Cornelius C. Kubler - Basic Spoken Chinese: An Introduction to Speaking and Listening for Beginners (Downloadable Media and MP3 Audio Included)

Abbreviations

Word Classes

Other Abbreviations and Symbols

For explanations of the word classes, see the section on Word Classes of Spoken Chinese at the end of this volume.

Acknowledgments

I am indebted to a great many people in Beijing, Taipei, Hong Kong, Macao, Singapore, Malaysia, and the United States for their assistance in the preparation of this course. It is not possible to mention everyone who participated, but special thanks are due the following for their contributions:

For assistance with the preparation of the basic conversations that serve as the core of this course: Lu Zhi, Wu Zong, Jerling G. Kubler, and Amory Yi-mou Shih. Mr. Shih deserves special recognition for working closely with me on developing early drafts of many of the conversations in the first eight units as well as compiling a corpus of basic vocabulary which served as the basis for all of the conversations.

For recording situational dialogs used as source material for some of the basic conversations: Cao Jianying, Chang Ling-lan, Li Yueying, Liu Shu-yen, Eileen H. Seng, Amory Yi-mou Shih, and Yang-Hou Kun.

For assistance in preparing the accompanying drills and exercises: Huang Ya-Yun, Su-Ling Huang, and my student research assistants Jenny Chen, Hoyoon Nam, Alexander T. Ratt, and Tron Wang.

For assistance in preparing the accompanying audio recordings: Han Bing, Hou San, Huang Ya-Yun, Jerling G. Kubler, Kuo Ching-wei, Li Chunwei, Li Nini, Lu Chn-hung, Jackson Guangnan Lu, Ma Jing, Yuzhong Meng, Yang Wang, Jun Yang, Yuan Ye, Zhang Chun, Shaopeng Zhang, and over one hundred other native speakers in Beijing, Taipei, Hong Kong, Macao, Singapore, and Malaysia. Of these, Dr. Jun Yang, now Senior Lecturer in Chinese at the University of Chicago, deserves special recognition for the many hours he spent painstakingly recording the Build Up sections for the basic conversations.

For serving as actors in the accompanying video recordings: Jan Anderson, Patricia Austin, Flora Banker, Lindsay Benedict, Chen Limin, Chiu Ming-hua, Chou Shu-yen, Cynthia Cramsie, Darryl Crane, Anne Marie Decker, Thomas Dornacher, Dorjee, M. O. Danun, Chris Dungharth, Feng He, Chris Folino, Jesse Frey, Fu Zhongyuan, Duarte Geraldino, Ho Tsu-chi, Brad Hou, Mr. and Mrs. Hsueh Fu-hua, Huyen Giang, Kalia Glassey, Christopher Godzicki, Gu Anqi, Patrick Dowdey, Susan Harmon, Hou Lanfen, Deborah Hsu, Ingrid Hsue, Hu Weiguo, Angie Huse, Huang Sheng, Huang Yu-chun, Jonathan Isaacs, Jia Aihua, Rex Krakaw, Jerling G. Kubler, Kuo Chih-chie, Kuo Chih-hsiung, Kuo Chih-wei, Gene Kuo, James Lambert, Gavin LaRowe, Siu-lun Lee, Roger Levy, Debbie Lee, Heidi Lee, Li Chen, Li Chunwei, Li Han, Li Mei, Li Qunhu, Li Yingyou, Li Zhenqiang, Li Zhenwen, Liang Chunshen, Liao Hao-hsiang, Liu Jifeng, Liu Longjun, Liu Xiaodong, Liu Xue, Kevin Lo, Michelle Lopez, L Lin, Ma Ke, Ma Yung-Yu, Ma Yulan, Rachel MacCleery, Mao Hui-ling, Maja Mave, Max Mayrhofer, Nicholas Minekime, Emily Murray, Gwendolyn Pascoe, David Rieth, Todd Roma, Thomas Rowley, Andrew Ryan, Colleen Ryan, Michael Saso, Harvey Sernovitz, Mr. and Mrs. Amory Shih, Peter Stein, Su Weiming, Sun Hui, Beth Sutter, Tang Chu-shih, Tang Wei-ying, Gretta Thomas, Alex Tsebelis, Natasha Tyson, Wang Guoli, Wang Lixin, Michael Warres, Tim White, Wong Ho Put, Wu Hsian-jong, Wu Shu-fen, Zondy Wu, Xu Danyan, Yang Chunxue, Yang Ping, Charles Yonts, Zhao Feng, Zhou Lei, and others.

For performing and granting permission to record and use their classical Chinese music for the audio and video recordings: Bai Miao, Chang Jing, and Tian Weining. Note that in the audio and video recordings, Part One of each unit features the gzhng , a 21-stringed plucked instrument similar to the zither; Part Two features the rh , a two-stringed bowed instrument; Part Three features the yngqn or dulcimer; and Part Four features the snxin , a three-stringed plucked instrument.

For assistance with the editing and dubbing of the accompanying video recordings: An Zi; Bruce Wheat and Philip Remillard of Audio Visual Services at Williams College; Richard Lescarbeau, Art Department, Williams College; and student research assistants Hoyoon Nam, Negeen Pegahi, Amy Sprengelmeyer, and Freeman Ningchuan Zhu.

For assistance with computer-related work: Adam Jianjun Wang, Senior Instructional Technology specialist at Williams College; student research assistants Feng Jin, Daniel Gerlanc, Hoyoon Nam, Daniel Nelson, and Freeman Zhu; and Carl E. Kubler. Of these, Daniel Nelson and Daniel Gerlanc deserve special recognition for their continued support of the project over a period of several years.

For clerical assistance with various tasks related to the preparation of the manuscript: Donna L. Chenail, Rebecca Brassard, Margaret M. Weyers, Shirley A. Bushika, and Loraine L. Tolle of the Faculty Secretarial Office at Williams College; and my student research assistants Jenny Chen, Steven P. S. Cheng, Angie Chien, Niki Fang, Hoyoon Nam, Amy Sprengelmeyer, Tron Wang, and Freeman Zhu.

For assistance in checking the Chinese contained in this volume and/or providing helpful comments and suggestions: Cecilia Chang, Songren Cui, Jingqi Fu, Guo Wei, Han Bing, Hsu Yu-yin, Jerling G. Kubler, Liao Hao-hsiang, Nicholas Minekime, Eric Pelzl, Cathy Silber, Tseng Hsin-I, Chen Wang, Yang Wang, Tony Chungyan Yang, and Li Yu. I also wish to thank the students in my Chinese 101-102 courses at Williams College from 1992 through 2006 for numerous suggestions and corrections, as well as for their inspiration and encouragement. Students at St. Marys College of Maryland, where the course was field-tested with the assistance of Professor Jingqi Fu, and at Wisconsin Lutheran College, where the course was field-tested with the assistance of Professor Eric Pelzl, similarly provided helpful comments. Professor Pelzl deserves special thanks for his many perceptive comments and excellent suggestions.