With free-to-access audio online! This lively course teaches Mandarin Chinese to a broad range of learners in a modern, structured and engaging way.

The focus is on acquiring basic conversational skills, and the text has a friendly, non-formal style, building up gently with a wealth of lively, imaginative exercises. The text places some emphasis on correct pronunciation, as this is so important in Mandarin. It introduces right from the start the fascinating Chinese script and includes essential grammar, along with interesting cultural insights. Pinyin, the standard system of spelling using the Roman alphabet to transliterate Chinese, is also included to help build confidence.

The course is aimed at beginners with little or no previous knowledge of the language who want to begin to understand, speak, read and write Mandarin Chinese confidently.

This is all you would expect from a modern Mandarin Chinese language course but can't find!

CATHERINE HUA XIANG is Language Coordinator for Mandarin at the LSE Language Centre, London, and was previously Mandarin Chinese Coordinator, Language Centre, University of Bristol, UK.