Ni Hao 1 is the first level in the series and is designed for students who have no prior knowledge of the Chinese language. It is suited to upper primary or junior high school students. Chinese characters are used extensively throughout the text and are accompanied by Pinyin, which acts as a pronunciation guide. Pinyin is gradually omitted as students become familiar with the characters and vocabulary. Ni Hao 1 teaches the pronunciation skills and introduces common characters, simple phrases and sentence patterns that are needed for communicating in basic, practical situations. Grammatical structures are explained clearly and are accompanied by many examples of how to use them correctly. Background information on relevant cultural topics are also included to strengthen students¿ understanding of the language. This level is also quite suitable for adults who have no prior knowledge of the language and are interested in learning Mandarin Chinese. Ni Hao 1 introduces more than 280 wor