David and Helen

[XiaoXi]

I want to use this to learn from but I don't quite see how you can learn from it.

http://classes.yale.edu/chns130/Listening/index.html

For example the vocabulary track is just each word spoken in Chinese. If I don't already know them then I'll never know them from that! Is there some kind of text that goes with it? I checked the rest of their website and they seem to have other audio with accompanying text but there doesn't seem to be any text for this set of lessons.

Thanks.

[kudra]

you can order from Yale Univ. Press

http://yalepress.yale.edu/yupbooks/SearchResultsTMM.asp?selType=Title&txtCriteria=David%20and%20Helen%20in%20China

Somehow I missed putting D+H in the list at

http://www.chinese-forums.com/index.php?/topic/8091-texts-used-in-us-university-programs

ironic to say the least

anyway, simplified version isbn 0887102166

traditional 0887101909

copy and pasted off the yalepress page

No doubt available from amazon too.

[XiaoXi]

Thanks for your reply. That seems really expensive though and seems to come with audio on CD anyway. Is there any way to get just the book since the audio is available for free on the website? Also is that book purely in characters do you know or is there pinyin provided too? Characters only is generally no problem but when its in an actual book I can't exactly copy and paste unknown characters I come across to my dictionary!

[kudra]

That seems really expensive though and seems to come with audio on CD anyway. Is there any way to get just the book since the audio is available for free on the website?

I agree it is pricey. I have found it worth it. So has necroflux, another user here who bought them retail. You might be able to get some used from amazon, although when I tried it was more hassle than it was worth. If you are in a university town that uses the book, you might be able to pick up a used copy cheap.

Also is that book purely in characters do you know or is there pinyin provided too? Characters only is generally no problem but when its in an actual book I can't exactly copy and paste unknown characters I come across to my dictionary!

There is pinyin provided in the vocabulary section. The main text and pattern sections are in characters. There are notes on the text in English, and dicussions of cultural issues in English.

If you click through on one of either simplified or traditional you get to

http://yalepress.yale.edu/yupbooks/book.asp?isbn=0887102166

which has a link to a pdf of the 1st chapter.

no, the link points to the introduction. Want to write the publisher or shall I?

After some guessing/messing around I found the correct url to the pdf of lesson 1

http://yalepress.yale.edu/yupbooks/languages/pdf/Zhang_Lesson1.pdf

[wrbt]

I'll also weigh in as a very satisfied user of D&H.

Something to consider on price... you're getting two books that cover second year Chinese and getting lots of audio content, probably over 10 hours. Compare that to New Practical Chinese Reader (which is also a very solid series) where you're buying two books (3 & 4) and two sets of CDs for same target.

My only complaint on D&H is how much easier the font size is on the eyes in NPCR.

On a related note I'd heard that Dr. Zhang was working on a 3rd year text, so I emailed her and she confirmed it's in the works and in her words:

the new text takes an entirely different approach, which yielded

amazing results when I tested it at Columbia University a few years

ago. It aims to raise --in a rigorous manner-- the learner's

proficiency level in productive skills (e.g. native-like speaking &

writing). It should work well with self-study learners, and a tutor to

check progress/performance once a week will facilitate the learning.

I'm looking forward to checking it out.

[XiaoXi]

It looks interesting, thanks very much for all the help. I've been through Pimsleur and now I'm going through Assimil and I thought I could use the David & Helen series as a supplement to that. I may use it after I've finished Assimil.

Thanks again.

[889]

You'll find used copies available at www.abebooks.com and www.alibris.com for about half the new price.

Just search "David" as title and "Zhang" as author.

[wrbt]

You might want to pick up Schaum's Grammar too.

D&H is a college textbook but it assumes knowledge of all the 1st year grammar, which in Mandarin is most of it. I'm not familiar with Assimil but I know Pimsleur doesn't really explain grammar much, so having something you can jump to like Schaum's since you don't have that 1st year grammar foundation is a valuable resource.