The Routledge Course in Mandarin Chinese is a two-year undergraduate course for students with no prior background in Chinese study. Designed to build a strong foundation in both the spoken and written language it develops all the basic skills such as pronunciation, character writing, word use and structures, while placing strong emphasis on the development of communicative skills.

The complete course consists of Textbook Level 1, Workbook level 1 - including free CDs, Textbook level 2 and Workbook level 2 -including free CDs. All books are available separately in simplified as well as traditional characters. This bundle contains Textbook Level 1 and Workbook Level 1 Simplified Characters.

Textbook 1 provides a paced introduction to the language by teaching from pinyin in its first 5 lessons. Characters are introduced from the sixth lesson, and this is combined with the staged removal of pinyin.

Each lesson consists of a dialogue, vocabulary lists, in-class dialogue practice, jargon-free explanations of structures, language FAQs, and notes on pronunciation, pinyin and Chinese culture. The focus is on the long-term retention of vocabulary, characters and structures by reiterating these throughout, allowing the students to consolidate their knowledge.

Workbook 1 is designed to accompany Textbook 1 lesson by lesson, and offers exercises for homework, independent study and classroom use. Each lesson focuses on the skills of listening and speaking as well as reading and writing. The book contains pronunciation practice, structure drills, listening exercises, and practice of characters, structures and communication. All the necessary audio materials, recorded by native speakers, are included on the CD.

The course is also fully supported by an interactive companion website which contains a wealth of additional resources for both teachers and students.

Teachers will find lesson plans in both English and Mandarin, providing a weekly schedule and overall syor fall and spring, as well as activities for each lesson and answer keys.

Students will be able to access downloadable character practice worksheets along with interactive pronunciation, vocabulary and character practice exercises. All the audio material necessary for the course is also available online and conveniently linked on screen to the relevant exercises for ease-of-use.

For more information about the course and to access these additional resources, please visit the companion website at www.routledge.com/textbooks/9780415472517