There were more than 17800 copies of Chinese textbooks in the Global Chinese Textbook Library as at 2011 (Xiaobing Zhou et al, 2018). These textbooks can be divided into classroom textbooks and non-class textbooks:
- Classroom textbooks include textbooks focusing on teaching and learning comprehensive skills and special skills, as well as textbooks ranging from general Chinese to special Chinese. “Practical Chinese Textbook” is an example of comprehensive / general Chinese, and “Speaking Textbook”, “Listening Textbook” and “Chinese Characters Workbook” are for teaching and learning of specific aspects of Chinese language.
- Non-classroom teaching materials include reading materials, self-study materials, practical manuals, reference books, examination guidance materials, teachers development materials, and various outlines.
Classroom textbooks can be further classified in the following ways:
- Level of learners: beginning, elementary, intermediate, advanced
- Type of schools: kindergarten, primary school, secondary school, university
- Teaching medium, skill category (comprehensive, listening, speaking, reading, writing, translation)
- Language element (phonetics, Chinese characters, vocabulary, grammar and sentence patterns).
For purposes of circulation and distribution of Chinese textbooks and teaching materials, and ease of searching, the CTC’s classification of Chinese textbooks and materials are
- Chinese textbooks
- For preschoolers
- For primary students
- For secondary students
- For tertiary and adult students
- Chinese readers
- Beginning
- Intermediate
- Advanced
- Chinese tests books
- HSK tests
- YCT tests
- BCT tests
- Dictionary and reference books
- Teachers professional learning books
- Teaching resource books and materials
- Other books and materials
- Chinese music and instruments
Reference
Zhou Xiaobing, et al. 2018 Overview of the 40-year development of international Chinese language textbooks, International Chinese Language Education (Chinese and English), Issue 4, 2018