Practical Chinese Reader

The Practical Chinese Reader (Chinese: 实用汉语课本; pinyin: shíyòng hànyŭ kèbĕn) is a two-volume series of Chinese language teaching books developed to teach non-Chinese speakers to speak Chinese, first published in 1981. In fifty lessons, the reader studies a vocabulary of 1,000 words, and basic Chinese phonology and grammar. The lessons tell the story of two foreign students of Chinese, Palanka and Gubo, first in their own country (Book I) and then in China (Book II). They give priority to everyday topics that Gubo and Palanka encounter (e.g. clothing, entertainment, socializing), and also provide background information on Chinese culture, society, and history.