đź“š Recommended Books & Resources
Essential Books (Buy These)
| Book | Publisher | ISBN | Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Integrated Chinese 4th Ed., Vol. 1 (Textbook) | Cheng & Tsui | 978-1622911356 | Core textbook Days 31–180 |
| Integrated Chinese 4th Ed., Vol. 1 (Workbook) | Cheng & Tsui | 978-1622911363 | Daily exercises |
| Integrated Chinese 4th Ed., Vol. 2 (Textbook) | Cheng & Tsui | 978-1622911417 | Core textbook Days 181–365 |
| Integrated Chinese 4th Ed., Vol. 2 (Workbook) | Cheng & Tsui | 978-1622911424 | Daily exercises |
| Reading & Writing Chinese | Tuttle | 978-0804842990 | Character reference (all 2,600+) |
| Mandarin Chinese Picture Dictionary | Tuttle | 978-0804845694 | Visual vocabulary |
| Chinese Grammar Wiki BOOK | AllSet Learning | 978-1941875407 | Complete grammar reference |
Optional (For HSK Test Takers)
| Book | Publisher | ISBN |
|---|---|---|
| HSK Standard Course 1 | BLCUP | 978-7561937099 |
| HSK Standard Course 2 | BLCUP | 978-7561937266 |
| HSK Standard Course 3 | BLCUP | 978-7561938188 |
| HSK Standard Course 4 (上/下) | BLCUP | 978-7561939031 |
Graded Readers (Start ~Day 60)
| Series | Publisher | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Mandarin Companion — Breakthrough (150 chars) | Mind Spark Press | Days 60–120 |
| Mandarin Companion — Level 1 (300 chars) | Mind Spark Press | Days 120–200 |
| Mandarin Companion — Level 2 (450 chars) | Mind Spark Press | Days 200–300 |
| Chinese Breeze Series | Peking Univ. Press | All levels |
| DuChinese App | duchinese.net | All levels (digital) |
📱 Essential Apps
| App | Purpose | Platform | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pleco | Dictionary, SRS, OCR, stroke order | iOS/Android | Free + add-ons |
| HelloChinese | Interactive course | iOS/Android | Free (premium $) |
| Anki / AnkiDroid | Spaced repetition | Desktop/Mobile | Free (iOS $25) |
| Skritter | Character writing | iOS/Android/Web | ~$15/mo |
| DuChinese | Graded reading with audio | iOS/Android | Free + premium |
📦 Essential Anki Decks
- “SpoonFed Chinese” — 8,000+ sentences, native audio, sorted by difficulty. AnkiWeb. #1 deck.
- “HSK 1–4 Vocabulary” — Any highly-rated deck with audio.
- “Chinese Radicals” — All 214 radicals.
🎥 YouTube Channels
| Channel | Best For | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Yoyo Chinese | Pronunciation, tones, beginner | Day 1–180 |
| Mandarin Corner | HSK vocabulary, listening | Day 60+ |
| Shuoshuo Chinese | Grammar explanations | Day 90+ |
| Everyday Chinese | Real-life dialogues | Day 30+ |
| Grace Mandarin Chinese | Pronunciation deep dives | Day 1–90 |
🎧 Podcasts
| Podcast | Level | Platform |
|---|---|---|
| ChinesePod | Newbie → Advanced | chinesepod.com, Spotify |
| TeaTime Chinese | Slow Mandarin | Spotify, Apple |
| Mandarin Bean | HSK listening | mandarinbean.com |
đź“° Reading (Day 200+)
| Resource | Type | URL |
|---|---|---|
| The Chairman’s Bao | News for learners | thechairmansbao.com |
| DuChinese | Graded articles | duchinese.net |
| Mandarin Companion | Graded books | mandarincompanion.com |
🗣️ Language Exchange
| App | Purpose |
|---|---|
| HelloTalk | Chat, voice calls, moments |
| Tandem | Alternative exchange app |
| iTalki | Paid tutors (worth 1 lesson/week from Day 90) |
đź“ť Testing
| Resource | URL |
|---|---|
| HSK Mock Tests | hskmock.com |
| Mandarin Bean Tests | mandarinbean.com |
| Official HSK Info | chinesetest.cn |