Chinese Breeze: graded Chinese readers with original stories

As much as I benefit from reading and listening to textbook dialogues, learning new vocabulary and new grammar points, a learner needs variety to make learning Chinese fun.   This is what I like about Chinese Breeze.

Earlier I wrote about Mandarin Companion, which puts a Chinese twist famous books from American and British literature.   Chinese Breeze publishes original stories from a range of literature including mystery, romance, children stories and even some nostalgia.

How you benefit from Chinese Breeze graded Chinese Readers

Textbook dialogues are centered around picking up a certain concept like ordering food at a restaurant, shopping, or the weather.  Developing new words often take precedence or reinforcing previous vocabulary.

Not so with Chinese Breeze.  Repetition of words as one reads through the book drills the meaning, as well as nuances of the word into the reader’s brain.  And it is done in a natural and enjoyable manner.  You’ll enjoy reading these original stories!

What I like about Chinese Breeze books is that it is not simply a visual experience.   One must also develop listening skills.   As such, each book  comes with a CD with MP3 recordings.   These recordings are read at a cadence of a native speaker, but there’s also a slower speed for those not quite ready for prime time

All of these stories are set in China, so as you develop reading and listening skills, you’ll also gain insights into what Chinese life and culture.

Chinese Breeze’s ambitious goal

According to their website, Chinese Breeze plans to write books at six different levels from beginner to advanced.

• Level 1: The beginning reader should have 300 word mastered.
• Level 2: 500 words
• Level 3: 750 words
• Level 4: the most advanced level at this time, 1110 words mastered.
• Level 5: 1500 words
• Level 6: 2100 words
• Level 7: 3000 words
• Level 8: 4500 words

So far they have the first three levels well developed and started publishing level four books.  (Their website at this writing shows only books up to level three, but if you check out Amazon, you’ll find two level four books.)

对了 By the way

In the acknowledgement section of Mandarin Companion  books, gratitude is expressed to the Chinese Breeze book series for pioneering graded Chinese readers.  They give credit to the series contributors which includes Yuehua Liu.

If you have studied from the “Integrated Chinese” textbooks, that name should be familiar because Yuehua Liu one of the author’s of a textbook that has helped thousands learn the language of the Middle Kingdom.  So if you read these Chinese Breeze stories, you can be confident you’re being taught as you read, by a very experienced Chinese teacher.