Beginning Chinese Reader

This second edition, like the earlier first edition, introduces some of the main varieties of Chinese as found before and after the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949. While continuing to stress the basic importance of the traditional usages, such as the regular characters to be found in all materials published before the adoption of the simplified forms in 1956 and still in use in some areas, the present revision goes further in contrasting variant usages and in providing additional material relevent to the PRC.DeFrancis, John is the author of 'Beginning Chinese Reader', published 1977 under ISBN 9780300020618 and ISBN 0300020619.