First Step: An Elementary Reader for Modern Chinese(The Princeton Language Program: Modern Chinese)

About the Book

First Step is an elementary Chinese textbook for students with no previous background in the language. Focusing on the basics of modern Chinese phonetics and grammatical structure, the book uses everyday topics to help students establish a solid foundation in the Chinese language. The textbook, which includes color illustrations, contains thirty lessons, each of which can be covered in a week's worth of classes. Each lesson features a lively dialogue or a short essay, representing a real-life situation, which is then followed by vocabulary lists and grammar notes. Explanatory notes on Chinese culture and customs are also provided. The companion workbook for First Step is sold separately and includes comprehensive exercises and character writing sheets with information on the stroke orders of newly introduced characters. Free online audio files, accessible on smartphones, tablets, and laptops, allow students to listen to First Step dialogues and practice their pronunciation at their leisure. This vital audio supplement gives students the chance to learn Chinese intonation with greater accuracy.First Step provides students with the necessary tools to begin practical daily communication in Chinese. * Emphasis is on basic grammar structure and principles* Textbook features both traditional and simplified characters, pinyin, and English translation* Perforated workbook (which is sold separately) facilitates easy handling of homework* Free audio recordings of dialogues and other content available online* Appropriate for college and high school students

Table of Contents:
Preface vii Audio Content: Listening, Speaking, and Pronunciation ix List of Abbreviations x Main Characters xi Hanyu Pinyin Romanization System 1 1 Teacher and Students 10 2 The Books Are on the Table 22 3 I Am Very Busy Today 32 4 Beijing Roast Duck 42 5 A Picture 52 6 My Two Friends 66 7 Choosing Classes 82 8 Cannot See Clearly 96 9 To Drink Tea or Coffee 106 10 Looking for Glasses While Wearing Them 118 11 Who Ate My Stuff 130 12 The Door Is Locked, I Cannot Get In 142 13 Buy Shoes 156 14 Cannot Get up and Late for School 168 15 It's Snowing! 176 16 Getting Fatter, What Shall I Do? 188 17 Ride a Bike 200 18 The Bike Was Stolen 210 19 Chinatown 218 20 East Asian Library 230 21 Chinese Table 238 22 Our Chinese Teachers 246 23 Individual Sessions 256 24 See a Movie 264 25 I'm Vegetarian 276 26 Speech Contest 284 27 I Have to Move 294 28 Living Off Campus Is Not as Good as Living in the Dorm 306 29 Xiao Ding and Susan 318 30 An Email to Parents 330 Pinyin Index 339 English Index 347

About the Author :

Chih-p'ing Chou is professor of East Asian studies at Princeton University and director of the university's Chinese language and Princeton in Beijing programs. Jing Wang is senior lecturer in Chinese at Princeton. Jun Lei is a former lecturer in Chinese at Princeton.

Review :
"First Step is the most recent step in the wonderful Y. R. Chao tradition of teaching Chinese language to speakers of English. It begins with essential foundation work in pronunciation, then offers simple, natural, and witty dialogues, followed by tight, clear explanations of grammar, notes on culture, introductions to reading and writing—in both simplified and traditional characters—and a comprehensive set of exercises. It is everything one could want in a first-year textbook."—Perry Link, University of California, Riverside "C. P. Chou and his colleagues have produced a much-needed textbook for all those who truly wish to learn Chinese well. First Step masterfully balances dialogues, texts, grammar, and exercises to help students achieve accuracy and fluency, as well as linguistic competence and cultural awareness. Its contents are intimately relevant to campus life and daily situations, and both the textbook and workbook supplements are easy to use and extremely helpful. Continuing the great tradition started by Y. R. Chao more than seventy years ago, First Step provides a clear path to building solid Chinese skills."—Lening Liu, Columbia University "I am impressed by this textbook's practical approach, its contemporary and colloquial feel, the variety of exercises included, and the detailed grammatical explanations in each lesson. The authors use current vocabulary and grammatical structures throughout, and their experience shines through. This book is a great addition to the field."—Baozhang He, College of the Holy Cross "Like all the other Chinese-language textbooks produced over the years by C. P. Chou and his capable colleagues and collaborators, this is a work of extremely high quality. No one in the field of Chinese pedagogy can rival Chou's skill, expertise, and experience. First Step is an outstanding, student-friendly primer of beginning Chinese."—James M. Hargett, University at Albany, State University of New York "An excellent textbook for this level of Chinese instruction, First Step reveals the authors' experience, knowledge, and thoroughness in teaching this difficult language."—Qiusha Ma, Oberlin College "The materials in this book are up-to-date, bold, and lively. Professors, teachers, and instructors will find First Step both useful and a source of inspiration."—Yin Chong (Zhuang Yan), Boston University