This is a truly self-access course in Mandarin Chinese that will appeal to anyone who is learning alone or who needs extra material to supplement a course. You decide whether or not to learn the script; if it's not necessary for you, the book makes it easy to follow the pinyin transcriptions. The new edition has been reset in a new attractive style which makes the book easier to use and the accompanying recorded material is now available on CD as well as cassette. There is comprehensive teaching of the Chinese script and the pinyin transcriptions (rendering the Chinese in English spelling) will help you speak and understand. The units are carefully graded so that you consolidate your knowledge and build your confidence as you work through the book. The new language is introduced through dialogues based on everyday situations so you will learn what it most useful in preparation for a trip to China. The grammar explanations are simple and do not assume that you have learned Chinese or any other language before. There are exercises throughout (with answers at the back of the book) so you can check your progress and identify areas that are causing you problems. Finally, there are English-Chinese and Chinese-English vocabulary listings for quick reference.