Huanying

Demand for Chinese curricular materials at the secondary school level has never been greater, and Cheng & Tsui is pleased to respond with Huanying. Developed in accordance with ACTFL National Content Standards, Huanying engages students in interactive and integrated language practice through fun and meaningful activities, contemporary topics that appeal to secondary school students, a full-color textbook design, and additional resources that will reduce teacher preparation time and allow teachers to focus on teaching.  The four-volume series will cover four years of instruction at the secondary school level. Volumes 1-3 are now available.

The textbooks are organized around topics that are essential to everyday communication, such as greetings, family, everyday items, dates and times, transportation, food and drink, and school. Volumes 1 and 2 consist of six units, Volume 3 has four units. Each unit contains five lessons and a review lesson. Volumes 1 and 2 introduce approximately 500 essential vocabulary terms each. Volume 3 features over 300 words. In addition, Volume 1 includes about 150 supplementary words and Volume 2 includes about 300 supplementary words. Accurate language use is introduced through simple yet systematic language notes. Activities in the corresponding workbooks are skill-integrated, meaning nearly all exercises involve two or more language skills; this mirrors real-life use and helps improve students’ overall language proficiency.

Huanying contains the perfect mix of ingredients to ensure that the students’ learning experience is continuously intertwined with the “5-Cs” of foreign language learning—communication, cultures, connections, comparisons, and communities—as established by the National Standards for Foreign Language Learning. By starting with a communicative approach and combining it with carefully crafted activities that embed repetitive language practice in a meaningful context, the authors of Huanying have created a practical and learner-centered fun experience for secondary school students.

•  Each volume covers one full year of learning material. Volume 1 and 2 introduce approximately 500 essential vocabulary terms each. Volume 3 introduces over 300 words. In addition, Volume 1 includes about 150 supplementary words and Volume 2 includes about 300 supplementary words.
• Textbooks and workbooks feature photos, drawings, maps, and tables that engage students visually and encourage learning in a practical context.
• Cultural notes help students understand Chinese culture and make comparisons between Chinese culture and their own.
• Learning goals at the beginning of each textbook unit outline a clear purpose for the unit.
• Self-assessment checklists at the end of each unit allow teachers to easily assess students’ strengths and weaknesses, and give students a sense of accomplishment as they monitor their own progress.
• Say goodbye to repetitive and boring language drills! Huanying workbooks offer a variety of fun and creative communicative activities for the classroom, including informal interviews, presentations, and paired games such as “find your lost twin,” the spy game, “adopt a pet,” celebrity bingo, and more.
• Teacher’s books feature all student workbook activities with answer keys; many useful suggestions on how to facilitate a learner-centered, interactive classroom setting; and templates for quizzes and unit tests that will save teachers hours of preparation time.
• An online companion site features free audio recordings to go with the textbook and workbook, plus additional activities.