Teach Yourself Chinese (Not the book!)

[nathanuk88]

Hello,

I started learning chinese about a year ago but didnt have time to complete the course. However now i have more time i am looking to teach myself some chinese before i go to university where i can have classes etc.

Basically what do you recomend to teach yourself, bearing in mind i have no tutor and only my online resources! So, i need a book which will teach me to read and write as well as tapes/CD or something to help me to speak!

Sorry if this has already been posted, just gets a bit confusing!

Thank you!

[roddy]

Assuming (because you're 16 and in the UK, where language teaching is a bit of a joke) that you don't have very much experience of language learning, I'd start off with the Teach Yourself Chinese book by Elizabeth Scurfield - it's not the most indepth, but it's accessible, will get you started on the characters (and I think there's a book just for characters in the same series, you could perhaps get that too), and it has tapes / CDs.

Once you've worked through that you'll have a much clearer idea of how you want to continue studying.

There's also a lot of stuff available online - see here, and have a good look through some of those resources.

[Weronika]

maybe it can be good for you too

http://www.chinese-forums.com/showpost.php?p=76702&postcount=6

[MerryHearted]

You might want to try "Integrated Chinese" textbook. To start you will need

• Integrated Chinese Textbook Level 1 Part 1 (Simplified or Traditional)
  
• Integrated Chinese Workbook Level 1 Part 1 (Simp/Trad to match Textbook)
  
• Integrated Chinese Character Workbook Level 1 Part 1 (this comes with both Simp/Trad together)
  
• Integrated Chinese Audio CDs for Level 1 Part 1
  

(there's also Level 1 Part 2, and then it goes on to Level 2)

As this is the college textbook most used in the US right now (with the New Practical Chinese Reader probably close behind), there are a bunch of internet resources for it. Yellowbridge.com has flashcards and memory matching game for every chapter already published and ready to use (free).

There are links to other resources at the "official" web site at the U of Hawaii:

http://eastasia.hawaii.edu/yao/icusers/icweb.htm

And if you google/MSN search on "Integrated Chinese" + homework or syllabus or exercises or whatever, you will find even more resources.

OR -- maybe you want to take a look at where you may be attending University and see what textbook they use.

[gamerfu]

WOW! IC has a lot of resources!!

[nathanuk88]

hmmm looks a good book, however it's really hard to get hold of a copy.

When i went to Nottingham (which is where i think i want to go) there were loads of different books, some i had seen before some i hadn't!) It was fantastic they have this huge language lab with software, videos etc where you can teach yourself any language! I just want to do this as a basic foundation!

I'll go to the shop tomorrow and have a look.

Thanks.