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Dr. Theodore Hsi-en Chen (1902-1991): Chinese American Education Pioneer and Founder of East Asian Studies at USC Main Menu Introduction Dr. Theodore Hsi-en Chen’s Life and Career at USC Dr. Theodore Hsi-en Chen's Scholarship Dr. Theodore Hsi-en Chen and the China Society of Southern California (CSSC) Dr. Theodore Hsi-en Chen’s Legacy to the USC and the Community Events and Celebration Archives and Resources About the Project

Elementary Chinese Reader and Grammar 國語讀本

41588 Dr. Chen and his wife wrote this textbook in dedication to their two American-born daughters. It was used as a textbook in the Chinese class at USC in the 1940s. This book, though used for “elementary” level, includes longer reading passages/conversations, a large amount of vocabulary as well as extensive comparisons between Chinese and American history, culture, and society-- roughly comparable to the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) Intermediate High to Advanced Low level of Chinese language competence. Note that the transliteration system used in this textbook was Wade-Giles, not the Bopomofo or Pinyin system.

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Dr. Theodore Hsi-en Chen’s Life and Career at USC Li-Ping Chen
Contents of this path:
1. Coming to the United States
2. Elementary Chinese Reader and Grammar 國語讀本 Dr. Chen and his wife wrote this textbook in dedication to their two American-born daughters. It was used as a textbook in the Chinese class at USC in the 1940s. This book, though used for “elementary” level, includes longer reading passages/conversations, a large amount of vocabulary as well as extensive comparisons between Chinese and American history, culture, and society-- roughly comparable to the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) Intermediate High to Advanced Low level of Chinese language competence. Note that the transliteration system used in this textbook was Wade-Giles, not the Bopomofo or Pinyin system.
3. Dr. Chen's Scrapbook
4. East Asian Studies at USC Under Dr. Chen’s influential leadership, Asian studies at USC experienced rapid growth during the 1960s and 1970s, with increased budgets and enrollment, as well as enhanced curriculum, programs, and events. In addition, he received several grants (including $180,000 from the Carnegie Corporation of New York in 1963) to promote Chinese and Japanese language courses in high schools in the greater Los Angeles Area.
5. Tunghai University

Contents of this path:

Elementary Chinese Reader and Grammar 國語讀本. South Pasadena: P.D. and Ione Perkins, 1945. Dr. Chen and his wife wrote this textbook in dedication to their two American-born daughters. It was used as a textbook in the Chinese class at USC in the 1940s. This book, though used for “elementary” level, includes extensive comparisons between Chinese and American history, culture, and society--comparable to the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) advanced-mid to advanced-high level of Chinese language competence.
國語讀本 Title page
國語讀本 Dedication page
國語讀本 Preface
國語讀本 p.35: This page vividly compares American and Chinese food.
國語讀本 p. 95: This page describes the American public health and medical system.
國語讀本 p.103: This page describes a trip to Shanghai in 1935 to teach in a girls’ secondary school.