Chinestory - Learning Chinese through Pictures and Stories (Storybook 1) In the Beginning: An efficient cognitive approach designed for readers of all ages to learn 3000 Chinese characters and phrases, and begin to speak like a native

Book info: Chinestory - Learning Chinese through Pictures and Stories (Storybook 1) In the Beginning: An efficient cognitive approach designed for readers of all ages to learn 3000 Chinese characters and phrases, and begin to speak like a native (Paperback, 158 pages) – International 1st Fruit Education, 2017. Language: English.

Chinestory: Learning Chinese through Pictures and Stories is a groundbreaking pedagogical innovation, designed for overseas Chinese learners and non-native Chinese speakers. Students will learn 2000 simplified Chinese characters with Chinese pinyin (pronunciation and tone) to achieve a 98% proficiency level, will master the skill to decode characters and construct phrases, and be on their way to read, speak and write like a native.

Through the meticulously designed sequencing of Chinese characters based on etymological research; through historically and culturally rich stories; through the artfully designed images of the ancient Oracle bone script dated to 1500 B.C.; through interactive games; through iterative cycles of the Leaner-Centered Design process, the Chinesetory series delivers a brand new language learning experience that promises to be meaningful, long-lasting and fun!

Chinestory is designed for learners of all ages. As long as you have an appetite for stories, a heart appreciative of beauty and art, or an inquisitive mind, then the book is right for you. Independent readers from 2nd grade and up should be able to read the English text without many difficulties. Learners in first grade and below should also be able to enjoy the storylines and the images, as well as to identify the symbols of the Chinese characters by having the stories read to them.

Editorial Reviews Review This multifaceted masterpiece offers a fresh and easy way to learn and enjoy the beauty of Chinese language and culture. Not only does the book connect traditional Chinese artwork styles to a captivating story highlighting Chinese heritage (context, culture), but the contents also explore the unseen roots of the Chinese language, uniquely displaying the evolution of the characters from their etymological origin. --Jianming Dong, PhD. Chief User Experience Architect, Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd.

This beautifully illustrated book starts at the very basic level, but one gets easily immersed into the lovely stories and pictures. A few moments later you realise you learned a lot in a very pleasurable way. This book can be recommended to a very wide audience of readers.-----Cees de Bont, Dean and Chair Professor of Design, School of Design, Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Amazing book! Fresh, innovative in its approach. Thanks to the story telling reading is enjoyable and flows easily like a breeze, so that you learn with little effort. I also appreciated the authors' ability to connect each new word with tangible facts of every day's life and bind all together through the story: that makes the book greatly effective while it helps memorizing things. This book stands out and you can feel the author's empathizing approach. I wish I could have such a support years ago, when I went through my painful learning process through traditional "academic" ways, trying quite a few different ones (who can forget the long hours spent repeating "my name is...," "I am from..). -- Giovanni Traverso - long term expat from Italy working in China

A wonderful present for learners of Chinese language and culture. Pedagogical design such as the layering of the semantics of the Chinese characters, the stroke-by-stroke writing system are innovative and instructive. Such pedagogical innovations are in line with well-established theories in the linguistics field, most notably Chomsky's Universal Grammar, the Schemata Theory (Winograd, 1977), the Noticing Theory (Schmit, 1990), the Connectionism Theory (McCarthy, 2006). --Jieyi Tang, Ph.D., School of Foreign Language Studies, South China Normal University

This is not your ordinary textbook on learning language. Along the storyline, the readers discover the fascinating culture which the Chinese language has developed upon. As a native Chinese speaker, I have found myself re-discover my mother language from the very root. The author artistically plants the building blocks of Chinese characters into the readers' heart and naturally grow the concept through vivid storyline. I sincerely recommend Chinestory to anyone who seeks an easy, fun and engaging way to learn Chinese and the culture. -- Lili Shi, Principal, New Life Gospel Church Chinese School, Dallas

Anthony Su's beautiful illustrations interweave with Haiyan Fan's well-crafted story to build a memorable understanding of the Chinese characters. Designed for children and adults alike, Chinestory creates a delightful scaffold for learning Chinese! --Debbie Cockerham Managing Director, Research and Learning Center Fort Worth Museum of Science and History

Chinesestory breathes colorful life into the world of learning Chinese characters. What was once a tedious task of repetition is now a stimulating endeavor. Each step of the narrative reveals a new character so vivid and alive it will dance in your memory forever. --- Steven Cutting, author of Rural Leaders, Asian Rural Institute, Japan

As a European the Chinese language is so different from what I am used to even if I have lived and worked in China for 3 years...The book allows you to understand and visually get a "feel" for the language both by linguistics and visual support...The book is very pedagogical and gives a great background and understanding about where the characters origin from. Very good! --Mats Hellman, UX Design and Service Strategist, Sweden

Engaging narrative, helpful for recalling* past learned characters
chronologically. Very good for visual learners. The use of symbolism helps
create stronger impression of the characters and its meaning for the
readers. The Aesthetic design reinforces these ideas – Jacky, Sabirana, Ena
Zeng (10th and 12th grader) from Sydney, Australia

*Chinestory connects learners to the roots of Chinese language,* hence the
essence and the spirit of the Hua Xia civilization. Such pedagogical
innovation may have far-reaching impact on the way Chinese has been taught
and learned.
-- Gang Min, Principal Architect, Ming Architects & Associates. About the Author A former language teacher, a user experience research professional, Dr. Haiyan Fan brought the same principles and expertise of User Experience Design into the design of an innovative language curriculum - the Chinestory series. Her hope is to make learning Chinese a meaningful, long-lasting and fun experience for you! A native Chinese speaker, Haiyan now resides with her husband and two young children in Dallas. She lives inspired everyday by the beauties of Mother Nature, and the great minds and hearts the world offers to all of us. Haiyan came to the States in 1997 to pursue her Master's degree in Applied Linguistics and Teaching English as a Second Language at the University of Arizona, Tucson. Later her research work at the Artificial Intelligence Lab at U of Arizona gave her a unique perspective on language learning, and promoted her continuous pursuit in the research domain of Human-Computer Interaction in her doctoral program at Texas A&M University. A former principle user experience researcher at China's largest telecomm company with extensive experience designing for user-friendly mobile, seamless user experiences, Dr. Fan made a career U-turn to answer a calling to devote her expertise in user experience design and research to the course of making language learning easy, productive and enjoyable.

Anthony Su, born in a small coastal town by the South China Sea, started doodling before he knew how to use chopsticks and never stopped loving it. He is proud to be a freelance illustrator, an art teacher, a tireless traveler, and an ailurophile.