Chinese Express is a practical textbook designed for foreigners who are living or working in China to learn Chinese by self-study. In the last 20 years, more and more friends from different parts of the world have come to China. Everybody experiences his or her own story and is often shocked by the change in this fast-growing country. For expats living in China, many people want and need to learn Mandarin Chinese. But due to work commitments during the day and family activities after hours, it is sometimes difficult to find time to attend full-time university classes. As a professional language instructor with l0 years of experience for corporate Chinese training, I have found that most university textbooks are designed for full-time training over a long tenn. It has been very difficult to find a practical book to help people start communicating as soon as possible. So, in 2003, I made up my mind and finished writing the book Chinese Express. Focusing on conversation, Chinese Express was designed for beginners who have classes twice or three times a week. The full course can be finished in 3 months. The lessons begin with proper pronunciation of Mandarin. Then students will learn "Greetings", "Introducing Yourself", "What Is This", "Taking a Taxi", "Time", "Date", "Shopping", "Going to a Restaurant", "Seeing a Doctor", "Holiday in China" and other common encounter. Lesson 15 and Lesson 17 cover some special Chinese sentence structures which are very popular in daily oral Chinese. Finally, since language is such an important aspect of the Chinese culture, Lesson 16 introduces Chinese politeness to help learners to deal with common social situations. Chinese Express is also a good choice for people who would like to take an intensive course before going to China for business or pleasure. Learning basic Chinese is not as difficult as you may think at first. Even the simplest knowledge of the language will enhance your experience. Enjoy your life in China! This is my best wish. I hope more and more friends can come to China and start learning this ancient language. Good Luck.