No matter where you are in your Chinese language learning, sometimes it’s good to read books and articles ABOUT the language.
These are some of my favorite resources about the Chinese language.
Books:
Chinese Language: Fact and Fantasy, by John DeFrancis
This is a good introductory book about the Chinese language with lots of interesting information about the history of the language, particularly the writing system.
Mandarin Chinese: A Functional Reference Grammar, by Charles Li and Sandra Thomson
Twenty years ago, when I found myself teaching Chinese after having studied it for a short time, this book became a lifesaver. It’s super technical, but a great reference for understanding Chinese sentence structure.
It has an entire chapter on 了(le) – a full 60 pages. My first reaction to that chapter was despair. Then I realized the fact that it seemed impossible for me to ‘get’ 了 was actually liberating. No point in trying too hard. Instead I focused on trying to listen to when and how it was used, and try to do the same in my speech. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.
Dreaming in Chinese: Mandarin Lessons in Life, Love, and Language, by Deborah Fallows
In the run-up to the Beijing 2008 Olympics, Deborah Fallows and her husband (who writes for The Atlantic) spent two years living in Beijing. He filed stories for The Atlantic, and she studied Chinese. This book is a collection of her stories of being a language learner. If you’re studying Chinese now, or thinking of studying in the future, I highly recommend this book.
How to be a More Successful Language Learner, by Joan Rubin and Irene Thompson
This small, but criminally expensive book has lots of great practical tips and strategies for language learning.
I also recommend this rather long article:
Why is Chinese so Damn Hard?, by David Moser
Of course Moser’s point of view is why it is so hard for a native English speaker to learn. If you’re banging your head on the desk in frustration as you learn Chinese, this will help you understand why.
Online Resources:
MDGB Online Chinese-English dictionary
Language Learning Bookshelf (SIL)
What are your favorite books, articles, or online resources for learning Chinese?
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