Learning Tools

In nearly two decades, Chicago Mandarin Chinese Center has designed and developed massive proprietary learning tools to facilitate the learners to use at their finger tips. 

The effective learning tools we design, develop and provide to our learning members include but not limited to what the following graphic shows
Our learning tools

Textbooks

The textbooks we published cover all different levels and they can be provided to learners either in e-Book or in hard-copy. 

Audio Recordings

We produce high-fidelity audio recordings via experienced native Chinese and English teachers. These audio recordings serves as important learning tools for leaners to strengthen their speaking and listening comprehension skills.

E-Dictionary

E-Dictionary is an important learning tool for you to learn new characters, their pronunciation and usage. The e-Dictionary we developed contains over 2,400 commonly used Chinese characters. Each character is marked with Chinese PinYin, English definition and applications.

E-Learning Videos

E-Learning videos are powerful learning tools we design and produce to facilitate our clients to learn Mandarin Chinese at their own pace. Currently we have developed nearly 1,000 e-learning videos covering the programs of all different levels. 

"5-in-1" Software

The software integrates 5 different learning modules in one package and teaches you with modern audio and visual effects on how to pronounce, read, speak and most importantly write Chinese language.

Character Writing Tool

We developed a set of powerful tool to assist learners at different levels to master how to write the most commonly used Chinese characters stroke by stroke.

Flashcards

Flash cards are one of the classic study tools, and for good reason – they promote studying through active recall, which is one of the practices through which our brains learn most effectively. Using application specific software, we have developed flashcards covering all our 10 learning programs.

Exercise Sheets

We developed various exercise sheets for class attendees. These exercise sheets are designed in different forms which help the learners to solidify what they learned from the onsite or online classes. 

Mandarin Studios

We post free E-learning videos on regular basis. If you subscribe our YouTube Channel, you won’t miss any new learning videos whenever they are uploaded!  

Our Published Textbooks

Mandarin Chinese Beginner-Level I

Mandarin Chinese Beginner-Level I is a book carefully designed for the non-native speakers who desire to acquire the needed knowledge and conversational skills in Mandarin Chinese. Unlike many other campus-oriented Chinese language learning materials, this book gears up to the needs of the business professionals and individuals who have plan to travel, work, study or live in China or have the needs to communicate with the Chinese people. 

This book starts from the basic pronunciations, single sentences and expressions, to more practically used situational dialogues. New words, phrases and expressions are listed after each lesson. An adequate amount of exercises have been designed after each lesson. All the sentences in the texts are annotated with detailed explanations. Writing exercises and supplementary vocabulary were generated with advanced tools to help learners better master Chinese characters learned from each lesson. Chinese sentence structure is highlighted to provide learners with a unique view on the differences from English sentence structure, which is perceived as a special way helping the beginner-level learners quickly familiarize the Chinese syntax as well as the grammatical functions through comparisons. 

This book is a product of Andy Zhang’s 14 years face-to-face language teaching activities with thousands of business professionals and individuals. It is highly recommended to Beginner-level learners. Your satisfaction is guaranteed!

Size of the book: 8.5″X11″. Total Pages: 172. Published on: 01/04/2018

Price for the hardcopy book: $24.00 (shipping fee is included). Click the button here below to order 

The front cover of Beginner Level I Mandarin Chinese book by Andy Zhang
The back cover of the Beginner Level I Mandarin Chinese book by Andy Zhang

You can order the Beginner Level I book here

Mandarin Chinese Beginner-Level II

Mandarin Chinese Beginner-Level II is a book carefully designed for non-native speakers or heritage learners who have had a basic foundation after a successful beginner-level I study in Mandarin Chinese. The focus of this book is to help the beginner-level learners to make further progress by applying the new vocabulary and sentence patterns learned to their daily communications.

Mandarin Chinese Beginner-Level II is composed of nine situational dialogues with the topics which are closely related to our daily life. New words and phrases are listed after each lesson. Multiple exercises associated with each lesson are designed to help the beginner-level learners to better solidify what they have learned from each text lesson.  The types of exercises include:

• Elaboration of key words and phrases with sample sentences
• Translation of sentences from Mandarin Chinese into English and vice versa
• Supplementary words related to each text lesson
• Complete the dialogues based on the situational conversation in the texts
• Key words writing exercise sheets for learners to master important characters
• Annotations of all sentences in each text lessons 

All the text lessons are prepared in both simplified and traditional written forms to facilitate learners with different educational background and academic interests.

Size of the book: 8.5″X11″. Total Pages: 178. Published on: 01/06/2017

Price: $26.00 (Shipping included)

You can order the Beginner Level II Book here

The front cover of the Beginner Level II Mandarin Chinese Book by Andy Zhang
Beginner level II Mandarin Chinese book back cover

Beginner-Level III Mandarin Chinese

Mandarin Chinese Beginner-Level III is a meticulously structured textbook satisfying the needs for beginner-level learners. The features of this carefully designed book lie in the simulations of situational communications in typical business settings. The vocabulary and phrases are purposely chosen and applied to imitate real-life dialogue. The other features of Mandarin Chinese Beginner-Level III also include:

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  • Emphasizing the practicality of the situational dialogue and logical conversion of the dialogue under different situations.
  • Addition of a certain number of complementary vocabularies after each lesson to allow learners to expand their expression skills by applying the new words and phrases.
  • Highlighting the interpretations of the key words and phrases from each lesson with multiple examples and exercises. 
  • Enabling learners to master the word and phrases by annotating every sentence contained in each lesson.
  • Providing both simplified and traditional written forms to facilitate learners with different interests and preferences.

Size of the book: 8.5″X11″. Total Pages: 184. Published on: 12/21/2013

Price: $26.00 (Shipping Included)

You can order the Beginner Level III Book here

Beginner level III Mandarin Chinese book front cover
Beginner level III Mandarin Chinese book back cover

Beginner-to-Intermediate Level Mandarin Chinese

Introduction:

One of the questions that many beginner-level learners often ask is about the next logical step they are going to take after they have successfully accomplished their Beginner-level I, Beginner-level II and Beginner-level III studies. Simply put, successfully completing the three Beginner-level studies does not naturally move you up to an Intermediate level. You will still need to close some “gaps” and overcome some barriers, such as speaking fluency, literacy, and the capabilities in utilizing the vocabulary you have learned to expand your expressions, in order to achieve an essential proficiency that is required to become an Intermediate-level learner.  


Beginner-to-Intermediate Level Mandarin Chinese satisfies your learning needs in a transition from the Beginner-level to an Intermediate-level and helps you comprehensively upgrade your skills in speaking, reading, syntax, grammar and literacy, etc. 


Size of the book: 8.5″X11″.  Total Pages: 198. 

Published on: 04/02/2014

The texts and the vocabularies of this book are prepared in both simplified and traditional written forms to facilitate learners with different interests.


Price: $28.00 (Shipping included)

You can order the Beginner-to-Intermediate Level Book here

Beginner to Intermediate level Mandarin Chinese book front cover
Beginner to Intermediate level Mandarin Chinese book back cover

Intermediate-to-Advanced Level Mandarin Chinese
– An In-depth Analysis on China-Western Cultural Differences 

This book is featured with carefully selected learning content, well-knitted course structure, profound analysis and neutral point of views  combined with extensive exercises after each lesson. Readers and learners are believed to benefit immensely from this book. 

Intermediate-to-Advanced Level Mandarin Chinese
– An In-depth Analysis on China-Western Cultural Differences is ideal for the higher learning institutions, colleges and universities which offer Mandarin Chinese programs, cultural research institutes, overseas Chinese teachers, college students with intermediate-level or higher proficiency, business professionals, or researchers and scholars who are interested in Chinese language and culture. The book integrates both Simplified and Traditional written form to facilitate learners with different preferences.

Size of the book: 8.5″X11″. Total Pages: 316. Published on: 05/08/2013

Price: $29.00 (Shipping included)

You can order the Intermediate-to-Advanced Level Book here

Intermediate to advanced level Mandarin Chinese book front cover
Intermediate to advanced level Mandarin Chinese book back cover