The 24 lessons in this book are meant to be used in 3 hours per week of class instruction over one academic year. Students will need another 23 hours of outside practice and review for every hour of class time, using the materials in the accompanying Elementary Mandarin Chinese Workbook. 

These books can also be used by self-study learners due to the extensive explanations and free supplementary materials available - including online audio and video recordings and flash cards. 

The entire course can be completed in 25 to 35 weeks and teaches you the basic skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing Mandarin Chinese at a conversational level. Each lesson starts with a dialogue and includes a list of new and supplementary Chinese vocabulary along with questions and grammar notes about the dialogue, a reading section and extensive exercises.