This is an archived course. A more recent version may be available at ocw.mit.edu.

Readings

This course utilizes Julian Wheatley's Learning Chinese: A Foundation Course in Mandarin. Part 1. (The Character Text). The following table lists the readings with a PDF for that specific session as well as audio recordings for select readings. A PDF version of the Character Text by lesson is also listed below.

Ses # Readings
1-2

Read Background 1 and 2 (PDF 1) (PDF 2)

Read Sounds and Symbols 1-3 (PDF 1) (PDF 2) (PDF 3)

Sounds and Symbols 2.3 (MP3)

Sounds and Symbols 3.1.1 (MP3)

Read Unit 1-1.6 (PDF 1) (PDF 2)
3

Read to the End of Background (PDF)

Review Sounds and Symbols 1-3

Read Sounds and Symbols 4 (PDF)

Review Unit 1-1.6 (Skip to 1.10.1)
4

Review Background, and Sounds and Symbols So Far

Read Sounds and Symbols 5 to the End (PDF)

Consolidate Unit 1-1.6

Read Unit 1.7 (PDF)
5

Review Sounds and Symbols

Read Unit 1.8-1.9 (PDF)

Unit 1.10.1 Tones (MP3)

Unit 1 Exercise 3c (MP3)

Unit 1 Exercise 3d-e (MP3)
6-8 Review all of Background, Sounds and Symbols and Unit 1 (Referring to 1.11, the Summary)
9

Read Chars 1 Through 1.6 (PDF)

Look Ahead to Chars 1.7 and 1.8 (PDF)

Consolidate Unit 1 Material
10 Study Chars 1.7, 1.8 and 1.9 (PDF 1) (PDF 2)
11

Consolidate Chars 1 So Far

Read Chars 1.10 (PDF)

Read Unit 2.1-2.2 (PDF)

Preview Unit 2.13
12

Read Chars 1.11 plus (1.11.1) and (1.11.2) (PDF)

Read Unit 2.3 (PDF)
13

Read Chars 1.12 and 1.13 (PDF)

Review Unit 1.10

Read Unit 2.4 (PDF)

Unit 2.4 Vocabulary1 (MP3)
14

Consolidate the First Sections of Unit 2

Read Unit 2.7 (PDF)

Unit 2.7.1 Place Names (MP3)

Review Chars 1 by Redoing the 'Phrases' and 'Readings'

Preview Unit 2.9

Unit 2.9 Dialogue (MP3)
15

Review Unit 2.7

Read Unit 2.8-2.9 (PDF)

Unit 2.9 Dialogue (MP3)
16

Finish up Unit 2

Unit 2.11.3 Tone Combos (MP3)

Review Pinyin, Rhymes and Longer Phrases
17 Review Unit and Character Material for Test 1
18 Test 1
19 Chars 2 through Set 1, Including 2.1.1, Preview Set 2 (PDF)
20

Chars 2 Read Through 2.2 (PDF)

Spot Review of Unit 2
21

Read Chars 2, Set 3 (2.3) Including 2.3.1 and 2.3.2 (PDF)

Review Units 1 and 2
22

Read Chars 2, Set 4 (2.4) with Readings (PDF)

Preview Unit 3: Sections 3.1-3.3 (PDF)
23 Chars 2, Read 2.5, Study 2.7 (PDF)
24

Read Unit 3, (3.2.3) and (3.4.1) (PDF)

Unit 3.4.1 Dialogues (MP3)
25

Consolidate Unit 3

Read Unit 3.5-3.6 (PDF)
26

Read Unit 3, Study 3.7 (PDF)

Unit 3.7.1 Dialogue (MP3)
27

Read Unit 3, Sections 3.8-3.10 (PDF 1) (PDF 2)

Review Unit 3 So Far
28

Consolidate Unit 3 So Far and Especially 3.8 and 3.10

Read Last 3 Tone Combos (3.13.1) (PDF)
29

Read Unit 3, Section 3.11 and 3.12 (PDF)

Unit 3.12 Dialogue (MP3)

Review Chars 1 and 2

All 15 Tone Combos
30

Review All of Unit 3

Unit 3.13.1 Tone Combos (MP3)

Review Chars 1 and 2
31 Review Again, Focusing on Dialogues 3.4.1, 3.7 and 3.12
32

Begin Chars 3, Review Section (3.0) (PDF)

Review Earlier Dialogues for Better Fluency, Beginning with the One in Unit 3
33

Read Chars 3, First Set (PDF)

Continue to Consolidate Units 1-3
34

Review Chars 3, First Set

Preview Unit 4 Material, 4.1-4.2, Especially the New Words for Locations (PDF)

Unit 4.2.1 Places (MP3)
35

Read Chars 3, Second Set, Reading and Phrases (PDF)

Study Unit 4, Sections 4.3.1 and 4.3.2 (PDF)

Preview the Mini Dialogues in 4.3.3
36

Read Chars 3, Third Set (3.3) (PDF)

Consolidate Unit 4, 4.3.2, and 4.3.3
37

Read Chars 3, Fourth Set (3.4) (PDF)

Read Unit 4: 4.4 and 4.5 (PDF 1) (PDF 2)
38

Chars 3, Review the Four Sets and Accompanying Exercises

Read Unit 4: Focus on 4.6 and 4.7 (PDF)

Preview the Long Dialogue (4.10) (PDF)
39 Preview Unit 4: (4.14) Study all of 4.8 (PDF)
40

Read Unit 4: (4.9) and (4.10) (PDF 1) (PDF 2)

Unit 4.10 Dialogue (MP3)
41

Read Unit 4: (4.11) (PDF)

Unit 4.11.1 Narratives (MP3)

Review Chars 3 and Earlier
42-44 Consolidate Unit 4 and Chars 3
45-52 Practice and Class Presentations

Readings by Lesson

Learning Chinese: A Foundation Course in Mandarin. Part 1.

Preface (PDF)

Table of Contents (PDF)

Unit 1 (PDF)

Unit 2 (PDF)

Unit 3 (PDF)

Unit 4 (PDF)

Chars 1 (PDF)

Chars 2 (PDF)

Chars 3 (PDF)