What textbooks are fellow Intermediate Chinese students using?

[my3rdlang]

These are the textbooks I am using at East China Normal Uni:

阅读：娇梁 by 陈灼

上本：corners are true blue

下本：corners are greyish-blue

口语：中级汉语口语 by Liu Delian & Liu Xiaoyu

Both 上&下 have green corners and pictures of foreigners

听力：中级汉语听力 by 李铭起

Both 第二&三册 have purple corners and a picture of students in a tingli room

报刊：汉语报刊阅读教程 by 吴丽君

初级本：Bottle green

I find the 口语 books much easier than 阅读 & 报刊。 I am wondering whether it is just the books chosen by my school or 口语 books are easier than any other textbooks at the same level. I am thinking of moving to another school which offers harder 口语 but easier 阅读 as I find myself struggling with the beginning of 桥梁下本 but the 口语下本 is

a piece of cake。

[Annaliu]

Hello! I think the spoken Chinese is easiler than Written and reading Chinese is reasonable. Because when you learn second language, the vocabulary and wording you grasped is limited, when you use them, you used to translate them to your first language and then understand the meaning. So the feedback speed is different, when you speak, you have to feedback soon, when you read or write, you have more time to consider. So the spoken Chinese textbook is easiler than Reading textbook is reasonable to a learner.

[kdavid]

After I finished the NPCR series (5 volumes) I started Boya Intermediate. Note that this level and beyond is chuck full of literary and very formal terms that you will not use in everyday conversation.

If you want something specifically 口语 check out Chinesepod.

[renzhe]

I find that there is a huge number of beginner's textbooks when it comes to Chinese, and very few that go up to the advanced levels.

I'm currently on NPCR 5, which is the only textbook I've been using recently. I use it mostly for guidance and proper explanation of grammatical concepts. I study on my own and I find that diversifying your input is very beneficial.

So I actually see the textbook as a supplement to other things I do: character and vocabulary study based on the HSK guidelines, as much reading as I can find time for (started with children's comics, moved to teenager comics, and finally to real books), an as much listening as I can (TV series and podcasts, mostly). Conversation whenever I can, too.

I think that, once you get to an upper intermediate level in Chinese, you will have to look into things outside of regular textbooks and put a lot of individual effort into assembling a learning plan that addresses your weaknesses and takes you to the next level. After a certain level, textbooks aren't that useful anymore. Even NPCR 5 is basically full of abridged essays written by famous authors.

[weilian]

Consolidating Basic Chinese Grammar by Vivian Ling, a literal godsend

NPCR III

First Level of Boya(Green) Book II

These are probably on the lower cusp of intermediate, with the exception of the grammar reader.

[Luobot]

Consolidating Basic Chinese Grammar by Vivian Ling, a literal godsend

A literal godsend is a book I must see. Do you have a link to that book being sold anywhere?

(I checked but couldn't find it with that name and author.)

[weilian]

Not particularly sure, it was a book made for IUP in 1999 and not sold. Its just a no-BS well written book touching on all the issues intermediate students have with grammar. Not sure where to pick it up, I was lent it and then given it from a friend.

[DrWatson]

Primarily for reading and grammar learning, I enjoyed "Taiwan Today" and "A New Text for a Modern China." Both are a bit dated in terms of the cultural material (early 1990s), but the grammar points and vocabulary are still relevant.

[topple]

As the original post by my3rdlang said, the 中级汉语口语 books were easier than his other books. I have another reason this may be the case. With this series, there are 2 textbooks between the intermediate and advanced levels. Where as in most other series there is an extra level between elementary and advanced. my3rdlang mentions he's at the intermediate level, but with this series, the intermediate level probably really starts after this level of the series... any thoughts?

[wrbt]

A new "A New Text for a Modern China." just came out, at least the first part. It's called "Reading into a New China" or something similar.

[keitha]

A new "A New Text for a Modern China." just came out, at least the first part. It's called "Reading into a New China" or something similar.

This is the book we will use for our second semester here at my school in Stockholm, but when I read the sample of the book on the publishers web site it says it is aimed for third year students.

[topple]

These are the textbooks I use in my studies:

书面语：

博雅汉语 Series

口语：

汉语口语 Series

阅读:

汉语综合教程 Series

All of the textbooks in these series included listening CDs of the text/conversations so I use those for my 听力.

[Ahoy_thar]

Reading into Modern China is a great intermediate text if you're interested in increasing your vocabulary for written articles and news casts. It offers a wide variety of styles of writing from very formal to narrative readings.

If you're looking for something that will have more of a conversation base then I'd look into NCPR.