BEGINNING CHINESE is designed to be flexible and to be used in a variety of settings, so the sequence that is best for you depends on your learning goals. However, you might consider the following Suggested Activity List, adapting it to your own needs.

Get acquainted with the main dialogue by going through it in the different modes available (word, sentence, pronunciation and meaning, etc.). Start with the second lesson. Before you check the translation, try to get some general ideas by finding words/phrases you already know. Much of what we read or hear is understood by context rather than by word comprehension. Nobody learns everything there is to know in a language--even in English you probably hear words you are unfamiliar with and have to guess the meaning by context (for example, do you know what sonoluminescence means?). It is the same with Chinese.

• Watch the video. Pay attention to the speakers' gestures and facial expressions.
  
• Explore the culture and grammar notes.
• Test your comprehension by doing the multiple choice questions.
• Return to the video to see how much you understand. Try the Cloze (fill-in-the-blank) exercise. Once you understand the main context of the sentences, do the next few steps several sentences at a time (preferably two to three), gradually working your way through the whole dialogue.

  Memorize a couple lines, paying attention to your pronunciation and fluency, and then compare yourself to the native model by using the pronunciation exercise or the record/playback tools. Try to get as close as you can to the speed and pronunciation of the native model. Remember to pay attention to the tones--they are essential to understanding in Chinese!

• Study the group of lines in detail, reviewing footnotes, English meanings, etc. as necessary.

  Try expressing ideas using all of the language and rules you've learned up to this point, especially the new vocabulary words and grammar structures. Follow the patterns given in the lessons and the footnotes, then replace the vocabulary with words from the supplementary lists. Make up your own dialogue, or talk to yourself or a friend in Chinese. Practice saying sentences to yourself as you go about mundane daily activities, such as driving, exercising, cleaning, etc. Experiment with the language!

  Be patient! Take it slow and don't get overwhelmed at the amount of information contained in each lesson. Language learning takes time and practice.

• 32 video dialogues and readings by native speakers
• Over 6,800 audio recordings
• Classroom tested
• Extensive footnotes
• Lessons can show either simplified or traditional Chinese characters with Pinyin romanization underneath
• Graphics Activities for each lesson:
  
• Browse
• Multiple Choice
• Vocabulary Completion
• Audio Flashcards
• Pronunciation
• Listening Dictation