Where are the best texbooks for learning Chinese published?

[roddy]

I've only ever used textbooks published in China. I think there are some really good textbooks available here, although there's a considerable amount of rubbish as well - notably stuff that was written decades ago and now republished with a glossy cover under the title 'All New Great Millenium Easy Chinese Course for Foreign Friends'.

What's the situation like elsewhere. I'd guess Taiwan produces a fair amount of learning materials - what are they like? What about elsewhere? Are there any decent ones coming out of America?

Roddy

[Guest Anonymous]

At my university, the University of Houston, we use the textbook series called Integrated Chinese. I can't recall who wrote or published the book at the moment but it's pretty decent. This textbook series was a result of a collaboration between native Chinese speakers and a Chinese-speaking American, so the books are written to accomedate English speakers and have great translation between Chinese and English. It uses Hanyu Pinyin and have both Traditional and Simplified Chinese in a single version.

[Tsunku]

We use texts published in the US here at University of Texas. I've liked these US based books a little better than the ones published in China. I feel like the authors have a better handle on the approaches a native English speaker might take with the language. I used the Integrated Chinese series that Kulong mentioned for my first two semesters of Chinese, and at the time I liked it. I remeber it being particularly well-paced.

The text I use now could never have been published in China, as it seriously examines a lot of social issues (as best a language textbook can), and uses a distinctly American(Western?) point of view to take a look at life in China. I think it's an excellent text, but I would not ever expect to find anything it in stores in China. It was published by Princeton University Press.

My Chinese-published texts weren't all bad, although some of them were. Sometimes the translations aren't good, and othertimes the explanations seemed unclear. Other times the content was just too bland. How many texts have we seen that are all organized in the same way? Lesson 1: The Airport, Lesson 2: The post office, Lesson 3: Shopping for clothes. It was hard for me to find texts that got away from the whole idea of an "objective" for each lesson, like each lesson must give the reader a new situation which he will now miraculously be able to handle! These are useful, but I think it's overplayed in Chinese texts, or at least it was in my Chinese texts.

[cometrue]

i think the best way to learn chinese is watching DVD of TV play series, its better than watching movies, because in many movies, the language isnt the natural spoken chinese, its literary language. anyways its not so practical.

and u can look up the subtitle to improve your listening skill, i think it really works.

all the textbooks are boring and dull........

[Guest Cheng & Tsui Company]

Hello,

I noticed that you were discussing Integrated Chinese by Tao-chung Yao and Yuehua Liu et al. This series is published by my company, Cheng & Tsui Company. Learn more at http://www.cheng-tsui.com.

Thanks,

Liz

[geek_frappa]

Hello' date='

I noticed that you were discussing [i']Integrated Chinese[/i] by Tao-chung Yao and Yuehua Liu et al. This series is published by my company, Cheng & Tsui Company. Learn more at http://www.cheng-tsui.com.

Thanks,

Liz

very interesting. are you an author?

[Guest yourfriendinchina]

There are pictures adn isbm numbers for some really good books posted on www.yourfriendinchina.com