Practical Chinese Usage offers post-beginner to near advanced students of Chinese a guide to the most frequently misused and confusing words in the language.
- Entries are arranged in alphabetical order for ease of reference.
- Sample sentences with pinyin and English translations are provided after each explanation.
- Examples of typical mistakes made by students are clearly marked throughou.
- Each entry is annotated in accordance with the New HSK guidelines, indicating the level of difficulty.
Practical Chinese Usage provides students of Chinese with the necessary tools to refine their use of expressions and synonyms in order to communicate effectively in the Chinese language.
Contents
Foreword
Abbreviations
Words and phrases
Glossary
Bibliography
Pinyin index
Biography
Emma L. Wu obtained her BA in English Education from Dalian Foreign Langauges University (formerly, Dalian Foreign Languages Institute), China, and her MA in Translation Studies and postgraduate diploma in Conference Interpreting from Leeds University, UK. She has been teaching Chinese since 1996, including at the University of Edinburgh, Manchester College of Arts and Technology and the University of Leeds. She joined Cambridge University in 2003 and has been teaching Chinese there ever since. She is interested in generative grammar, syntax and second language acquisition research from the perspective of psycholinguistics.
Teachers of Mandarin Chinese frequently face questions on language usage that slip through the cracks of traditional grammars and textbooks. Emma Wu has produced an indispensable tool to help overcome this challenge. Drawing on two decades of classroom experience and informed by the latest research in second language acquisition, this book will be welcomed by teachers and students of Chinese alike.
-- Roel Sterckx, Professor of Chinese, University of Cambridge
Reflecting over twenty years of experience in Mandarin teaching, this book is the perfect go-to-guide for teachers, students and anyone interested in the Chinese language. Emma Wu has deftly and expertly compiled a fantastic grammar that not only explains the complex nuances of modern Mandarin in a clear accessible way, but also provides a wealth of linguistic information for scholars of the language.
-- Dr. Justin Winslett, sinologist
Practical Chinese Usage is a clear and accessible reference book for anyone interested in Chinese as a non-native language. Based on her extensive teaching experiences, Emma Wu displays her commendable talent in explaining and exemplifying complicated Chinese usages in a simple and down-to-earth way. Whether the reader is a learner or a teacher of Chinese, a copy of the book will surely make the learning or the teaching a less daunting and more enjoyable endeavour.
-- Boping Yuan, Reader in Chinese Language and Linguistics, University of Cambridge
