This beginning-level student book for learners of Mandarin Chinese is the first in the Hanyu series, a complete set of course materials that takes a communicative approach to teaching Chinese. If you're a learner in junior or senior high school, or you're looking for a way to use the Chinese language to communicate in your immediate environment, the Hanyu series is a great way to begin. The emphasis is on communicating in practical, everyday situations, with an underlying functional base. Topics relate to a typical student's daily life at school, and among friends and family. Around these topics, each unit presents a series of dialogues which serve as models of language use, and which are supported by activities, exercises, grammar explanations and cultural notes. Hanyu combines speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills within its colorful, fully-illustrated pages, and includes learning activities like songs, stories, and discussion topics. Simplified Chinese characters and pinyin are introduced from the first unit, and the use of pinyin is gradually reduced as the series progresses.