Chinese in Focus

1. Student's Book

The textbook is divided into 10 units and each unit is subdivided into 4 lessons (Unit 1 has only 3 lessons and Unit 3 has 6 lessons). 300 basic Chinese characters are introduced. Chinese character writing is taught in a unique method that provides visual images to help students connect with the written form of Chinese. In the level one Student's Book about 50 sentences with the most common structural functions are presented in daily-life dialogue situations.

 

One of the outstanding features of this textbook is the story line: a boy named Mark mysteriously lands on the moon and meets legendary Chinese characters who then travel throughout China with him. Various cultural topics associated with the story are introduced to enrich students’ knowledge about China. Exercises on the four skills are well designed in a systematic scheme and integrated into each lesson.

 

Each Student's Book comes with an audio CD. It enables the students to hear native speakers as they learn and practice pīnyīn, characters and sentences (dialogues). We also provide audio at our website for students and teachers.

2. Workbook

The Workbook provides additional practice for the students to develop their writing, listening and reading skills. It aligns perfectly with the units of the Student's Book. Perfect for homework or extra class practice! The audios for the Workbook can be found online.

 

3. Teacher's Manual 
The Teacher’s Manual provides the teachers with an outline of our program, a concise explanation on how to use our materials, a survey of our teaching content, suggestions for class activities unit by unit, and cultural notes. An outstanding feature of the Teacher's Manual is that it includes a DVD with lesson quizzes, unit tests, and mid-term and final exams, ready to print. 

 

4. Animation
The animation program is a lively, entertaining, colorful presentation that unifies our Student's Book's grammar and vocabulary into the story line. It is 130 minutes long, divided into 10 episodes that correspond to the 10 units of the Student's Book. Legendary folk characters and ancient figures come alive to instruct your students and lead them on an adventure through China. This is a great motivational tool to stimulate your students to learn. 

 

5. Flash Cards
A perfect companion for any language teacher. We have pīnyīn cards, character cards and sentence pattern cards. Conveniently arranged by unit and by lesson on a DVD, ready to print or to show on the screen. Or if you prefer, we also have the Flash Cards printed and ready to use.

 

7. www.chineseinfocus.com
A website is available for you and your students. You are encouraged to use our website to ask for explanations or clarifications, to do research, to exchange ideas or to use as a teaching tool. All units in the Student's Book conclude with “Mark’s Blog”, an activity that requests that students contact the website and exchange ideas. Also included on the website are the audio exercises for the Student's Book and the Workbook. Besides that, you can also find extra writing activities on worksheets ready to print, jokes, news, and lots of interesting and helpful things!