Texts following a communicative/functional teaching approach?

[csit]

From the journal China Review International, I read an interesting article by Cynthia Ning titled "Second-language Studies and College-level Chinese-language Textbooks in the United States." (You can get the full reference here http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/china_review_international/toc/cri8.1.html. If anyone needs a copy, I have a PDF.) The author evaluates the impact of second language acquisition (SLA) theories on Chinese language textbooks. Namely where the texts are consistent with current theories and where they fall short.

The author Prof. Ning wrote a set of textbooks herself, Communicating in Chinese and Exploring in Chinese, available from Yale University Press. My question is whether anyone on this forum has experience with these books? They are supposed to follow a communicative approach to teaching. I've never seen them in any store--including Schoenhofs--although the first is available to order.

[Haoqide]

I'd like to have the PDF if you'd be so kind as to send it to me.

I'll send you a private message.

Thanks!

[roddy]

You should be able to attach it to your post on here to make it available for members to download, if you wish.

[csit]

Well, I tried. Apparently PDF files have a file-size limit of 19.5 KB.

[roddy]

Fixed that if you want to try again. Or email it to me at admin@chinese-forums.com and I'll upload it manually later.

Roddy

[novemberfog]

"Communicating in Chinese"- This was my first introduction to Chinese, along with "Integrated Chinese". "Communicating in Chinese" is a wonderful series, in fact it is probably my favorite introductory textbook of any kind. The pictures are nice and for a first semester student, I felt at least they really helped with immagination. The text comes int two parts, a speaking/listening part in all pinyin, and a separate text for reading/writing. The pinyin text is used for teaching the grammar as well. Not really grammar, but sentence patterns. The pinyin guide in the back is really nice too, with reference tables and what not.

The reading text has both samples/signs/letters in simplified and traditional characters. I liked this because my teacher was Taiwanese and taught traditional. But I enjoyed the exposure to simplified and now I can work with both rather comfortably. Also there are many handwritten samples as well that are quite hard to read, but some characters you can make out and then guess what the ones are that you can't read. I think that is a really good exercise for beginner students. When studying Chinese, sometimes you have to accept ambiguity and try to make a general meaning of a piece of work. As you learn and progress to high levels, this goes away, at least it did for me...I hope.

Chinese, unlike French, Japanese, and many other langugaes...well in my opinion, the grammar is not so terse. And what I love about that series is that it doesn't focus there. It focuses and making you get used to Chinese.

I hated the "Integrated Chinese" series with a passion. I just felt it was so lacking compared so "Communicating in Chinese". It had a nice grammar section, but the sketchs were lame for a book of that price, and everything was conversation-based for the most part. Just my opinion though. I know a guy who lives and dies by "Integrated Chinese". He uses it to teach foreigners as he is a GTA. His Chinese is way better than mine, but he lived in China for 3 years so I can't really make a judgement there. Anyway, for anyone who is just getting started with Chinese and knows only basic pinyin, I highly recommend the books! If you have a Chinese friend, you can work though it alone without a teacher.

I would also like to receive the PDF if possible. I really respect the author and would love to read of her opinions.