Is Integrated Chinese a Good Chinese Textbook for Beginners?
Integrated Chinese (中文听说读写) is likely the most popular Chinese textbook series used by students, teachers, and schools. Many students start using the series because it’s the default textbook used by their Chinese instructors, and they don’t get a say in this.
Some people found the Integrated Chinese on Amazon when they search for “Chinese Textbook”. Its popularity and rating are almost guaranteed it will always show up as your first search result.
However, whether using Integrated Chinese is the best option for you is to be discussed. Remember this, there’s no perfect textbook for learning Chinese. They all have pros and cons. Choosing the most appropriate one is the most important thing.
Integrated Chinese Textbook Series (4th edition)
Pros of Using Integrated Chinese
Easy to find and buy
Comes with different levels
Dialogue-based texts
Comes with glossary and grammar points
Has practices after each lesson
Has many visuals
Has traditional and simplified editions
Premium print quality
Has workbooks & teacher books
Pinyin is provided in the 1st part of the book
Great for middle and high school students
Cons of Using Integrated Chinese
Slightly more expensive than other textbooks
Stops at an intermediate level (approximately HSK 3). Not great for people who want to advance to higher levels
Some words and grammar points in book 1 are not suitable for beginners. They should appear at a later level
The cultural parts are nice but could be distant to non-Chinese speakers. Might be not a priority to learn for most people
Might be a little childish for the adult learners
Not for younger learners
Our Chinese Textbook Suggestion
We probably won’t recommend Integrated Chinese if there’re better options available. Check out our book recommendations here. We’re not affiliated with any of the publishers.
However, if Integrated Chinese is the only Chinese textbook you can get, you should learn with it. It’s still a classic and proven effective for over 2 decades.
They’re also other great textbooks. However, some of them are difficult to find in the US but available in Taiwan or mainland China. Some of them are too expensive to buy. Some of them are just for internal uses.
Again, no book is perfect. We recommend all beginners start with a textbook. But the textbook is not the purpose of learning. It’s just a vehicle to help you through the journey of learning Chinese.
About Integrated Chinese
Integrated Chinese is an acclaimed Mandarin Chinese textbook series that teaches beginning language learners the skills they need to communicate effectively in Chinese. First published in 1997, it has become the most widely adopted Chinese language textbook series in North America and beyond. Now in its 4th Edition, the time-tested series has been carefully revised to meet the needs of today’s learners.
Integrated Chinese is a four-volume series designed to cover two years of study at the college level. The series’ holistic pedagogical approach ensures that students with no prior knowledge of Chinese concurrently develop and strengthen their listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills. Students who complete the series progress from novice-low to intermediate-high levels of proficiency, building a firm foundation for further study.
One of the calling cards of Integrated Chinese is its cohesive system of print and digital resources: each volume includes a Textbook, Workbook, Character Workbook, Teacher’s Resources, and free audio downloads. The 3rd Edition DVDs can be used with the 4th Edition.