This is a complete beginning-level course for written Mandarin Chinese designed to teach you to read and write Mandarin quickly and effectively! The Basic Mandarin Chinese series offers a complete introductory course superior to any other language product for Chinese. These books teach spoken and written Chinese separately, allowing you to focus on the area most important to you, and to learn the spoken and written forms of Chinese at different speeds depending on your available time and interest. The free audio recordings included with this book reinforce the content and make the learning process easy. No matter whether you're learning Mandarin for work, travel, or other reasons - the Basic Mandarin Chinese approach of having two separate but integrated 'tracks' helps you to learn the language more efficiently and more successfully. Key features of this Chinese textbook and discs include: Learn to read and write the 288 highest-frequency characters and over 700 words Designed to have you reading and writing simple, connected Chinese sentences quickly Both simplified and traditional characters are taught; you may choose to learn either or both Features a variety of fonts and styles - typeset and handwritten - preparing you to use Chinese characters in different contexts, from reading signs to texting on your phone. The free disc included with this book includes over 6 hours of audio recordings by various native speakers, including recordings of all the reading selections, new characters, and vocabulary. This textbook is designed to be used in conjunction with the Basic Mandarin Chinese - Reading & Writing Practice Book which provides a range of drills and exercises designed to dramatically enhance your proficiency in reading and writing Mandarin Chinese quickly.