As the teaching of Chinese increasingly uses simplified characters, this new version of the popular A Primer for Advanced Beginners of Chinese fills an important gap in Chinese-language instruction. The two-volume primer is addressed to meet the needs of the rapidly growing number of Chinese language students who were raised in the United States in Chinese-speaking homes and speak the language but cannot read or write it. This text develops lessons around readings on Chinese history, culture, geography, literature, folktales and mythology, customs, and cuisine.

Table of Contents:
Preface Acknowledgments List of Abbreviations Introduction: The Basics of Pronunciation and Characters Lesson 1 Chinese Names Vocabulary Text Reading Skills Dialogue Grammatical Points Topic-Comment Sentence Fixed Adverbs Question Particles Modifier Particle Sentence Patterns and WOrld Usage Exercises Pronunciation Chinese Characters Vocabulary Practice Grammar Writing Reading Comprehension Words and Expressions on Specific Topics Expressions Used in Class Lesson 2 Chinese Families Vocabulary Text Reading Skills Dialogue Grammatical Points Numbers Measure Words Noun Phrases Coverbs Sentence Patterns and Word Usage Exercises Pronunciation Chinese Characters Vocabulary Practice Grammar Comprehensive Exercises Oral Exercise Writing Reading Comprehension Words and Expressions on Specific Topics Money Lesson 3 China: The North and the South Vocabulary Text Reading Skills Dialogue Grammatical Points Place Words Type of Place Words Use of Place Words Sentence Patterns and Word Usage Exercises Pronunciation Chinese Characters Vocabulary Practice Grammar Oral Exercise Writing Reading Comprehension Words and Expressions on Specific Topics Locations Lesson 4 The Ten Suns Vocabulary Text Reading Skills Dialogue Grammatical Points The Functions of le Sentence-Final le (Sentence-le) Verb Suffix le (Verb-le) Combination of Verb-le and Sentence-le Time Elapsed Without Doing Something Situations When V-le is Not Used Sentence Patterns and Word Usage Exercises Pronunciation and Characters Vocabulary Practice Grammar Comprehensive Exercises Writing Reading Comprehension Words and Expressions on Specific Topics Time Lesson 5 Heaven and Earth Vocabulary Text Reading Skills Dialogue Grammatical Points The Use of le in Discourse Action Verb and Complements of Result Actual Type Potential Type Sentence Patterns and Word Usage Exercises Pronunciation and Characters Vocabulary and Grammar Comprehensive Exercises Oral Exercise Writing Reading Comprehension Words and Expressions on Specific Topics Weather Lesson 6 The Story of Chinese Idioms Vocabulary Text Reading Skills Dialogue Grammatical Points The Particle Sentence Patterns and Word Usage Exercises Pronunciation Chinese Characters Vocabulary Practice Grammar Writing Reading Comprehension Words and Expressions on Specific Topics Commonly Used Measure Words Lesson 7 The Great Wall Vocabulary Text Reading Skills Dialogue Grammatical Points Directional Complements (DC) Actual Type of DC Potential Type of DC Sentence Patterns and Word Usage Exercises Pronunciation Chinese Characters Vocabulary Practice Grammar Comprehensive Exercises Writing Reading Comprehension Words and Expressions on Specific Topics Travel Lesson 8 Li Bai Learns a Lesson Vocabulary Text Reading Skills Dialogue Grammatical Points Sentence Patterns Using "ba" When and Why a Speaker Uses the "ba" Construction Sentence Patterns and Word Usage Exercises Pronunciation Chinese Characters Vocabulary and Grammar Comprehensive Exercises Writing Reading Comprehension Oral Exercise Word and Expressions on Specific Topics Campus Life Lesson 9 Shen Nong and Chinese Medicine Vocabulary Text Reading Skills Dialogue Grammatical Points Sequencing in Chinese Narrative Discourse Succession of Events and Situations Simultaneity Overlap Aspect Marker "guo" Sentence Patterns and Word Usage Exercises Pronunciation and Characters Grammar and Vocabulary Oral Exercises Writing Reading Comprehension Words and Expressions on Specific Topics Asking for Directions Lesson 10 Chinese Food Vocabulary Text Reading Skills Dialogue Grammatical Points The "shi...de" construction Sentence Patterns and Word Usage Exercises Pronunciation Chinese Characters Vocabulary Practice Grammar Oral Exercises Writing Reading Comprehension Words and Expressions on Specific Topics Shopping Appendix I. A Brief History of the Creation of Chinese Characters and the Evolution of the Chinese Writing System Appendix II. Comprehensive Vocabulary List English-Chinese Chinese-English Appendix III. Character Stroke Order