Cantonese as a Second Language


Book Description

Cantonese is a language from southern China that is spoken by roughly 70 million people worldwide. It is the language of Hong Kong cinema and has traditionally been the most prominent language spoken in Chinatowns around the world. People choose to learn Cantonese for a variety of social and economic reasons: because it is a heritage language that one’s relatives speak; because it is the language of one’s partner and monolingual in-laws; because it is necessary for living and working in Hong Kong, Macau, Guangzhou, or other Cantonese-speaking communities; because it is the bridge to fully appreciating and understanding Cantonese culture; or simply because it is an irresistible challenge. Whatever the motivation, more and more people are choosing to learn Cantonese as an additional language. This book discusses many issues related to both acquiring and teaching Cantonese. If you are a learner of Cantonese, this long overdue volume is essential to understanding both the grammatical and the social issues involved with learning this notoriously difficult language. If you are a teacher, this book will be invaluable to gaining insight into your students’ motivations and needs. And finally, if you are an applied linguist, the unique aspects related to the acquisition of Cantonese offer a fascinating contribution to the literature.




Modern Cantonese Book 1


Book Description

The first volume of Modern Cantonese aims to provide solid linguistic training to beginner Cantonese learners, highlighting cultural points with lively language scenarios. This book provides daily conversational scenarios, such as introducing yourself and others, ordering food, going out with friends, shopping, planning a weekend, and talking about hobbies and leisure activities, as well as holidays and festivals. The scenarios cover daily settings with essential learning points, and on completion of the course, learners will be able to understand questions and statements in Cantonese conversations and will be able to discuss familiar everyday topics using simple sentences in Cantonese. The book is ideal for students seeking to learn Cantonese as a second language at the novice level, based on ACTFL speaking proficiency guidelines. It may also be of interest to language teachers and linguists in the field of Cantonese as a second language.




A Handbook for Teaching Korean-speaking Students


Book Description

A handbook designed to facilitate effective instruction of Korean immigrant students in California has five parts. The first gives an overview of the language group, outlining their socioeconomic experience in California and the United States, reasons for immigrating, the Korean educational system, and attitudes toward schooling and involvement with the schools. The second section describes historical and sociocultural factors concerning the Korean language in both Korea and California, including the literacy rate and attitudes, attitudes toward certain language skills, training in and use of English in Korea and within the Korean community in California, community efforts to develop children's language skills, and use of Korean in the California Korean community. The third section discusses Korean linguistic characteristics, such as its history, the distribution of dialects, phonology, grammar, morphology, characteristics of the writing system, and cultural patterns reflected in language use. Section 4 recommends instructional and curricular strategies for Korean and English language development, concerning cognitive factors in primary and secondary language devlopment, readiness skills for formal language instruction, transfer of skills, and development of additive bilingualism, A final section list references, readings, district Korean enrollments, Korean holidays and special events, and organizational, community, and other instructional resources. (MSE)







Complete Cantonese (Learn Cantonese with Teach Yourself)


Book Description

Is this the right course for me? This new and improved Edition of Complete Cantonese will take you effortlessly from beginner to confident speaker. Whether you are starting from scratch, or are just out of practice, Complete Cantonese will guarantee success! It is fully updated to make your language experience fun and interactive. You can still rely on the benefits of a top language teacher with years of teaching experience, but now with added learning features within the course and online. The course is structured in thematic units and the emphasis is placed on communication, so that you effortlessly progress from introducing yourself and dealing with everyday situations to using the phone and talking about work. This course uses the widely-accepted Yale Romanisation system and includes a helpful pronunciation guide at the beginning of the textbook. By the end of this course, you will be at Level B2 of the Common European Framework for Languages: can deal with most situations likely to arise whilst travelling in an area where the language is spoken. Learn effortlessly with a new easy-to-read page design and interactive features: Not got much time? One, five and ten-minute introductions to key principles to get you started Author insights Lots of instant help with common problems and quick tips for success, based on the author's many years of experience. Grammar tips Easy-to-follow building blocks to give you a clear understanding. Useful vocabulary Easy to find and learn, to build a solid foundation for speaking. Dialogues Read and listen to everyday dialogues to help you speak and understand fast. Pronunciation Don't sound like a tourist! Perfect your pronunciation before you go. Test yourself Tests in the book and online to keep track of your progress Extend your knowledge Extra online articles at to give you a richer understanding of the culture and history of China. Try this Innovative exercises illustrate what you've learnt and how to use it.




Learn to Speak Cantonese 2


Book Description

It is not easy to leave one’s comfort zone to learn a new language and adapt to a new culture, as you might have learned from Gabriel in Book 1. In Book 2 of the Learn to Speak Cantonese series, meet Ben, a polar bear, who’s starting an adventure with his best friend, Stormy, a Pomeranian dog. Together, the two are traveling to Hong Kong to advocate for green living! In this book, you will join Ben and Stormy as they spend twelve months living in Hong Kong and learning how to use Cantonese in everyday life. These two characters will take you around the city and cover practical skills, such as bargaining, acing a job interview, advocating for environmental sustainability, and more! Follow Ben and Stormy as they teach you about Hong Kong’s culture and everything you need to communicate in Cantonese.