The Best book for learning to read & write!

[nathanuk88]

What books do people recomend? Any ideas would be great thanx!

[badboy]

Reading & Writing Chinese, by William McNaughton, is a great book.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0804832064/qid=1092436425/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/104-9065925-5493562?v=glance&s=books

Also, Rick Harbaugh's book is great too, but is more of a dictionary.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0966075005/qid%3D1092436531/sr%3D11-1/ref%3Dsr%5F11%5F1/104-9065925-5493562

I'd start with McNaughton first.

[nathanuk88]

Isnt that for traditional characters though?!

I need to learn simplified!

Or are the tones and word spelt the same in both versions of chinese?!

Thanks!

[Learner]

Get the "Cheng & Tsui Chinese Character Dictionary", by Wang Huidi. It is an excellent book, similar to the McNaughton book, but in simplified characters. Also, it gives the complete stroke order information for 2000 characters, rather than 1062 as in the McNaughton book (which has 2000 characters, but only 1062 with full stroke order information). You can buy this book online. The link below should take you directly to the book's page in the catalogue. If not, go to the Cheng & Tsui site (www.cheng-tsui.com) and search for it. The price is $19.95 U.S., which is about the same as the McNaughton book.

http://www.cheng-tsui.com/sb_catalog-csm.asp?grp=PC++&item=++++++++0887273149

Best wishes,

Learner

[badboy]

Here's the simplified version of McNaughton:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0804835098/qid=1092482685/sr=8-4/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i4_xgl14/104-9065925-5493562?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

[nathanuk88]

Yeh i have seen that already but its not being released in the uk untile feb 2005!

How much is shiping from Amazon us to the uk?!

Anyone with other good titles!?

Thanks!

[yonglan]

McNaughton's book has both traditional and simplified characters and uses Hanyu Pinyin. It's great because he teaches you to look at Chinese characters the way the Chinese do.

With the partial exception of Rita Choy's books (which I think are just ok in other regards), I haven't seen any that use the calligraphic stroke order (pet peeve of mine) including the popular but wrong book by Bjorksten. But most Chinese don't use the calligraphic stroke order, so big deal. Still, I think it is more useful for adult foreign learners who don't spend the kind of time a kid does in school writing characters.