Overview of the Cantonese Basic Course
The Cantonese Basic Course is divided into 30 Lessons, many of which are composed of dialogues,
notes, and supplemental vocabulary. The course assumes the student has no prior knowledge of Cantonese and is fully
self-instructional. This means that while an instructor/native speaker would be helpful, it is not imperative to
learn Cantonese with this course. Volume I contains 15 CDs and a 411 page textbook or 1 DVD with all lessons on MP3 with the
textbook in a PDF file format. Volume II contains 15 CDs and a 413 page textbook or 1 DVD with all lessons on MP3 with the textbook in
a PDF file format.
Lesson 1: Classroom phrases
Lesson 2: Classroom phrases
Lesson 3: Classroom phrases
Lesson 4: Classroom phrases
Lesson 5: A servant brings in tea and cakes
Lesson 6: Clerk and Customer in a department store
Lesson 7: Classroom phrases
Lesson 8:Buying socks at a department store
Lesson 9: Answering the telephone
Lesson 10: Where is the hotel?
Lesson 11:A brother and sister are sharing a taxi to work
Lesson 12: Two friends meet at the bus stop
Lesson 13: Giving Directions
Lesson 14: A Hong Kong native and a foreign friend have lunch in a restaurant
Lesson 15: Mr. Wong approaches another pedestrian on the street in front of the South China Morning Post building on Wyndham st.
Lesson 16: 3 Colleagues discuss what they did the previous day
Lesson 17: 2 acquaintances, one Chinese, one American, talk together at a party; days of the week
Lesson 18: University Student waiting for his girl to get ready to go out, talks to her older sister.
Lesson 19: Walking from the bus stop on his way to work in the morning, a foreigner who is a new resident in Hong Kong meets a friend, a native resident
Lesson 20: Mr. Ma asks Miss Lee about her boss, Mr. Cheung, and his family
Lesson 21: It's February in Hong Kong, and a native of Hong Kong is talking about the weather with a native of Taiwan
Lesson 22: Miss Jones, a young foreigner employed as secretary in Hong Kong, is talking to her friend, Miss Lee, a young Cantonese eomployed in the same office
Lesson 23: A tourist in a hotel in Hong Kong has rung for the roomboy
Lesson 24: At home one hot summer afternoon Mrs. Brown, realizing she is thirsty asks for some tea
Lesson 25: Mrs. Wong is reading late, when her son comes into the living room
Lesson 26: At the Wong's house. the Wong daughter answers the doorbell
Lesson 27: An American who works at the American Consulate in Hong Kong talks to a Cantonese friend at a party
Lesson 28: Answering a ring at the doorbell to find the postman
Lesson 29: Mr. Ho arrives late for his appointment with Mr. Cheung
Lesson 30: Younger brother and elder sister discuss an approaching typhoon
Objectives of the course
The objectives of the course are to teach students to speak
Standard Cantonese in the locales where Cantonese is spoken,
to speak it fluently and grammatically, with acceptable pronunciation,
within the scope of topics of daily life. The course was not designed
to lay the groundwork for learning the written language. At the end of
the course students will be able to buy things; talk on the telephone;
ask and give directions; handle money; discuss events past, present and
future; make comparisons; talk about themselves and their families; tell
time; order simple meals; talk with the landlord, doctor, servant, bellboy,
cabdrive; waiter; sales-clerk; discuss what, when, where, why, who, how,
how much. They will not be able to discuss politics or their jobs or other
topics of a specialized nature.
Cultural Notes
Lunar and solar calendar. In Hong Kong dates are reckoned by the solar calendar. Many people, however,
reckon the dates of births, deaths, and weddings by the traditional lunar calendar. (On traditional
Chinese wedding invitations both the lunar date and the solar date are given.)
Pimsleur Cantonese
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