Designed to build language ability while stimulating curiosity, Learning Chinese teaches intermediate conversational and literary skills in Mandarin. Conversational lessons are separated from lessons on reading and writing characters, allowing instructors to adapt the book to their students and to their course goals while exposing students to the geography, history, and cultures of China.

"Learning Chinese" teaches basic conversational and literary skills in Mandarin. It is designed to build language ability while stimulating learners' curiosity about the linguistic structures of the language as well as the geography, history, and culture of China. Conversational lessons are separated from lessons on reading and writing characters, allowing instructors to adapt the book to their students and to their course goals.