Integrated Chinese =

As it's name indicated this set is "integrated". It is well structured, provids constant reviewing. In addition, because it's a college text book, there are many resources you can use to help you study. The contents are every day Chinese that you can apply in your daily life. Some students of mine using this book can write Chinese notes after learning just a few lessons.

On Integrated Chinese in General:Integrated Chinese is one of two programs commonly used in U.S. University and College Chinese programs, and is, in my opinion, the best program for English speakers to learn Chinese that I've ever seen. [The other program, the Practical Chinese Reader series, is also reasonably good, but doesn't introduce the key grammar, writing and pronounciation rules from the beginning, doesn't focus as heavily on radicals early on as it should, and the sequence of lessons isn't as useful.]Unlike so many other programs, IC doesn't just focus on speaking the language, but incorporates all areas that make learning a language complete (listening, speaking, reading and writing). But, what makes this program excellent isn't merely the integrated approach, but its sequence and methodology that lay a solid foundation to build upon, making learning the language much easier and faster.On this workbook in particular:This workbook is a very useful companion to the Integrated Chinese text book, giving you additional hands on, practical experience in listening to and speaking the Chinese language. NOTE: It primarily focuses on listening comprehension and reading exercises, which requires the workbook audio (cassette or CD). Reading comprehension, writing and grammar are covered to a lesser extent.

I've been studying Chinese for three semesters using the Integrated Chinese series (Level 1, Part 1; Level 1, Part 2; and Level 2), and I'm a BIG fan of these books. I went to Taiwan after learning only 18 chapters' worth of material, and found that the book had -- miraculously -- taught me most of the practical vocabulary I needed to survive. The grammar explanations following each chapter are clear and thorough, and the workbook is an excellent means of reinforcement.

I have been using Yao's texts for the past two semesters, and have found them to be quite useful. The Level 1 texts are divided into a total of 23 lessons, each containing two dialogues/narratives. The dialogues are generally interesting and are not overloaded with new vocabulary or grammatical points, and new grammar topics are explained fairly clearly with the aid of simple examples. As a guide to learning to read and write in Chinese (Mandarin), the texts (along with the accompanying workbooks) are very good. However, to master speaking and listening comprehension requires exposure and interaction with Chinese speakers. The only problem I have found is that in the workbook, particularly in later lessons, some characters are used which do not appear in the textbook until later. However, if you know how to use a Chinese dictionary, this isn't really a problem.