| Chinese
Language Books
If you are looking for books to teach
yourself Chinese from scratch, please bear in mind that
it is extremely difficult to achieve this without a
teacher. We would strongly recommend you take at least
a few lessons to get you started, if not with us then
at evening school or wherever suits you best. We have
heard so many stories of people who tried to learn a
language just from books and tapes but soon gave up
in frustration. A few lessons at the beginning sets
you on the right path. Once you have grasped how the
language works and how it sounds, you can learn more
and more by yourself.
If you live in or
near Manchester, you could start a one-to-one Chinese
course with us tomorrow (or whenever you like). Click
here
to read about our flexible, customised courses.
These books, then, are recommended
as additional resources to accompany a course of lessons
and/or for more advanced study.
Note:
When people talk about Chinese, they usually mean Mandarin
Chinese. This differs from the other variant of Chinese,
Cantonese, almost exclusively in terms of pronunciation.
Essentially, the two languages are written the same
but pronounced differently. Of the two, Mandarin is
much the more commonly used. |
 |
Teach Yourself Beginner's Chinese (Book + CDs)
by Elizabeth Scurfield, Lianyi Song
A good introduction to Mandarin,
starting with speaking and listening and progressing
to reading and writing.
Click here
to buy this now from Amazon. |
 |
Basic
Chinese: A Grammar and Workbook
by Po-Ching Yip and Don Rimmington Clear, concise
explanation of the grammar, with exercises to reinforce
your learning.
Click here
to buy this now from Amazon. |
 |
Intermediate
Chinese: A Grammar and Workbook
by Po-Ching Yip and Don Rimmington This takes
you to the next level.
Click here
to buy this now from Amazon. |
 |
Teach
Yourself Cantonese: Complete Audio CD Program
by Hugh Baker A good course in
Cantonese.
Click here
to buy this now from Amazon. |
 |
Learn
to Write Chinese Characters
by Johan Bjorksten A guide for native English-speakers
through learning the strokes and composition of the
Chinese characters.
Click here
to buy this now from Amazon. |
 |
250
Essential Chinese Characters for Everyday Use Vol 1
by Philip Yungkin Lee Learn to write the characters,
along with what they mean.
Click here
to buy this now from Amazon. |
 |
250
Essential Chinese Characters for Everyday Use Vol. 2
by Philip Yungkin Lee When you're ready, learn
250 more!
Click here
to buy this now from Amazon. |
 |
Pocket
Mandarin Chinese Dictionary
by Philip Yungkin Lee A handy little dictionary
Mandarin-English and English-Mandarin.
Click here
to buy this now from Amazon. |
 |
Pocket
Cantonese Dictionary
by Philip Yungkin Lee
A handy little dictionary Cantonese-English and English-Cantonese.
Click here
to buy this now from Amazon. |
| Interested
in reading more about China? Check out our
books about and set
in China.
Wondering about learning Chinese?
Have a look at page on why
learn Chinese?
Back to Recommended Reading
|
