Overview

Learn Chinese with Me (跟我学汉语) is a flagship four-volume Chinese language textbook series published by People’s Education Press (PEP) and chief-authored by Chen Fu and Zhu Zhiping. Specially designed for secondary school students and adolescent learners aged 15 to 18, it guides complete beginners through to low-intermediate proficiency.

1. Core Philosophy & Design

  • Teen-Centred Topics: The series is built around the daily routines, school lives, and social experiences of high school students. To ensure topics were functional and appealing, the authoring team selected topics based on an empirical survey conducted among high school students.
  • Communicative & Functional Approach: Rather than focusing solely on isolated grammar rules, lessons organize language structures around practical themes and real-world communication. It aims to develop balanced skills across listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
  • Bridging Educational Cultures: Authored by experienced international Chinese language educators, the series blends Chinese pedagogical principles with the teaching methodologies and expectations of overseas secondary classrooms.

2. Series Structure & Components

  • 4 Progression Levels: The curriculum spans 4 volumes, with each level organized into 6 core units.
  • Complete Resource Suite: Each level provides a Student’s Book, Workbook, Teacher’s Book, audio materials, and character/word cards.
  • Vocabulary & Target Proficiency: Across all four volumes, students master a cumulative vocabulary of 1,500 core words (up to 2,000 total words), helping learners reach the HSK Level 4 standard upon completing the full series.
  • Age-Appropriate Layout: Textbooks feature simplified characters alongside Pinyin, enriched with colourful illustrations, stories, mazes, and interactive activities to maintain student engagement.

3. Teacher & Classroom Support

The accompanying Teacher’s Books offer educators detailed unit structural guides, cultural background notes, lesson planning suggestions, and assessment strategies.

A comparison between the first and second editions

The 2nd Edition of this series were published under the guidance of Hanban to update the curriculum for a broader global audience, incorporating feedback from frontline high school teachers.

Key updates and differences between the editions:

  1. Broader Global Audience & Age Relevance: The 1st Edition was originally designed primarily for high school students in North America. The 2nd Edition removed localized or overly juvenile content to enhance universal applicability for high school students (ages 15–18) globally across multiple language versions.
  2. Workload Reduction (~20% Less Content): To alleviate instructional time pressure, overall teaching volume was compressed by about 20%. Exercises and lesson orders were adjusted to lower overall difficulty and create a more manageable pace.
  3. Explicit Grammar Notes: Addressing teacher feedback from the 1st Edition (which lacked direct grammar explanations in the Student’s Book), the 2nd Edition added concise English explanations for new language patterns directly in the Student’s Books, alongside significantly expanded grammar guidance in the Teacher’s Books.
  4. Alignment with HSK Standards: Content and vocabulary were re-aligned with the International Curriculum for Chinese Language Education and the HSK system (completing Volumes 1–4 prepares students for HSK Level 4). Additionally, HSK-style practice test questions were added to every unit starting in Volume 1, Unit 2.

Learn Chinese with Me: Student Book 1 跟我学汉语 课本: 第一册 | Learn Chinese with Me: Workbook 1 跟我学汉语 练习册: 第一册

Learn Chinese with Me: Student Book 2 跟我学汉语 课本: 第二册 | Learn Chinese with Me: Workbook 2 跟我学汉语 练习册: 第二册

Learn Chinese with Me: Student Book 3 跟我学汉语 课本: 第三册 | Learn Chinese with Me: Workbook 3 跟我学汉语 练习册: 第三册

Learn Chinese with Me: Student Book 4 跟我学汉语 课本: 第四册 | Learn Chinese with Me: Workbook 4 跟我学汉语 练习册: 第四册

Learn Chinese with Me: Student Book (2nd ed) 1 跟我学汉语 课本 第二版: 第一册 | Learn Chinese with Me (2nd ed): Workbook 1 跟我学汉语 练习册 第二版: 第一册

Learn Chinese with Me: Student Book (2nd ed) 2 跟我学汉语 课本 第二版: 第二册 | Learn Chinese with Me: Workbook (2nd ed) 2 跟我学汉语 练习册 第二版: 第二册

Learn Chinese with Me: Student Book (2nd ed) 3 跟我学汉语 课本 第二版: 第三册 | Learn Chinese with Me: Workbook (2nd ed) 3 跟我学汉语 练习册 第二版: 第三册

Learn Chinese with Me: Student Book (2nd ed) 4 跟我学汉语 课本 第二版: 第四册 | Learn Chinese with Me: Workbook (2nd ed) 4 跟我学汉语 练习册 第二版: 第四册