Comments on: 中文聽說讀寫(一,二)Integrated Chinese: Levels 1,2 http://toshuo.com/2006/integrated-chinese-levels-12/ Chinese, Linguistics, Science, Cultural Observations and whatever else I feel like writing about Tue, 06 Jan 2009 08:18:42 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: “But it speeds from us all like a bird on the wing” | Doubting to shuō: Chinese, Investing, EFL and Being a Geek in Taiwan http://toshuo.com/2006/integrated-chinese-levels-12/comment-page-1/#comment-43560 “But it speeds from us all like a bird on the wing” | Doubting to shuō: Chinese, Investing, EFL and Being a Geek in Taiwan Mon, 09 Apr 2007 16:18:59 +0000 http://toshuo.com/?p=130#comment-43560 [...] sites. After he posted a book review on Sinosplice [1], talking about teaching at UCBoulder, using the very book he used to teach my class, I realized that it was my old teacher. Soon after, he was sent to Taiwan as part of his Foreign [...] [...] sites. After he posted a book review on Sinosplice [1], talking about teaching at UCBoulder, using the very book he used to teach my class, I realized that it was my old teacher. Soon after, he was sent to Taiwan as part of his Foreign [...]

]]> By: Laoban http://toshuo.com/2006/integrated-chinese-levels-12/comment-page-1/#comment-2071 Laoban Tue, 16 May 2006 12:48:25 +0000 http://toshuo.com/?p=130#comment-2071 I have used as a student the simplified version in Australia. Even though I was, and still am obsessed with learning Chinese, it took a massive effort to usefully add 50 plus characters a week without too much of a context to retain them. It was more like adding to your character list rather than building them more gradually through use. I agree, the topics were good, and the illustrations were risible, but it certainly does dispel any illusions of Chinese being easy to learn, right from the beginning. To me the book is saying. "It's difficult. Start working. Forget good pictures, they won't save you." It does have the benefit of letting students know early on whether they should withdraw from Chinese and take something easier! Now I am an intermediate speaker, I go back to the grammar exercises from time to time, but for listening skills I needed to go to one one one tutoring. I have used as a student the simplified version in Australia. Even though I was, and still am obsessed with learning Chinese, it took a massive effort to usefully add 50 plus characters a week without too much of a context to retain them. It was more like adding to your character list rather than building them more gradually through use. I agree, the topics were good, and the illustrations were risible, but it certainly does dispel any illusions of Chinese being easy to learn, right from the beginning. To me the book is saying. “It’s difficult. Start working. Forget good pictures, they won’t save you.”
It does have the benefit of letting students know early on whether they should withdraw from Chinese and take something easier!

Now I am an intermediate speaker, I go back to the grammar exercises from time to time, but for listening skills I needed to go to one one one tutoring.

]]> By: Prince Roy http://toshuo.com/2006/integrated-chinese-levels-12/comment-page-1/#comment-1709 Prince Roy Mon, 17 Apr 2006 17:42:02 +0000 http://toshuo.com/?p=130#comment-1709 for the sake of fairness, I need to point out that my review was of the first edition. The one pictured in this post is of the second edition, which I have not reveiwed. I did thumb through it the other day while at the UO bookstore. It appears they've revised the text, at least regarding its appearance: real photos, much better, legible fonts used for Chinese characters etc. So maybe the authors took some of my advice to heart. I did not examine its substantive content however... for the sake of fairness, I need to point out that my review was of the first edition. The one pictured in this post is of the second edition, which I have not reveiwed. I did thumb through it the other day while at the UO bookstore. It appears they’ve revised the text, at least regarding its appearance: real photos, much better, legible fonts used for Chinese characters etc. So maybe the authors took some of my advice to heart. I did not examine its substantive content however…

]]> By: Norma Colón Muñoz http://toshuo.com/2006/integrated-chinese-levels-12/comment-page-1/#comment-1695 Norma Colón Muñoz Sat, 15 Apr 2006 23:05:58 +0000 http://toshuo.com/?p=130#comment-1695 I am currently using Integrated Chinese in my Chinese class. I appreciate the fact that the books are not expensive. I also appreciate the CD's, and multimedia disk support that comes with the books. There is no way to cover a chapter a week in a night school class. Most of the adults in the class are struggling, particularly with the third lesson. That has way too much information! It could have easily been divided into two chapters. Overall, I like the text although I do agree that the illustrations could be better, particularly in the second chapter when one discusses photographs. Is not a picture worth a thousand words? I am currently using Integrated Chinese in my Chinese class. I appreciate the fact that the books are not expensive. I also appreciate the CD’s, and multimedia disk support that comes with the books. There is no way to cover a chapter a week in a night school class. Most of the adults in the class are struggling, particularly with the third lesson. That has way too much information! It could have easily been divided into two chapters. Overall, I like the text although I do agree that the illustrations could be better, particularly in the second chapter when one discusses photographs. Is not a picture worth a thousand words?

]]>