China through the Camera Lens 镜头中的中国: A Multimedia Reader for Advanced Chinese 多媒体高年级中文读本

China through the Camera Lens combines Chinese language learning with film analysis, offering a unique and comprehensive learning experience beyond traditional methods.

The book consists of twelve chapters, each based on a carefully selected short film or video. Each chapter is divided into a presentation section and a practice section. The presentation includes short narratives illustrated with color screen shots, with vocabulary glossed alongside for easy reference. It also introduces relevant film terms to help students focus on filmmaking techniques as well as the content of the films. The practice sections cover word collocations, near synonyms, word meanings, idiomatic phrases, paragraph structure, topics for class discussion, composition practice, and extended reading. By integrating short films, cultural insights, and film analysis, learners not only enhance their language skills but also gain a deeper understanding of the relationship between film and content.

This book is an innovative and engaging advanced Chinese language textbook that immerses advanced Chinese learners in language and culture through short films and videos.

Shuqin Cui is Bowdoin Professor of Asian Studies and Cinema Studies at Bowdoin College.

Ying Gao is Lecturer in the Department of East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Cultures at the University of Virginia.

Hsin-hsin Liang is Professor of Chinese, General Faculty, at the University of Virginia in the Department of East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Cultures.

Julian K. Wheatley (Ph.D. in Linguistics from the University of California at Berkeley) has spent a good deal of his professional life directing language programs, first at Cornell University and then at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Since retiring from MIT, he has been based in New Orleans and has held visiting positions in Singapore, Hong Kong, Beijing, and Zhuhai/Shenzhen.