Mandarin Chinese: An Annotated Bibliography of Self- Study Materials

The People’s Republic of China is currently the seventh largest economy in the world and is projected to be the largest economy by 2050. Commensurate with its growing economic power, the PRC is using its political power more frequently on the world stage. As a result of these changes, interest in China and its legal system is growing among attorneys and academics. International law librarians similarly are seeing more researchers interested in China, its laws and economy.

The principal language of China, Mandarin Chinese, is considered a difficult language to learn. The Foreign Service Institute has rated Mandarin as “exceptionally difficult for English speakers to learn.” Busy professionals such as law librarians find it very difficult to learn additional languages despite their usefulness in their careers. I have drafted this annotated bibliography of self-study materials on Mandarin Chinese for the busy international law librarian. While a formal language course may not be possible, some time for self-study may be available.

The materials in this bibliography were identified for their usefulness to the self-learner of Mandarin.