This eBook+ version includes the following enhancements:

• Audio materials

Colloquial Chinese: The Complete Course for Beginners is an exceptional way to learn Chinese; each unit presents staged language learning, reinforced with a wide range of exercises for regular practice in reading, writing, speaking and listening in Chinese. This enhanced eBook includes embedded audio recorded by native speakers throughout, which allows you to read the text, hear the correct pronunciation of new words, listen to lively dialogues or practise various listening comprehension activities on one screen, which will help develop your listening and speaking skills. Combining a clear, practical and accessible style with a methodical and thorough treatment of the language, it equips learners with the essential knowledge and skills needed to communicate confidently and effectively in Chinese in a broad range of situations in everyday contexts. No prior knowledge of the language is required.

A full answer key, a grammar summary, bilingual glossaries and English translations of dialogues can be found at the back of the book, as well as transcripts of listening practice exercises.

Key features include:

• A clear, user-friendly format designed to help learners progressively build up their speaking, listening, reading and writing skills
• Jargon-free, succinct and clearly structured explanations of grammar
• Step by step introduction of Chinese characters
• An extensive range of focused and dynamic supportive exercises
• A combination of listening, reading and speaking activities with the support of transcripts at the back of the book
• Realistic and entertaining dialogues within the text including audio, covering a broad variety of narrative situations
• Helpful cultural points explaining the customs and features of life in China
• An overview of the Chinese language: its sounds, structure and Chinese characters

Based on feedback from learners and teachers who used its previous version, this new edition has been updated to reflect the language and cultural changes in China, such as online shopping and WeChat payment, and to provide a more integrated and step-by-step approach to making the learning of modern Mandarin Chinese more effective and enjoyable.

Balanced, comprehensive and rewarding, Colloquial Chinese is an indispensable resource both for independent learners and students taking courses in Chinese as well as teachers of Chinese.

Colloquial Chinese: The Complete Course for Beginners has been carefully developed by a leading academic in Chinese language teaching and course design.