Teach Yourself Mandarin Chinese

An excellent text for learning Mandarin on your own. It's best if used with a teacher, but the audio tapes or CDs (available at an extra cost) can help with any pronunciation difficulties.

Anyone who has the motivation to learn Mandarin on their own is sure to benefit from this book. It provides all the essentials in a logical progression, so if you master the material as you proceed, you will not find the subsequent material too difficult.

The audio material (CDs or cassettes) are excellent, and an essential part of the course unless the student is working with a tutor. The tones of Mandarin must be mastered in order to have correct pronunciation, and this is best done with repetitive drills, as is the method in this textbook.

The final section of the book has a lot of useful information, but may be overwhelming for the beginner student. However, it can always be reviewed once you are comfortable with the basics of the language.