- Specially designed pictures and stories are used in a structured way to make the learning process more enjoyable and effective, reducing the need for rote learning to the absolute minimum.
- The emphasis throughout is on learning and remembering the meanings and pronunciations of the characters. Tips are also included on learning techniques and how to avoid common problems.
- Characters are introduced in a logical sequence, which also gives priority to learning the most common characters first.
- Modern simplified characters are used, with pronunciations given in pinyin. Key information is given for each character, including radical, stroke-count, traditional form, compounds, and guidance on writing the character.
This is a practical guide with a clear, concise and appealing layout, and it is well-indexed with clear lookup methods. The 800 Chinese characters and 1,033 compounds specified for the original HSK 1-3 proficiency tests are covered.