/Chinese.

1. I think this book is really practical. Especial for beginner, it will help him learn fast and easily. Not only building vocabulary but also learning to use the words in real world are covered well in the book.



2. I'm very glad when I found out about this book the very first time. It's a very good way to learn new words. I'm a visial learner. I learn much better when there is a picture of the thing I'm learning. To review the new words I learn, I cover the English word and tell the new word by looking at the picture. I can learn so many names of something without the phisical present of these things at home. I'm loving this book. By the way, this book is not for leaning Chinese. This book is designed for Chinese students to learn English only.



3. I bought this book for my Chinese student who could not speak or read English at all. The Chinese characters help her to remember the english words even though they do not have the pronunciation. In three months, she can start carrying a conversation in English with broken English. But at least she can communicate with us. The grouping by weather, color, daily routines etc. help me to concentrate on a subject and make teaching much easier.



4. While reading this, it does seem odd at times, as though it was actually written for Chinese-speakers learning English, but it is still a valuable resource.
   
   Problems: No pinyin. All traditional-form characters.
   
   Obviously, although this is a great resource with 4,000 useful terms, it isn't complete. (The Chinese have three different, common ways to say "week" and this guide includes only one.
   
   Although it can be basic, I would say that it's usful for all skill levels. Whether you're learning English or Chinese, unless you've got a doctorate in your target language, this book will have terms you don't know. This book identifies a subject and exhausts all the possible terms. Animals, Science, Plants, Computers, Crime, Natural Diasters, Clothes, etc. There are English terms in here I've never heard.



5. I teach beginning level adult English. It is a helpful language learning tool. The pictures are colorful and the words are appropriate for real world experiences. This is also perfect gift for families. They can share this dictionary.

2 comments about Barron's AP Chinese Language and Culture: with Audio CDs (Barron's: the Leader in Test Preparation).

1. This book does contain a comprehensive review. The practice exams with answer keys and answer explanations are great! It is a good tool for anyone preparing for the AP Chinese Exam.
   
   I have noticed some sentences can be improved with better wording; otherwise they are only suitable for school students or learners.
   
   This book occasionally doesn't help readers use correct punctuation, though actually most Chinese also don't know how to use Chinese punctuation correctly.
   
   It seems like there are a few phrases in traditional Chinese are directly translated from simplified Chinese. Though these phrases are understandable by Chinese, but it would be better if they were improved with better wording.
   
   Just as the book states the curriculum and assessment framework for the AP Chinese Language and Culture undergoes continuous improvement, so I can't be too fussy about this book. This book is by far the best for AP Chinese Exam on Amazon.com.
   
   
   Sam Song
   Author,
   Learning Chinese The Easy Way with great fun and joy!



2. Any preparing for the AP Chinese Language and Culture test needs BARRON'S AP CHINESE LANGUAGE AND CULTURE, a powerful set of review and practice tests for the AP test. Questions in both traditional and simplified Chinese characters are just like the actual exam, offering two full-length practice exams with answers plus audio CDs of spoken material.

5 comments about Tuttle Learning Chinese Characters: A Revolutionary New Way to Learn and Remember the 800 Most Basic Chinese Characters.

1. The books' system works! it's amazing!
   it takes you to ASK level 1.



2. lots of information with helpful, easy to understand instructions. I'm also working with my acupuncture doctor who is a native Chinese speaker and even she is impressed with my learning. I would recommend this book to any beginner who is trying to learn reading/writing basic characters. It doesn't discuss grammar or sentence structure, but it's not intended for that.



3. I have not gone through this bookdeeply as Ipurchased it for language hobbies,not really serious language lessons but I cannot forget how the Chinese version of "bald", "man" and "big" are created. Indeed it workssogood for thememory! I actually read the prefaceand the introduction and the authors have the "personal approach" to the readers. It's like they are talking tomedirectly.
   
   I thinkif I have to seriously study thisbook, I will have it good. As for now, Istill have my Dutch courses to complete and my Italian toperfect. Maybe Chinese will comeafter my German and French but it's good that I have already this book with me. I highly recommend this book for all levels of Chinese learners. This book offers a "fun way"(not boring) of learning.



4. A fantastic book! It has changed my life. Very logical and well thought through. It clearly explains the composition of characters, which is extremely valuable for more complex compound characters. If you do not like the method used in the book, create your own variations. The book is an invaluable reference book, I use in conjunction with one-to-one coaching by a teacher. It helped me to understand the secrets of Chinese characters. I am eagerly waiting for the publishing of Volume II. !!!
   Well done authors. Great work and an excellent contribution for the students of Chinese!



5. This is an excellent book, was able to retain and learn. Brilliant Book! Just one problem, where do we go from here after completing this book? There doesn't seem to be a book 2.. 800 characters are not enough to read a newspaper in Chinese. Any suggestions anyone? Hoping they will come out with a follow up book for this title, let's try to convince Tuttle to make a book 2.... Help everyone!! Thanks!