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?


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