About the Author

Yi Ren taught and researched in Beijing after graduating from Tsinghua University. On moving to the U.S., she began to teach Chinese to children at weekend Chinese Schools, and also to tutor others in Chinese. After years of being worn down by her adult students' begging her to do it, Yi decided to capture her special teaching methods on paper, in a book to help other adult Chinese learners. She lives with her family in Denver, Colorado.

Xiayuan Liang practiced medicine in China before coming to the United States in 1986. She did biomedical research at Washington University in St. Louis and Georgetown University, then resumed her career as a physician. She currently is an associate professor at University of Colorado School of Medicine. In her spare time, Xiayuan likes to read and to discuss interesting topics with friends—in Chinese, of course!

Reviews

"A fantastic place to start… offers a less intimidating barrier to Chinese than other textbooks."—Greg Bell, En Route To Fluency blog

"I really liked how the book is packed with cultural details. It's a nice touch that gives you some background knowledge about Chinese culture. Indeed, I was impressed to see Chinese poems from the Tang dynasty appearing at the end of most chapters!" —Perapera Language Tools blog

"…well-written and helps you speak Chinese in no time." —FluentU.com

"This is a good book for non-native speaking parents. Each chapter included vocabulary, dialogues and culture information. This is a book written by an experienced Chinese instructor." —Miss Panda Chinese

"I loved my Chinese classes with Yi Ren. She didn't just teach the language—but also Chinese culture and history. Her new book reflects her warmth and breadth of teaching." —Mike Farer, former student, and City Planner

"Thanks to Yi Ren, I actually learned about the Mandarin language, to speak phrases, to understand snippets of Mandarin conversations when I hear others speak, and to have the confidence to tackle this very complex language." —Beth A. Buonanno, Mandarin learner

"As a teacher myself, I have always been impressed with Yi's knowledge of language acquisition. As her pupil, I found her passion and determination inspiring. Learning with Yi gave me the feeling of being in China all over again." —Karen Enos, Mandarin learner

"One other thing I really enjoyed about this book is the inclusion of traditional Chinese poetry. Before, I never dared approach Chinese poetry, but this book gives me the understanding to read great poems without needing a specialty text." —Silvia Gleizer, Vision Times