TEACHING AND LEARNING CHINESE AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE.Janet Zhiqun Xing. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press, 2006. Pp. x + 323. $49.50 cloth, $24.95 paper.

With the rapid increase in the number of people who are interested in learning Chinese as a foreign language (CFL), the demand has grown for research and knowledge on how to effectively teach and learn a language that appears intimidating to speakers of alphabetic languages. Xing's volume is the first attempt in English to comprehensively address CFL pedagogical and acquisition issues. An experienced language teacher and researcher, the author makes her work a valuable resource for Chinese language professionals and learners by integrating theoretical principles into the practice of teaching and learning Chinese.