Integrated Chinese vs New Pratical Chinese Reader

[bjgodefr]

Hi,

I would like to hear some comments from people who used Integrated Chinese as a handbook. I myself am currently using the NEW Practical Chinese Reader 1, although I’m pretty happy with it I think this book has some drawbacks and I’m considering switching to the IC series after I’ve finished it (soon I hope;).

Particularly I would like to know if IC is an improvement on these two points:

1. the NPCR’s grammar explanation is not always very thoroughly to my opinion, I think more examples and exercises would be better.

2. sometimes the NPCR introduces a new word (e.g. 怎么样) without explaining individual characters like 怎. Which I think is a bit counterproductive.

thanks

[林彪]

2. sometimes the NPCR introduces a new word (e.g. 怎么样) without explaining individual characters like 怎. Which I think is a bit counterproductive.

Integrated Chinese does that too.

[林彪]

I think Integrated Chinese is definitely the easier book. But on the flip side, the dialogues are more sophisticated in PCR and you'll end up learning more with PCR. I think it's best to use both; that's what I do.

[bjgodefr]

Thanks for enlighting me 林彪 , but how do you think the grammar of the two handbooks compares? On the site of IC’s publishers I found the table of contents which gave me the impression that its grammar is more extensive than the NPRC's.

[林彪]

You're right, IC has more grammar in it and has better exercises in it. Since the PCR texts had virtually no grammar or exercies in it, I had to supplement it with the PCR workbook and the "Practical Chinese Grammar":

[beirne]

I'll speak up strongly for the Practical Chinese Grammar that 林彪 just mentioned. It is by far the best of the Chinese grammar books I have. I have been using the original PCR and while it does cover grammar it is in a brief way and I wasn't getting much out of it. The Practical Chinese Grammar elaborates on grammar very clearly and has lots of relevant examples.