Yi Ren has taught thousands of Americans to speak Chinese fluently. Now, she and co-author Xiayuan Liang share their secrets for fast mastery of Chinese with you. Chock full of extra hints and tips drawn from the authors' many years of experience teaching Chinese in adult evening classes, Chinese for Beginners focuses on realistic situations you'll encounter when you meet people in China. New words are explained in terms of how you'll actually use them to communicate with new friends. The disc lets you listen and repeat and remember the sentences with ease, and will help you soon declare with pride, 'I can say that in Chinese!' Lighthearted approach brings Chinese to life in a down-to-earth fashion Real-life dialogues and situations help you converse with confidence An 'Extend Your Vocabulary' feature in each chapter helps you to remember and understand more words that you'd think possible Native-speaker audio recordings teach you to pronounce Chinese accurately Answer Keys help you keep track of your learning process Interesting notes, idioms, sayings, photos, poems, and insider tips about China's culture, special places, and everyday life add to the adventure This user-friendly guide to learning the basics will work for anyone who wants to speak and understand Chinese for business, for pleasure, or for travel - and who wants to enjoy the process of learning a new language while they're at it!