- Paperback: 355 pages
- Publisher: Routledge; 1 edition (28 Sep 1995)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0415113881
- ISBN-13: 978-0415113885
- Product Dimensions: 24 x 16.8 x 5.6 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
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Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
605,654 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #9 in Books > Languages > By Language > Chinese > Colloquial
- #13 in Books > Languages > By Language > Other European Languages > Portuguese > By Publisher > Routledge
- #28 in Books > Languages > By Language > Chinese > By Publisher > Routledge
- See Complete Table of Contents
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More About the Author
Product Description
Review
'The best course of its kind on the market. Topics are relevant, contents are interesting and accessible.' - Dr L. Zhuang, Staffordshire University
Product Description
These CDs are recorded by native Chinese speakers and can be used on their own or to accompany the book, helping you with pronunciation and listening skills.
Inside This Book
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
49 of 50 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is a really excellent, well-structured package that will quickly get you to a level where you can improvise basic conversations and read a few signs. The accompanying audio is included on CDs AND on tapes, which means you've got no excuse not to be listening to it wherever you are. At first I was a bit scared as the book does throw you in at the deep end somewhat, but you soon learn to go with it and trust that it will all become clear. The learning curve is quite consistent after this - there are no horrendous jumps where you suddenly want to give up. The author introduces things cleverly, for instance an example conversation will be structured to include both meanings of a new word, so that you don't learn one only to get confused by another in the next unit. As the name suggests, the tone is colloquial and natural. I never worry, as I do with some other Chinese books (especially ones from China!) that I am learning something a bit stilted and formal. The main focus is on listening, but each chapter ends by teaching you how to write a few characters, and as the units progress there is more reliance on characters and less on English (although pinyin is provided throughout so you don't have to learnt the characters if you don't want to). I have been using this book in conjunction with a few lessons, and I would recommend that anyone wanting to learn Chinese invests in half a dozen lessons to get their pronunciation off to a good start. But after that, you can work alone with this book and it'll keep you going for a good few months.
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
As others have said the dialogues are good, the subjects contemporary and the language is very much as it is spoken in China. But it does throw you right in at the deep end, and I can imagine a lot of people despairing and giving up.
I bought it before going to China to work, and it was worth it to see my Chinese teacher's face when I was able to pronounce the Chinese for 'I'm pleased to meet you' apparently first time. In reality it was because I'd spent a good hour playing the phrase on the CD.
But without a teacher to go through the things like basic pronounciation, which this book really skates over, I wonder how useful it would really be.
I also think you're better learning the characters from the start, because that is what the language is really composed of. Although this book covers a bit about the characters, it really is nothing like enough to gain any real understanding. And the characters which are shown in the later dialogues are too small for a beginner to read comfortably.
I bought it before going to China to work, and it was worth it to see my Chinese teacher's face when I was able to pronounce the Chinese for 'I'm pleased to meet you' apparently first time. In reality it was because I'd spent a good hour playing the phrase on the CD.
But without a teacher to go through the things like basic pronounciation, which this book really skates over, I wonder how useful it would really be.
I also think you're better learning the characters from the start, because that is what the language is really composed of. Although this book covers a bit about the characters, it really is nothing like enough to gain any real understanding. And the characters which are shown in the later dialogues are too small for a beginner to read comfortably.
28 of 29 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
A highly recommendable entry to beginner's Mandarin - also through self study. It has it all: grammar, pronunciation, useful vocabulary (in pinyin and characters)and exercises - all presented in a very concise and helpful manner. Together with a textbook specifically on Chinese characters I find myself well on the way.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Great as a starter course
Absolutely perfect, straight from the beginning the book illustrates the tones and the pronunciation required which is so important in a language such as this. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Kate
Chinese grammar book
The book arrived promptly but unfortunately was an older version and not as shown. The accompanying tape box only contained one of the two tapes. Read more
Published 5 months ago by an
Colloquial Chinese: The Complete Course for Beginners
An excellent beginners guide to learning Mandarin, I'm using this along side a course I'm attending, and it sorts it perfectly. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Walabean
aWESOME SERVICE
I received the book after only 2 days of ordering (I expect to be at least 5) It seems brand new although there is a minor flaw with the page but it's just the publish house fault... Read more
Published 19 months ago by Hang Vu
SIMPLY AWFUL
I was wondering wether to get Colloquial Chinese or TY Complete Chinese... I chose colloquial chinese and it was the biggest mistake I've made,Yes, it is for beginners, it teaches... Read more
Published 21 months ago by Jobob
GOOD FOR STARTERS
I am refering to the 1st edition reprinted in 2007. It is very practical and the lessons are not heavy. Read more
Published 23 months ago by V. S. Nicolas Santamaria
The book is completely useless for a serious Chinese learner
I bought this book having read all the excellent reviews, but I am very much disappointed.
The book is meant more for a tourist to give an idea of what Chinese language is, to... Read more
The book is meant more for a tourist to give an idea of what Chinese language is, to... Read more
Published on 3 Jun 2010 by Joeri G.
Excellent introduction
I went for this book on the based on previous experience with 'basic & intermediate Cantonese' by Routledge which was also excellent. Read more
Published on 9 Jan 2010 by Mr. J. Chan Fook Tin
Colloquial
This book is perfect to start learning Mandarin (Putonghua). The layout of this book is clear and well thought-out. Each chapter starts with a dialogue in mandarin. Read more
Published on 10 Aug 2009 by albaldrewy
Colloquial Chinese
This book and accompanying CDs is excellent for those who like to understand what they are saying rather than just learn a few phrases. Read more
Published on 17 July 2009 by LM ROBERTSON
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