Welcome to the world's most efficient method of learning Mandarin Chinese, whether you are striving to learn Chinese on your own, or studying in a classroom setting.

Part of the widely-used and highly acclaimed Kubler series, Intermediate Spoken Chinese provides separate but integrated "tracks" to help you learn to read, write and speak Chinese efficiently, at your own pace. Some students and teachers wish to emphasize speaking ability first, whereas others want to focus on learning to read and write Chinese at the same time. These Chinese language study books allow you the flexibility to acquire the spoken language and the written language with the method that best fits your needs.

Intermediate Spoken Chinese allows you to experience real-life situations in different Mandarin-speaking locales. (It also exposes you to the authentic range of Chinese accents; you're not limited only to learning an imaginary "textbook Beijing accent" as in other books.) Each of the everyday situations explored here—from shopping at a market to playing unexpected phone tag—is one you're likely to encounter as you interact with Chinese language speakers.

You can choose to use this book with its corresponding Intermediate Chinese Practice Essentials Workbook, available separately, that offers you a wide range of one-of-a-kind activities to help you practice the language skills you learn here.

Key features of Intermediate Spoken Chinese:

• Clear and detailed explanations of natural, colloquial Chinese grammar, pronunciation and usage
• Recommended strategies to help you learn to speak Chinese more efficiently
• Experience the actual speaking styles of Chinese people in various parts of mainland China as well as Taiwan, Macao, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Malaysia
• Notes on Chinese culture and society allow you to understand situational etiquette
• Discussions of challenges faced specifically by English speakers who are learning Chinese and how to overcome them
• Audio recordings by native speakers of all the vocabulary, dialogues, and other vital items
• A separate Teacher's Guide and a full character transcript (Simplified and Traditional) are both available electronically
• An accompanying software program contains 56 videos shot on location which allows you to view conversations involving Chinese speakers from different parts of China

With this language learning set that includes a textbook, CD-ROM, and DVD, you will be speaking Chinese gracefully and fluidly and feel confident traveling in the Mandarin-speaking world.

Cornelius C. Kubler is Stanfield Professor of Asian Studies at Williams College, where he teaches Chinese and for many years chaired the Department of Asian Studies. He was formerly Chinese Language Training Supervisor and Chair of the Department of Asian and African Languages at the Foreign Service Institute, U.S. Department of State, where he trained American diplomats in Chinese and other languages, and he served for six years as Principal of the American Institute in Taiwan Chinese Language & Area Studies School. Kubler, who has directed intensive Chinese language training programs in the U.S., mainland China, and Taiwan, has been active in Chinese language test development and has authored or coauthored 13 books and over 50 articles on Chinese language pedagogy and linguistics. He is the author of the widely acclaimed Basic Chinese series, including Basic Spoken Chinese; Basic Spoken Chinese Practice Essentials; Basic Written Chinese; Basic Written Chinese Practice Essentials; Intermediate Spoken Chinese; Intermediate Spoken Chinese Practice Essentials; Intermediate Written Chinese (forthcoming) and Intermediate Written Chinese Practice Essentials (forthcoming).