Basic Chinese is an integrated course co-developed by Beijing Language and Culture University Press and Cattsoft, Inc. for Chinese beginners and learners without any previous knowledge of Chinese. Practical dialogues are designed to help learners learn Chinese in simulated real life situations. All the dialogues, grammar explanations and knowledge notes are annotated in English to make it accessible to non-native Chinese learners. Pronunciation and grammars are explained in comparison with English. "Fun in Knowledge" column gives a comprehensive introduction to social, historical and cultural knowledge about China. The multimedia CD-ROM enables better interactions between teaching and learning, providing convenience for online distant learning and self-study outside class.