Guides: Chinese: Overview

Welcome!

This guide offers physical and digital resources available for Chinese language acquisition.

Books

Library Resources

Physical Items

Tuttle Chinese-English Dictionary by Li Dong
Call Number: PL1455 .L523 2009

Publication Date: 2009

Book
Chinese English Bilingual Dictionary by Angela Wilkes (Editor); Christine Heilman (Editor); Dorling Kindersley Publishing Staff
Call Number: PL1423 .B55 2008

Publication Date: 2008

Book
Mandarin Chinese Dictionary and Phrasebook by Yong Ho
Call Number: PL1455 .H66 2006

Publication Date: 2006

Book
Living Language Chinese by Living Language Staff
Call Number: PL1129 .E5 .C416 2011

Publication Date: 2011

CD - 7 Day Circulation

Online

Oxford Dictionaries - Chinese
Oxford Language Dictionaries include an online dictionary, usage guides, and resources for grammar, writing, and cultural information.
Cambridge Dictionary: English-Chinese Simplified
Traditional can be found here.
MDBG.net
New: improved stroke order animations and quizzes are now available for many Chinese characters in the dictionary.
MandarinTools Dictionary
Chinese-English dictionary
MandarinTools Chinese Character Dictionary
Character dictionary.

Databases for Chinese

Nexis Uni
Provides full-text access to news, business, and legal sources. Use the Company Dossier module to find detailed company information and financial information or identify and compare companies. Also provides access to Shepard's Citations service for all federal and state court cases 1789-present. Use to research court cases.
MLA International Bibliography
Bibliography of journal articles, books and dissertations dating back to 1963 for research in all aspects of modern languages and literature.
Project MUSE
Full text scholarly journal database covering the fields of literature and criticism, history, visual and performing arts, cultural studies, and other social sciences.

Multi-Subject Databases

Academic Search Ultimate
Use Academic Search Ultimate to find full-text popular periodical articles or scholarly (peer reviewed) journal articles covering most subject areas. A great place to find reliable articles for your research.
Academic OneFile Select
Use Academic Onefile Select to find full-text popular periodical articles or scholarly (peer-reviewed) journal articles in most subject areas. A great place to find reliable articles for your research.
ABC-CLIO World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras
Collections of primary and secondary sources about eras from Prehistory through 1500 in Europe, Asia, Americas and Africa.
ABC-CLIO World History: The Modern Era
Collections of primary and secondary sources about eras from 1500 through present times in Europe, Asia, Americas and Africa. Includes World Wars, Cold War and revolutions.

Ebook Search

Elementary Mandarin Chinese Textbook : The Complete Language Course for Beginning Learners by Cornelius C. Kubler
Publication Date: 2020

Elementary Mandarin Chinese Textbook is a new beginner Mandarin Chinese course which enables you to quickly learn the basics of the language. Includes companion audio.
Elementary Mandarin Chinese Workbook : Learn to Speak, Read and Write Chinese the Easy Way! by Cornelius C. Kubler
Publication Date: 2020

This workbook is for use with the Elementary Mandarin Chinese Textbook. Includes companion audio.
Continuing Mandarin Chinese Textbook : The Complete Language Course for Intermediate Learners by Cornelius C. Kubler
Publication Date: 2020

Continue learning after the first book in the series, Elementary Mandarin Chinese Textbook. Includes links to audio files.
Continuing Mandarin Chinese Workbook : Learn to Speak, Read and Write Chinese the Easy Way! by Cornelius C. Kubler
Publication Date: 2020

This workbook is designed to accompany the Continuing Mandarin Chinese Textbook.
A Writing Guide for Learners of Chinese by Qin Herzberg; Larry Herzberg; Pennylyn Dykstra-Pruim; Jennifer Redmann
Publication Date: 2021

This guide helps Chinese learners express themselves correctly on common everyday topics and for common social purposes.
Chinese Stories for Language Learners by Vivian Ling; Peng Wang; Yang Xi (Illustrator)
Publication Date: 2021

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.
Mandarin Chinese Picture Dictionary by Yi Ren
Publication Date: 2018

Learn 1,500 Key Chinese Words and Phrases. Perfect for AP and HSK Exam Prep. Includes Online Audio.
Essential Cantonese Phrasebook and Dictionary by Martha Tang
Publication Date: 2018

Cantonese Chinese Phrasebook & Dictionary with Manga Illustrations
Essential Mandarin Chinese Phrasebook and Dictionary by Catherine Dai
Publication Date: 2017

Essential Chinese Phrasebook & Dictionary presents the practical language of everyday interactions, conveyed in a way that's clear, concise, accessible and enjoyable.

Library Catalog

Books

Chinese Folktales for Language Learners by Vivian Ling; Peng Wang; Yang Xi (Illustrator)
Call Number: PL1117 .L56 2024

Publication Date: 2024

Each story is given in parallel Chinese and English versions, and is accompanied by a short essay about its historical context, a vocabulary list, and discussion questions.
Kingdom of Characters : The Language Revolution that made China Modern by Jing Tsu
Call Number: PL1171 .T776 2022

ISBN: 9780735214729

Publication Date: 2022

History of the Chinese language and its influence today.
Becoming a Dragon : Forty Chinese Proverbs for Lifelong Learning and Classroom Study, English - Chinese by Haiwang Yuan; Marjorie M. Kaiser
Call Number: PE1130 .C4 Y793 2017

Publication Date: 2018

Bilingual edition.
Contemporary Chinese Short-Short Stories : A Parallel Text by Aili Mu (Translator); Mike Smith (As told to)
Call Number: PL2653 .C85 2017

Publication Date: 2017

This book presents Chinese short-short stories in English and Chinese.
Island: Poetry and History of Chinese Immigrants on Angel Island, 1910-1940 by Him Mark Lai (Editor); Genny Lim (Editor); Judy Yung (Editor)
Call Number: PL3164.5 .E5 I85 2014

Publication Date: 2014

In addition to extensive profiles of immigrants gleaned through oral histories, and dozens of new photographs from public archives and family albums, this book includes 150 annotated poems in Chinese and English translation.
Chinese Demystified by Claudia Ross
Call Number: PL1129 .E5 R67 2011

Publication Date: 2010
Spirit of the Chinese Character : Gifts from the Heart by Barbara Aria; Russell Eng Gon
Call Number: PL1171 .A76 1992

Publication Date: 1992

40 beautifully rendered ideograms. Every character is accompanied by a simple chart showing its physical composition, stroke by stroke, as well as an informative text describing the myriad linguistic components from which its meaning is derived.

Ways to Study

HSKFlashcards
Online flash cards for all levels of Chinese.
Gateway to Chinese
This site offers a collection of free interactive language learning resources for beginning Mandarin Chinese. Students now have the option to practice pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, listening, and reading skills at their own convenience.
McGraw Hill Language Lab
Free web and mobile app with flashcards, quizzes and audio recordings. Designed to accompany McGraw Hill foreign language books, but available free for general practicing.
CIA World Factbook - China
Gives statistics and data for China.

Language Learning Apps

DuoLingo
This free resource allows you to learn languages in a fun and easy way.
Mango Languages
While this resource is a paid service, some public libraries offer it for free to their patrons.
Libraries in the area with this resource currently available to their patrons: Aurora Public Library, Batavia Public Library, Geneva Public Library District

Chinese Word of the Day

Books on Chinese Culture and History

China Smart : What You Don’t Know, What You Need to Know— A Past & Present Guide to History, Culture, Society, Language by Larry Herzberg
Call Number: Online

Publication Date: 2019

Essential essays on all things Chinese that inform and entertain travelers, students, and anyone working or living in China.
China - Culture Smart! : The Essential Guide to Customs & Culture by Culture Smart!; Indre Balcikonyte-Huang; Kathy Flower
Call Number: Online

Publication Date: 2021

Chapters on history, values, attitudes, traditions, etiquette, and communicating will help you to better understand and navigate unfamiliar situations.
A Geek in China : Discovering the Land of Alibaba, Bullet Trains and Dim Sum by Matthew B. Christensen
Call Number: Online

Publication Date: 2016

Readers will learn essential information about China's past and present to be able to understand the many references to history, politics, and pop culture that come up in everyday conversation and the media.
A Brief History of China by Jonathan Clements
Call Number: Online

Publication Date: 2019

A comprehensive, yet entertaining look at China's history through a modern lens.
The World Turned Upside Down : A History of the Chinese Cultural Revolution by Yang Jisheng; Stacy Mosher (Translator); Guo Jian (Translator)
Call Number: DS778.7 .Y3713 2021

Publication Date: 2021

A history of the Chinese Cultural Revolution.
Understanding Contemporary China by Robert E. Gamer (Editor); Stanley W. Toops (Editor)
Call Number: DS706 .U47 2017

Publication Date: 2017

Talks on China's contemporary political, economic, and social issues.

Access World News
A newspaper database of national, state and local newspapers, including the Beacon News and the Kane County Chronicle.

Formerly known as "America's Newspapers"
Asian Life in America
The experience and impact of Asian Americans as reported in the news media. Coverage from the early 1700s to current, updated daily.
Wall Street Journal
Digital Edition. Paid access to the current Wall Street journal provided by Waubonsee Community College Libraries.

If asked to login, you may need to click the "Sign In With Google" link, and provide your Waubonsee Community College email account.
New York Times
Digital Edition. An American newspaper of record with worldwide influence.
Comprehensive digital coverage. Find breaking news, media, reviews and opinion
on national and international topics.
Newspaper Source
Provides selected full text coverage of newspapers and other full text transcripts.
Illinois Newspapers
Full-text access to Illinois newspapers, including several local papers like the Beacon News and the Naperville Sun.

Chinese

Search Tips

Sample searches for books about Chinese:

Chinese language -- Study and teaching

English language -- Dictionaries -- Chinese

Chinese language -- Dictionaries -- English

Language Study -- Chinese

To BROWSE shelves, look in these LC call number ranges:

DS 701-799.9 Chinese History and Culture (including Tibet, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Outer Mongolia)

PL 1001-1960 Chinese Language

PL 2250-3208 Chinese Literature

PL 3301-3311 Non-Chinese Languages of China

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Welcome!

This guide offers physical and digital resources available for Chinese language acquisition.

Books

Library Resources

Physical Items

Online

Databases for Chinese

Multi-Subject Databases

Ebook Search

Library Catalog

Books

Ways to Study

Language Learning Apps

Chinese Word of the Day

Books on Chinese Culture and History

Ebsco News - China/Chinese

Chinese

Sample searches for books about Chinese: Chinese language -- Study and teaching English language -- Dictionaries -- Chinese Chinese language -- Dictionaries -- English

Language Study -- Chinese To BROWSE shelves, look in these LC call number ranges:

DS 701-799.9 Chinese History and Culture (including Tibet, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Outer Mongolia) PL 1001-1960 Chinese Language PL 2250-3208 Chinese Literature PL 3301-3311 Non-Chinese Languages of China

Welcome!

This guide offers physical and digital resources available for Chinese language acquisition.

Books

Library Resources

Physical Items

Online

Databases for Chinese

Multi-Subject Databases

Ebook Search

Library Catalog

Books

Ways to Study

Language Learning Apps

Chinese Word of the Day

Books on Chinese Culture and History

Ebsco News - China/Chinese

Sample searches for books about Chinese:

Chinese language -- Study and teaching

English language -- Dictionaries -- Chinese

Chinese language -- Dictionaries -- English

Language Study -- Chinese

To BROWSE shelves, look in these LC call number ranges:

DS 701-799.9 Chinese History and Culture (including Tibet, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Outer Mongolia)

PL 1001-1960 Chinese Language

PL 2250-3208 Chinese Literature

PL 3301-3311 Non-Chinese Languages of China