Download or read book Understanding the Chinese Language written by Chris Shei and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2014-10-03 with total page 394 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Understanding the Chinese Language provides a vibrant and comprehensive introduction to contemporary Chinese linguistics. Combining an accessible style with an in-depth treatment of the topics at hand, it uses clear, full descriptions and vivid, modern examples to systematically take students through the phonology, vocabulary, grammar, discourse structures and pragmatics of modern Chinese. No prior knowledge of Chinese or linguistics is required. Features include: Six detailed chapters covering the core linguistic aspects of the modern Chinese language, such as words, content units, sentences, speech acts, sentence-final particles and neologisms User-friendly comparisons and contrasts between English and Chinese throughout the text, helping to clearly explain important complexities and nuances of the Chinese language Clear, accessible explanations and insightful analysis of topics and linguistic devices, supported by many helpful examples, diagrams and tables Vivid and relevant examples drawn from real-life contemporary sources such as internet news reports, social networks like Sino Weibo, online forums and TV reality shows, offering fascinating perspectives on modern Chinese media, culture and society Pioneering coverage of Chinese new words and the social phenomena they reveal Additional exercises and four supplementary chapters covering Chinese syllables, idioms, discourse and culture available for free download at http://www.routledge.com/books/details/9780415634885/ Written by a highly experienced instructor, researcher and linguist, Understanding the Chinese Language will be essential reading for undergraduate and postgraduate students taking courses in Chinese linguistics. It will also be of interest to anyone interested in learning more about Chinese language and culture.
Download or read book Understanding Chinese Characters by Their Ancestral Forms written by Gam Go and published by . This book was released on 1995 with total page 132 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The principal unit of a Chinese character, called the Radical (RADIX-root), gives the general meaning of the character. Most of the time, it is placed on the left-hand side of the character. The 5,000 characters are arranged ALPHABETICALLY according to the English names of their Radicals. Mr. Go (author of "Understanding Chinese Characters by Their Ancestral Forms") found that over 3,000 characters (about 60%) can be found knowing only 27 simple, easy-to-recognize Radicals (such as Man, Hand, Mouth, Water, Tree). A Rapid Access Index allows the user to have immediate access to the character by recognizing a second writing-unit. There are 214 writing-units in total & their English meanings are explained on the basis of their ancestral forms. The dictionary also contains the SIMPLIFIED & ROMANIZED (so called "PINYIN") forms of the characters now officially being used in the People's Republic of China. This is certainly a book that should be on the shelf of the reference section of all libraries. Phone orders accepted: (415) 564-5494.
Download or read book The Chinese Language written by John DeFrancis and published by University of Hawaii Press. This book was released on 1986-03-01 with total page 348 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "DeFrancis's book is first rate. It entertains. It teaches. It demystifies. It counteracts popular ignorance as well as sophisticated (cocktail party) ignorance. Who could ask for anything more? There is no other book like it. ... It is one of a kind, a first, and I would not only buy it but I would recommend it to friends and colleagues, many of whom are visiting China now and are adding 'two-week-expert' ignorance to the two kinds that existed before. This is a book for everyone." --Joshua A. Fishman, research professor of social sciences, Yeshiva University, New York "Professor De Francis has produced a work of great effectiveness that should appeal to a wide-ranging audience. It is at once instructive and entertaining. While being delighted by the flair of his novel approach, the reader will also be led to ponder on some of the most fundamental problems concerning the relations between written languages and spoken languages. Specifically, he will be served a variety of information on the languages of East Asia, not as dry pedantic facts, but as appealing tidbits that whet the intellectual appetite. The expert will find much to reflect on in this book, for Professor DeFrancis takes nothing for granted." --William S.Y. Wang, professor of linguistics, University of California at Berkeley
Download or read book Hacking Chinese written by Olle Linge and published by . This book was released on 2016-03-26 with total page 246 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.
Download or read book A Billion Voices written by David Moser and published by Penguin Group Australia. This book was released on 2016-05-23 with total page 89 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Mandarin, Guoyu or Putonghua? 'Chinese' is a language known by many names, and China is a country home to many languages. Since the turn of the twentieth century linguists and politicians have been on a mission to create a common language for China. From the radical intellectuals of the May Fourth Movement, to leaders such as Chiang Kai-shek and Mao Zedong, all fought linguistic wars to push the boundaries of language reform. Now, Internet users take the Chinese language in new and unpredictable directions. David Moser tells the remarkable story of China's language unification agenda and its controversial relationship with modern politics, challenging our conceptions of what it means to speak and be Chinese. 'If you want to know what the language situation of China is on the ground and in the trenches, and you only have time to read one book, this is it. A veritable tour de force, in just a little over a hundred pages, David Moser has filled this brilliant volume with linguistic, political, historical, and cultural data that are both reliable and enlightening. Written with captivating wit and exacting expertise, A Billion Voices is a masterpiece of clear thinking and incisive exposition.' Victor H. Mair, American sinologist, professor of Chinese language and literature at the University of Pennsylvania and author of The Columbia History of Chinese Literature 'David Moser explains the complex aspects of Putonghua against the backdrop of history, delivering the information with authority and simplicity in a style accessible both to speakers of Chinese and those who are simply fascinated by the language. All of the questions that people have asked me about Chinese over the years, and more, are answered in this book. The history of Putonghua and the vital importance of creating a common language is a story David Moser brings to life in an enjoyable way.' Laszlo Montgomery, The China History Podcast
Download or read book Dreaming in Chinese written by Deborah Fallows and published by Macmillan. This book was released on 2011-09-20 with total page 209 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Deborah Fallows has spent a lot of her life learning languages and traveling around the world. But nothing prepared her for the surprises of learning Mandarin, China's most common language, or the intensity of living in Shanghai and Beijing. Over time, she realized that her struggles and triumphs in studying learning the language of her adopted home provided small clues to deciphering behavior and habits of its people, and its culture's conundrums. As her skill with Mandarin increased, bits of the language - a word, a phrase, an oddity of grammar - became windows into understanding romance, humor, protocol, relationships, and the overflowing humanity of modern China. Fallows learned, for example, that the abrupt, blunt way of speaking which Chinese people sometimes use isn't rudeness, but is, in fact a way to acknowledge and honor the closeness between two friends. She learned that English speakers' trouble with hearing or saying tones-the variations in inflection that can change a word's meaning-is matched by Chinese speakers' inability not to hear tones, or to even take a guess at understanding what might have been meant when foreigners misuse them. Dreaming in Chinese is the story of what Deborah Fallows discovered about the Chinese language, and how that helped her make sense of what had at first seemed like the chaos and contradiction of everyday life in China.
Download or read book Understanding the Chinese Mind written by Robert E. Allinson and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 1989 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this volume leading authorities in Western and Chinese philosophy explore different aspects of the Chinese mind by focusing on topical issues in philosophy, linguistics, and religion. The result is a unified volume which makes an invaluable contribution to the hermeneutics of cross-cultural interpretation as well to the investigation of the unique features of both Chinese philosophy and the Chinese mind. The distinguished contributors include John E. Smith, Robert C. Neville, Chad Hansen, Christoph Harbsmeier, Chung-ying Chen, Antonio S. Cua, Kuang-Ming Wu, and Lao Sze-kwang (Lao Yung-wei). A comprehensive bibliography of both Chinese and Western language sources is included, making this an essential reference for students and scholars of Chinese philosophy and East-West comparative philosophy.
Download or read book The Routledge Handbook of Chinese Discourse Analysis written by Chris Shei and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2019-01-14 with total page 674 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Chinese is a discourse-oriented language and the underlying mechanisms of the language involve encoding and decoding so the language can be correctly delivered and understood. To date, there has been a lack of consolidation at the discourse level such that a reference framework for understanding the language in a top-down fashion is still underdeveloped. The Routledge Handbook of Chinese Discourse Analysis is the first to showcase the latest research in the field of Chinese discourse analysis to consolidate existing findings, put the language in both theoretical and socio-functional perspectives, offer guidance and insights for further research and inspire innovative ideas for exploring the Chinese language in the discourse domain. The book is aimed at both students and scholars researching in the areas of Chinese linguistics and discourse analysis.
Download or read book Chinese Language Education in the United States written by Jiening Ruan and published by Springer. This book was released on 2015-11-10 with total page 265 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book offers historical, philosophical, and sociocultural perspectives on Chinese language education for speakers of other languages with a special focus on Chinese language education in the United States. It provides a comprehensive, cross-disciplinary look at changes in CFL/CSL education over time in China and the U.S. and the philosophical, political and sociocultural influences that led to these changes. The essays address a wide array of topics related to Chinese language education, including: A historical overview of the field Theories that apply to CFL/CSL learning Policies and initiatives for CFL/CSL by the Chinese and U.S. governments Medium of instruction Curriculum and instruction for CFL/CSL learners at K-12 and college levels Technology for CFL/CSL education Chinese language learning for heritage learners CFL in study abroad contexts CFL teacher education and training This work is essential reading for scholars and students interested in gaining a greater understanding of Chinese language education in the two countries and around the world.
Download or read book Understanding Chinese Characters written by Edoardo Fazzioli and published by HarperCollins. This book was released on 1987 with total page 260 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book A Practical Guide to Understanding the Chinese Language written by Ann Jong Juan and published by . This book was released on 2004 with total page 84 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Cracking Thai Fundamentals written by Stuart Jay Raj and published by CreateSpace. This book was released on 2015-07-09 with total page 648 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Stuart Jay Raj has developed a suite of hand and body signs, glyphs, colourful stories and exercises that will help learners of Thai lay down a new linguistic and cultural operating system for their mind and body. Rather than awkwardly superimpose a new language over the top of the pre-existing non-Thai sound and meaning system of your mother tongue, Cracking Thai Fundamentals will teach you to think about language, culture and meanings, produce meanings, speak, read and react in Thai in a way that much more resembles the way Thais think about and produce their language themselves.
Download or read book Chinese Man Phases 1 2 written by Pimsleur and published by PIMSLEUR. This book was released on 2011-07-20 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Surprise your friends! Astonish your family! With Pimsleur, you’ll be speaking and understanding like a native in no time. 30 minutes a day is all it takes. This Mandarin Chinese course includes all of Phases 1 and 2 – 30 hours of spoken language practice and two hours of Notes providing background on the Mandarin language and culture. With this product you start from zero, learning first survival phrases and vocabulary, and eventually progressing to a mid-intermediate level of speaking, understanding and reading English. Every lesson contains an introductory conversation, and isolated vocabulary and structures, as well as full practice for all vocabulary introduced. Emphasis is on pronunciation and comprehension. At the completion of this course, you’ll speak confidently using your wide-ranging vocabulary, and experience the language and culture with a deepening insight into a new world. Culture Notes are included at the end of Unit 30 for each Phase. Totaling about three hours, these Notes are designed to provide you with background information on the language and insight into the culture. A Notes booklet is also included in PDF format. About the Mandarin Chinese Language Mandarin is the official language in Mainland China, Taiwan, and Singapore. The Mandarin dialect is used in most Chinese schools, colleges, and universities, and in most TV programs, movies, and radio stations throughout the country. Mandarin is one of the five official languages of the UN.
Download or read book written by Rita Mei-Wah Choy and published by . This book was released on 1989 with total page 474 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The most helpful book you will find for learning Chinese - It contains English definitions & Cantonese & Mandarin pronunciations for over 7000 character combinations; 34 special word lists by category; useful everyday phrases; four cross-reference indexes; simplified grammar rules; a romanization comparison chart; & a complete pronunciation guide.
Download or read book Fundamental Structures of the Chinese Language written by Taciana Fisac and published by Taylor & Francis. This book was released on 2024-03-29 with total page 296 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Fundamental Structures of the Chinese Language is an exceptional resource for understanding how Chinese grammar functions in natural discourse. This book departs from the conventional approach of superimposing grammatical constructs from English onto Chinese and focuses on the topic–comment structure inherent in the Chinese language. Constructions that are usually considered complex or challenging for students whose mother tongues are subject–verb–object languages will be more easily understandable with this analysis. Simple and complex verbal structures are discussed in depth with the incorporation of the aspect category, which provides an enormous richness of nuances in the internal development of the action, and word order is considered one of the key features of the Chinese language. All the explanations are applied to numerous examples of real Chinese texts. This textbook is a valuable resource for students, teachers, and researchers in Chinese language courses including Chinese translation, Chinese linguistics, and comparison linguistics in general.
Download or read book 25 Ways to Understand the Chinese Language written by Hongchen Wang and published by CreateSpace. This book was released on 2013-08-18 with total page 136 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is for general readers who want to know about the Chinese language: where it originated, how it developed, and the ways it expresses meaning. This book also serves as a reference handbook for beginner and intermediate students of the Chinese language. The appendix includes some useful grammatical terms with explanations and short introductions to Chinese dictionaries and Allegorical Sayings.
Download or read book Complete Mandarin Chinese Learn Mandarin Chinese with Teach Yourself written by Zhaoxia Pang and published by Teach Yourself. This book was released on 2022-02-17 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Complete Mandarin Chinese is a comprehensive book and audio language course that takes you from beginner to intermediate level. The all-new edition of this successful course has been fully rewritten by top Chinese teachers to incorporate the most essential language you'll need to communicate in Chinese with confidence. New learning features will support you in your mastery of the four skills as well as your understanding of Chinese characters. Do you want to develop a solid understanding of Mandarin and communicate confidently with others? Through authentic conversations, vocabulary building, grammar explanations, and extensive practice and review, Complete Mandarin Chinese will equip you with the practical skills you need to use Mandarin in a variety of realistic settings and situations, developing your cultural awareness along the way. What will I achieve by the end of the course? By the end of Complete Mandarin Chinese you will have a solid intermediate-level grounding in the four key skills - reading, writing, speaking, and listening - and be able to communicate with confidence and accuracy. Is this course for me? If you want to move confidently from beginner to intermediate level, this is the course for you. It's perfect for the self-study learner, with a one-on-one tutor, or for the beginner classroom. It can also be used as a refresher course. -Maps from A1 to B1/B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) for languages -HSK references and vocabulary benchmarking -24 learning units plus verbs reference, word glossary and revision section -Discovery Method - figure out rules and patterns to make the language stick -Teaches the key skills - reading, writing, listening and speaking -Learn to learn - tips and skills on how to be a better language learner -Culture notes - learn about the people and places of China -Outcomes-based learning - focus your studies with clear aims -Authentic listening activities - everyday conversations give you a flavour of real spoken Mandarin Chinese -Test Yourself - see and track your own progress *Complete Mandarin Chinese maps from Novice Low to Advanced Low level proficiency of ACTFL (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages) and from A1 Beginner to B1/B2 Intermediate level of the CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) guidelines. It also contains the vocabulary needed for the HSK (Chinese proficiency test). The audio for this course is available for free on library.teachyourself.com or from the Teach Yourself Library app. Also available: Get Started In Beginner's Mandarin Chinese (ISBN 9781444174809). Rely on Teach Yourself, trusted by language learners for over 75 years.
