As the second generation of the Practical Chinese Reader series, New Practical Chinese Reader (NPCR) is a series of comprehensive Chinese teaching materials for adult students in countries other than China. The two generations together have exerted an influence in the international Chinese teaching circles for over 30 years. Its third edition centers on a few international students, telling interesting stories about their life and friendship with their Chinese friends and teachers in China. The revision regarding the third edition adheres to the aim of making it “easier to learn” for students and “more convenient to use” for teachers and maintains the pedagogy of “the integration of structure, function and culture”, striving to develop students’ comprehensive use of the Chinese language, especially the ability of cross-cultural communication, through the learning of language structures, functions and relevant cultural knowledge as well as the training in listening, speaking, reading and writing skills.

1)   Keeping the original style  Based on the characteristics of Chinese language teaching and the aim to break the notion that “Chinese is difficult”, this series sticks to the pedagogical idea that “combines structures, functions and culture” and with the teaching of language structures as the basis, stresses the teaching of grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation and characters. The language points are arranged in a scientific, systematic, step-by-step fashion and are repeated constantly for learners to master them.

2)   Fully updating the content   The texts are more up-to-date, practical and fascinating. Texts in Textbook 1 have in large part been rewritten, functions being strengthened, topics more focused, and situations highlighted; the selection of new words includes more common words and the supplementary words are grouped under different themes.

3)   Stimulating autonomous learning  Each lesson has a Warm-up section added at the beginning and a Self-evaluation section at the end. Classroom interactions and communicative, tasked-based activities have been added, and self-discovery and autonomous learning been encouraged so that students can summarize certain grammar rules by themselves.

4）  Strengthening practice and application  The exercises are more clearly focused and centered on grammar points, each lesson providing exercises such as pronunciation drills, conversation practice, listening and repeating, reading comprehension, task and activity, writing practice, etc. to train comprehensive language skills and better handle the relations between mechanical, communicative, and task-based exercises.  

For non-Chinese speaking adults and elementary level Chinese language learners

5–6 class hours per lesson