Making Connections

Ideal For: Advanced beginning and intermediate-level students, especially users of Integrated Chinese.

Listening comprehension is a vital part of language learning—but one that is frequently underemphasized in Chinese textbooks, except at the advanced levels. To help fill that gap for beginning and intermediate students, Madeline Spring has developed Making Connections. It offers students an early start to developing important strategies that will improve their listening comprehension. The dialogues in the recordings are all natural and unrehearsed conversations by native Mandarin Chinese speakers; each dialogue has extensive written exercises that guide students through the conversation, and focus on particular aspects of the language that surface in the dialogue. The topics correspond to Lessons 1-23 of the bestselling Integrated Chinese series, but this book can be used as a companion to any first or second year Chinese textbook, or on its own. With its strong emphasis on listening comprehension, Making Connections is also a great preparation tool for test-takers of the AP® Chinese language and culture exam, the HSK test, and other standardized tests of Chinese.