“Encounters is an excellent addition to the field of teaching Chinese as a foreign language because of its innovative instructional design.…The most outstanding feature of the Encounters program is its emphasis on performance in learning Chinese. As we know, students learn a foreign language most effectively by “doing” the language….The authors of Encounters are masterful in creating truly learner-centered and effective classroom learning activities. Students are engaged not only at the output stage, but also during the input stage, i.e. the presentation of new content….The second distinguishing feature of Encounters is its functional approach to the teaching and learning of Chinese. Foreign language acquisition research has clearly shown that our curriculum should be designed to simultaneously foster students’ linguistic, socio-cultural and strategic competencies….The authors of Encounters have successfully situated Chinese language learning in rich socio-cultural contexts….The content of the learning material is highly contextualized in various real life situations, captured through the filming of a dramatic story….The authenticity of the learning material is also notable. The actors of the video series are people from all walks of life and from different geographical regions of China. The units of Book 1 are well selected and they are all situated in realistic cultural settings in China…Encounters is one of the best learning packages for the teaching of Beginning Chinese. The program distinguishes itself from other learning materials for its functional approach and authentic contexts, its emphasis on performance in learning, and, most of all, its innovative instructional design and user-friendly teaching tips.”
—Jianhua Bai, Kenyon College, Journal of the Chinese Language Teachers Association (June 2014)
“With this textbook the Chinese teaching field is closer to the notion that culture is inseparable from language. It helps students explore how Chinese culture is different from or similar to their own by providing thought-provoking questions. With a great emphasis on practicality, lessons in Encounters deal with up-to-date topics….An outstanding feature of Encounters is that the program has a companion website which offers an array of materials and activities, including interactive exercises, streaming video and audio content, and other resources for practicing speaking, listening, reading, and writing in Chinese….The use of music also provides students a lighthearted and friendly environment to engage in Chinese learning.”—Yaqiong Cui, Missouri State University, Language Learning & Technology
"As a foreign language instructor and researcher, I am very meticulous and demanding regarding the selection and utilization of instructional materials. In the last ten years, we have seen a significant increase of interest in Chinese language and culture in K-16 settings. As is true for many foreign language programs, not all Chinese programs provide the same quality of education. Authentic and meaningful learning materials, especially textbooks, are the foundation of any high-quality foreign language instructional program. I strongly recommend the Encounters materials, a remarkable series of textbooks, to all Chinese instructors, especially those teaching at the high school and college levels. I believe both teachers and students will very much enjoy this exemplar of a new generation of language programming.”
—Ting Shen, University of Mount Union, Journal of Technology and Chinese Language Teaching
“Encounters provides a well-rounded introduction to the language…. [It is] well organised and comprehensive.”
– Francesca Sablan, second-year Chinese studies student, University of Manchester, Times Higher Education
“Innovative, fantastic, very engaging and encouraging for learning….The skillful film arts and ways of presentation utilized in Encounters represent a new and substantial development of teaching materials preparation. No doubt Encounters will be a major contribution to the Chinese teaching field.”
– Chengzhi Chu, Ph.D., Director of the Chinese Language Program, University of California, Davis