This course teaches Mandarin, also known as Standard Chinese. Mandarin is the official spoken language in Mainland China and Taiwan. It is also widely spoken in Singapore and Malaysia, and it is one of the five official languages of the UN. Mandarin is used in Chinese schools, colleges, universities, and in the media. Learn Mandarin Chinese today with Pimsleur. Can learning another language be as easy as speaking your own? Yes with Pimsleur it's that easy. Learn on your own time, at your own pace, and wherever you choose. Mandarin Chinese II includes 15 hours of spoken language practice and one additional hour of culture notes, and is designed to be used after completing Level 1. In the first 10 lessons, you begin to use the past tense. Structures become more complex and informal speech is introduced. Conversations become fuller, and learners are able to discuss business and social activities, manage shopping situations, and express their interests. As you progress, vocabulary is expanded and fluency increases. The next 10 lessons allow you to further combine and build upon known elements, and produce longer and more complex sentences. You learn to bargain with shopkeepers, deal with business situations, get and give medical information, and discuss the weather. In the final 10 lessons, you've doubled your vocabulary and have several hundred structures to draw upon. You'll gain experience asking for assistance, finding a location that is some distance away, and using relative structures - faster, slower, etc. Sports and leisure activities are explored, as well as shopping, changing money, and future travel plans. By the end, you're speaking at a midintermediate level with nearnative pronunciation, and you are comfortable meeting most social demands and limited job requirements. One hour of recorded Culture Notes are included at the end of Unit 30. These Notes are designed to provide you with some insight into Chinese culture. A Notes Booklet is also included in PDF format.