Please Recommend Pinyin Workbook, General Text & Dictionary

March 7, 2006 at 07:51 PM

Hi, I’m going to start learning Chinese January of 2007. I would like to “get all my ducks in a row”, and try to find the best text, dictionary(s), and supplementary book(s) for my study plan. For dictionaries, if a handheld device is better than a book, I’d like to know about it. I want to use internet only as last resort, if my books don’t work.

Ok, now I have to tell you something about myself and study plan, so that you can figure out the best fit. I’m a North American native English speaker; speak Japanese with knowledge of 2000 characters; speak Thai, which is a 5 tone language. My first year study plan:

1. Start Pimsleur (7 hrs per week), start learning pinyin (7 hrs per week). Start a vocabulary list that will contain all the words I learn, plus some phrases.

2. When I’m comfortable with pinyin, start RTH (8 hrs per week), start text (4 hrs per week), continue Pimsleur (7hrs per week).

3. When I’ve finished Pimsleur and RTH, take private conversation lessons (5hrs class, 5 hrs study per week). Convert vocabulary list to traditional characters, and learn to read it (10 hrs per week). No text for this time.

(notes – all reviews done on supermemo, this is self study to be done in the US, in an area where there are very few Chinese or Chinese classes)

In order to get a good Text & dictionary combination, I assume I’ll need to learn pinyin. It also seems logical to me that my text should include traditional characters, since that is what I’m familiar with. I’d like my books to work well together, if possible.

Thanks in advance,

Leo

March 8, 2006 at 12:08 AM

Hi,

I reckon Pimsleur Mandarin is great. I also personally find the following very helpful:

Basic Chinese; A Grammar and Workbook (Routledge Grammars) (Paperback) ISBN: 0415160375

Intermediate Chinese; A Grammar and Workbook (Routledge Grammars) (Paperback)ISBN: 0415160391

ABC Chinese-English Dictionary: Alphabetically Based Computerized (ABC Chinese Dictionary) (Paperback) ISBN: 0824821548

Chinese Character Fast Finder (Paperback) ISBN: 0804836345

Here's my amazon reviews (sorry, you can sift through those which reflect my other interests to those about Chinese):

http://tinyurl.com/j4m4n

Hope the link works. I'm not sure what happens when a link with a personalised cookie is passed on - does it just become depersonalised?

雅各

March 8, 2006 at 12:20 AM

The link works, but as you seem to have 54 reviews to look at and on the first page at least only one is relevant it might be an idea to provide specific links.

For dictionaries, if a handheld device is better than a book, I’d like to know about it.

Have a search on here for 'Plecodict' and you'll get plenty of info on the leading PDA dictionary.

March 8, 2006 at 09:40 PM

雅各 & Roddy,

Thanks. I'll check out this stuff over the weekend, and come back with questions.

March 12, 2006 at 06:15 AM

Basic Chinese; A Grammar and Workbook (Routledge Grammars) (Paperback) ISBN: 0415160375

Intermediate Chinese; A Grammar and Workbook (Routledge Grammars) (Paperback)ISBN: 0415160391

ABC Chinese-English Dictionary: Alphabetically Based Computerized (ABC Chinese Dictionary) (Paperback) ISBN: 0824821548

Chinese Character Fast Finder (Paperback) ISBN: 0804836345

I ordered 3 of these (I'm holding off on the intermediate grammar for now) today. Your reviews are excellent. Can you suggest a basic text too? I posted this question under "resources and general studies", but haven't had a response yet.