Need help replacing current textbook: Road to Success, Lower Intermediate 2

[brennan]

We are currently using the Road to Success, Intermediate 2 textbook from BLCUP (you can find it here - http://www.blcup.com/EnPInfo/index/2175#001). We're finding that the textbook is too difficult, and we're not terribly fond of the series, so we have little desire to drop back down to a lower level.

 

How is the NPCR series? Are any of the textbooks around the same level as this one, or a couple of levels lower? Any other textbooks that you enjoyed and felt were good around this level?

 

A couple of requirements:

1. We would like grammar explanations in English.

2. Practical, daily life 课文's opposed to literary topics.

 

 

Thank you for your help.

[Shelley]

I use NPCR and find it very good. I use it in a self study situation. I like the textbook, grammar explanations in English and characters are introduced early. There is also a workbook and an answer book. there are also mp3 audio of the lesson dialogue and exercises and videos on YouTube.

 

I like the fact that it has all of these things, it makes it a complete course that works well together.

 

In book one: it has dialogues about everyday situations, students from various countries learning Chinese together at schools and universities.

 

I would recommend it.

 

 

 

 

[xiaokaka]

I haven't used or looked at Road to Success, but based on the sample included in the link it might be at a higher level than NPCR4. NPCR 1–4 are all focused on daily life, practical language and dialogues, while 5–6 are more literary and does not include any English grammar explanations — it's all in Chinese. So I think you should take a look at book four and see if it suits you, or otherwise you migth stick to RtS or look for another series.

[ChTTay]

I liked Boya books although I hear the intermediate one has a fair amount of 书面语 I've never checked if that were true.

I liked the larger, newer editions because every new vocab word came with example sentences. It made the book bigger but nice to have those sentences provided for you.

[xiaokaka]

I also like Boya, but it also only has Chinese grammar explanations from Quasi-intermediate I and up. Another alternative is New Horizon (which has four parts with part 1 suitable for those studying for HSK4), but it's also is all in Chinese.

[Angelina]

I was using Road to Success. I wasn't satisfied with the way grammar was being taught. Unfortunately, I haven't found any textbooks with good grammar explanations yet (Chinese or English).

You might want to check grammar books. I am doing some research on aspect: 上、下、起来、来、去、过. There is a connection between aspect and space, aspect can be seen as a spatial metaphor.

[Angelina]

http://www.chinese-forums.com/index.php?/topic/46839-v起来-structure/

 

How grammar is being taught in most Chinese textbooks 

 

 

The book gives an example:

 

Rewrite the following sentence:

 

”你穿这件衣服非常漂亮。“

"You look very beautiful wearing this outfit."

 

->”这件衣服，你穿起来非常漂亮。“

"You look very beautiful wearing this outfit."

---

 

Now I'm struggling to rewrite "我妈妈唠叨的时候，我受不了。"

"When my mother is nagging, I can't stand it."

Where does 起来 fit in?

Perhaps: 我妈妈唠叨起来的时候， 我受不了。？

OR

我妈妈唠叨的时候， 我收起来不了。。

 

I'm confused because there are two verbs in the original sentence and there's a comma separating it.

Can anyone point me in the right direction?

 

 

Now imagine learning English without any explanations about tenses.

 

Learning it through the use of 'have' in 1) I have been watching TV for three hours and 2) I have an idea, without being told that 'have' in sentence 1 is different from 'have' in sentence 2.

[Shelley]

The best Grammar book I found is Schaum's Outline of Chinese Grammar. It explains everything in English and all the examples are in simplified, full form, pinyin and English so you can concentrate on the grammar and not trying to translate examples.

 

It is not overly heavy on technical grammar terms.

 

IMHO this is the best grammar book I have seen.

 

I recommend it highly.

 

I did a little review of this book and another one written by one of the same authors here http://www.chinese-forums.com/index.php?/topic/46180-intermediate-chinese-grammar-%E4%B8%AD%E7%BA%A7%E6%B1%89%E8%AF%AD%E8%AF%AD%E6%B3%95/page-5

 

My review is post #84

 

With NPCR and Schaum's outline I have really been making progress with grammar and vocabulary.

 

 

[brennan]

Thank you for all of the responses. I will take a look at the Boya series of textbooks as well as everything else that has been posted here.

 

Again, thank you!