The  Easy  Steps  to  Chinese  series  is  especially  developed  for teenage  learners  in  Western  countries  or  those  in  international schools  in  China.  It    strictly  follows  the  AP  and  IB  Chinese tests  guidelines.    The  unique  feature  of  this  series  lies  in  its “communicative”  approach  and  the  attention  paid  to  the difference between the Chinese and Indo-European languages. The primary goal of this series Easy Steps to Chinese is to help the students establish a solid foundation of vocabulary, knowledge of Chinese and communication skil s through the natural and gradual integration  of  language,  content  and  cultural  elements.  This series adopts a holistic approach, and is designed to emphasize the development of communication skills in listening, speaking, reading and writing. Altogether there are eight volumes: volumes 1 and 2 are for the first stage; volumes 3 to 6 for the second; and volumes 7 and 8 for the third. After completing this series, the students will acquire a vocabulary of approximately 1,600 Chinese characters, and develop  confidence  in  using  Chinese  to  communicate  either orally or in written forms.