Written by experienced teachers and thoroughly trialled with non-native students of Chinese, this much-needed text helps students to write coherently, clearly and appropriately in a variety of contexts.

Written by experienced teachers and thoroughly trialled with non-native students of Chinese, this much-needed text helps students to write coherently, clearly and appropriately in a variety of contexts.

Learning Chinese can be frustrating and difficult, partly because it's very different from European languages. Following a teacher, textbook or language course is not enough. They show you the characters, words and grammar you need to become proficient in Chinese, but they don't teach you how to learn them! Regardless of what program you're in (if any), you need to take responsibility for your own learning. If you don't, you will miss many important things that aren't included in the course you're taking. If you study on your own, you need to be even more aware of what you need to do, what you're doing at the moment and the difference between them. Here are some of the questions I have asked and have since been asked many times by students: How do I learn characters efficiently? How do I get the most out of my course or teacher? Which are the best learning tools and resources? How can I become fluent in Mandarin? How can I improve my pronunciation? How do I learn successfully on my own? How can I motivate myself to study more? How can I fit learning Chinese into a busy schedule? The answers I've found to these questions and many others form the core of this book. It took eight years of learning, researching, teaching and writing to figure these things out. Not everybody has the time to do that! I can't go back in time and help myself learn in a better way, but I can help you! This book is meant for normal students and independent language learners alike. While it covers all major areas of learning, you won't learn Chinese just by reading this book. It's like when someone on TV teaches you how to cook: you won't get to eat the delicious dish just by watching the program; you have to do the cooking yourself. That's true for this book as well. When you apply what you learn, it will boost your learning, making every hour you spend count for more, but you still have to do the learning yourself. This is what a few readers have said about the book: "The book had me nodding at a heap of things I'd learnt the hard way, wishing I knew them when I started, as well as highlighting areas that I'm currently missing in my study." - Geoff van der Meer, VP engineering "This publication is like a bible for anyone serious about Chinese proficiency. It's easy for anyone to read and written with scientific precision." - Zachary Danz, foreign teacher, children's theatre artist About me I started learning Chinese when I was 23 (that's more than eight years ago now) and have since studied in many different situations, including serious immersion programs abroad, high-intensity programs in Sweden, online courses, as well as on the side while working or studying other things. I have also successfully used my Chinese in a graduate program for teaching Chinese as a second language, taught entirely in Chinese mostly for native speakers (the Graduate Institute for Teaching Chinese as a Second Language at National Taiwan Normal University). All these parts have contributed to my website, Hacking Chinese, where I write regularly about how to learn Mandarin.

An accessible guide to writing Chinese at the intermediate level An easy way to add more writing practice to the intermediate Chinese curriculum, this guide helps Chinese learners express themselves correctly on common everyday topics and for common social purposes. It is structured around the MPG teaching methodology for writing, which is model based, process oriented, and genre focused, to improve students' vocabulary and sentence- and paragraph-building skills. By providing sample texts with vocabulary, tips, and strategies for success in using those texts as models, this book will teach students to write biographical, creative, business, and personal content.

Learning simplified Chinese characters is no problem when you practice, practice, practice Grasp the art of expressing yourself in a non-Roman script with Practice Makes Perfect: Writing Chinese Characters. Perfect for advanced-beginner to intermediate learners of Chinese, this workbook leads you step by step through the complexities of writing simplified characters. You work at your own pace, so you gain confidence and become comfortable with your skills as you progress through the book. Of course you will get plenty of practice, practice, practice on how to form the strokes, dots, hooks, and radicals used in everyday Chinese writing. Before you know it, you will be able to write in and read simplified Chinese characters, enhancing your languagelearning experience. Practice Makes Perfect: Writing Chinese Characters is packed with: Clear and easy-to-understand examples that illustrate how to write Chinese characters Hundreds of exercises to build and flex your writing skills A helpful glossary of 600 key vocabulary words for the HSK, the Chinese Proficiency Test for nonnative speakers

My First Book of Chinese Calligraphy is a fun and engaging introduction to one of China's most popular arts and crafts for kids. Calligraphy—the art of producing decorative handwriting or lettering with a pen or brush—has been around for thousands of years. In this fun calligraphy for kids book, readers will follow along with Mimi, an eight year old, who takes her first steps towards learning this magical art. Dive in, and explore: The Evolution of Chinese Writing—how Chinese characters first began, thousands of years ago, and how they have evolved The Order of the Strokes—learn how to write the strokes in the correct order The Radicals—what are they, and how to unlock their secrets The Four Treasures of Calligraphy— the four essential tools to get started Movements and Position—how to master your mind's focus, your breathing and even how to move The Five Styles of Calligraphy—Zhuan Shu (seal), Li Shu (clerical), Kai Shu (regular), Cao Shu (cursive), and Xing Shu (running) The Eight Strokes— how to draw the 8 strokes; with them, you can write anything Writing a Character in Calligraphy—create an entire character in calligraphy