Be sure you know the rules for giving and receiving gifts when visiting China or Taiwan. Chinese customs are much different from those in the USA or Europe.

The best way to learn Mandarin Chinese (or any other language) is to spend time in the countries where it is spoken. Living in China or Taiwan gives you the chance to immerse yourself in the culture and to use the language on a daily basis.

Arriving in China or Taiwan without any Mandarin language skills may seem intimidating, but fortunately there is an excellent guide to help you along. Survival Chinese is the perfect companion for living in Mandarin.

An excellent text for learning to read Chinese characters is The Lady In The Painting.

Read my review...

There are several ways to learn new Mandarin vocabulary. Before gaining conversational skills, books and software can help with the basics. My review section covers a wide rand of materials, including my latest review - Chinese For Dummies.

Acquiring new vocabulary is easy once you master the basics of the new language. Now you can have conversations and talk about a wide range of subjects from Chinese medicine to cultural topics such as traditional Chinese games.