Book Review

I consider Chinese for Today one of the poorer Chinese language texts on the market. There is very little I can recommend about this book. It is an introductory text, but the first lesson introduces words like Lu3you2ju2 (the Tourist Bureau) that are not only difficult for the beginner to pronounce, but also aren't necessarily considered essential introductory vocabulary. Rather than teaching the language from the ground up, each chapter focuses on specific situations, such as "Welcome," "Introduction," "Looking for Someone," "To the Post Office," etc. While this may be handy as a language travel guide, it is not conducive to effective language acquisition. The end result is frustration on the part of the student. Avoid this book if you can.

I rate it: Two Stars out of Five.