Chinese Stories for Language Learners

A Treasury of Proverbs and Folktales in Chinese and English

Chinese Stories for Language Learners
Vivian Ling, Wang Peng
RRP:
NZ$ 32.99
Our Price:
NZ$ 26.39
Paperback
h229 x 152mm - 256pg
1 Mar 2021 US
International import eta 7-19 days
9780804852784
Out Of Stock
Currently no stock in-store, stock is sourced to your order
The highly anticipated next book in Tuttle' s Stories for Language Learners series is here! This book presents 22 classic Chinese proverbs and the traditional tales behind them. The stories are bilingual, with the Chinese and English versions presented on facing pages. Each includes an explanation of how the proverb is used today, cultural notes, vocabulary and discussion questions. Audio recordings of the tales by native speakers are included, giving students a chance to improve their pronunciation and comprehension. Some of the proverbs featured in this collection include:Painting the Eyes on the Dragon Based on the story of a famous court painter in 6th century China who painted dragons, this proverb refers to the finishing touches needed to bring a work of art or literature to life. In a discussion, it refers to the final statements used to clinch the argument. Waiting for Rabbits by a Tree Stump Based on an ancient folktale about a foolish farmer who sees a rabbit kill itself in front of him by running into a tree stump, then gives up tilling his field to wait for more rabbits by the stump. This saying is applied to people who wait passively for luck to strike again. It also refers to impractical people who stick to one way of doing things only because it has worked for them once in the past. Pure Water Has No Fish; Perfect People Have No Friends Many versions of this historical tale exist. The one told here is about a 2nd century AD official sent to govern a far-flung outpost on the Silk Road who is fastidious in applying strict rules and thereby causes the local people to rebel against him. In the professional world, it is used to refer to people who do not like to work with an overly strict supervisor or colleague.
Vivian Ling was born in wartime China and educated in the U. S. She taught for 24 years at Oberlin College before moving overseas to direct study-abroad Chinese language programs, most notably the Inter-University Program for Chinese Language Studies at National Taiwan University in Taipei and Tsinghua University in Beijing. Her last position was Director of the Chinese Flagship program at Indiana University. She has authored and edited Chinese language textbooks, dictionaries, books on modern Chinese literature and, most recently, The Field of Chinese Language Education in the U. S. : A Retrospective of the 20th Century. She lives in Washington DC. Peng Wang has been on the faculty at Georgetown University since 2002, teaching various Chinese language courses including Business Chinese and Chinese for Heritage Learners. Previously, she was the chief instructor at the Inter-University Program for Chinese Language Studies at Tsinghua University, as well as a visiting faculty at Oberlin College and Brown University. Yang Xi is an up-and-coming artist and illustrator in China. She is currently a Master of Arts candidate at the Nanjing Art Institute College of Fine Arts. Her distinctive style can be characterized as amalgamation of classical and contemporary, Chinese and Western.

In stock - for items in stock we aim to dispatch the next business day. For delivery in NZ allow 2-5 business days, with rural taking a wee bit longer.

Locally sourced in NZ - stock comes from a NZ supplier with an approximate delivery of 7-15 business days.

International Imports - stock is imported into NZ, depending on air or sea shipping option from the international supplier stock can take 10-30 working days to arrive into NZ. 

Pre-order Titles - delivery will vary depending on where the title is published, if local stock is available in NZ then 5-7 business days, for international imports it can be 10-30 business days. In all cases we will access the quickest supply option.

Delivery Packaging - we ship all items in cardboard sleeves or by box with either packing paper or corn starch chips. (We avoid using plastics bubble bags)

Tracking - Orders are delivered by track and trace courier and are fully insured, tracking information will be sent by email once dispatched.

View our full Order & Delivery information