This textbook prepared by the Beijing Languages Institute and intended for foreign learners in a course of modern Chinese at universities or secondary schools. The beginning level consists of two volumes with 50 lessons and a vocabulary of 1,000 basic words.
The situations provided in this textbook center around two foreign students who study Chinese first in their own country (Book 1) and then in China (Book 2). Priority is given to everyday expressions concerning clothing, food, housing, communication, entertainment, social intercourse, etc. And the learners may also get some useful background information regarding China's culture, history, local customs and present-day conditions.
Basic Chinese phonetics and grammar are dealt with a way that best solves the specific difficulties of foreign learners. Each lesson is supplemented with a wide and varied selection of exercises.
