China Studies: Online Resources
UNC subscribed materials
- Chinese ebooks: AiritiBooks (華藝中文電子書)Cover more than 700 academic and general publishers in Taiwan, including Government publication, Linking, Hwatai, Bookman, Chien Cheng, Chienhua etc. UNC affiliated users have full access to all titles UNC acquired under the tab, 'Purchased titles by the Library.' Airiti ebooks available at UNC cover subjects in arts, language and literature, history and geography, philosophy, world history and geography and generalities. Suggestions for adding new subjects and new titles to the Airiti ebook collection are welcome. Please submit your request via the library website.
Note: This resource is best used with Internet Explorer.
Users will also need to update their flash player with the latest version as well as disable any pop-up blockers. - ChinesePodA daily language course podcast and accompanying website that offers lessons in Standard Mandarin Chinese. The premium subscription includes: full access to archive of 1,100+lessons and all new lessons published within the subscription period; online lesson review exercises and expansion; high-quality audio review file, containing new vocabulary and examples of usage; vocabulary study tools, including virtual flashcards; and iPhone access.
- Duxiu Knowledge Search (读秀中文学术搜索)Provides access to more than 3 million Chinese bibliographic entries and 2 million full text scholarly resources in all subjects and formats, such as books, journal articles, conference papers and video clips. Duxiu covers Chinese publications from the early the 1930s to the present. New contents are added monthly. End users receive contents through online requests. Contents are delivered electronically to end users' specified email account within 2 hours. Please note that depending upon different publications' copyright restrictions, not all resources found in Duxiu have the same level of content access. For instance, the preview of chapters, table of contents and contents may vary from title to title.
- Transparent Language OnlineProvides a fun, effective, and engaging experience for learners of all levels looking to build their listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills in a foreign language. With over 110 languages to choose from, including English for speakers of over 30 languages, there is something for every learner. Transparent Language Online combines robust courses, supplemental vocabulary, extensive grammar resources, and mobile apps for a complete language-learning experience.
Note: Users must create an individual account.
Chinese Reading Materials
- China Daily 中国日报Bilingual readings on the most up-to-date topics in China.
- The New York Times in Chinese 纽约时报中文版Read the latest articles from the New York Times in Chinese! A good way for beginners to use this resource is to read the Chinese version and the original article in English side by side.
- Financial Times in Chinese FT中文网Read the current Financial Times articles on China in Chinese language.
- BBC News in ChineseRead news articles from BBC in Chinese!
- Chinese Text SamplerGraded reading materials developed by the University of Michigan. Articles are free for download.
- Beginning Level 中文阅读天地Resources developed by University of Iowa. The websites offer a huge collection of reading materials, alongside with the audio file, for beginner level learners to download to use.
- Chinese PoemsWorks offered for some of the most famous Chinese Poets in the Tang Dynasty. Full test, pinyin, and English translation offered.
- Chinese Books on Project GutengurgChinese books in the public domain; available in various e-book formats for free downloading. Notice: majority of the books are in Classical Chinese
Chinese Language Learning Tools
Access the current articles on some of the most popular newspapers online! The majority of the sites offer full-article access. Sign-up may be required.
- Chinese BoostGreat blog posts on learning Chinese; lessons are offered in series; Useful grammar tools available.
- Chinese Grammar WikiThe customized wiki of Chinese grammar uses.
- SinospliceThe long-lasting blog that offers frequently updated articles on new and interesting topics. Free learning materials available.
- Hanzi CraftA phonetic set is a list of characters where a component produces the same pronunciation clue towards each character.
- List of Chinese RadicalsThe comprehensive list of radicals available for learners.
- Learning Chinese: Start From Scratch (零到一學中文)The course is designed for beginner-level learners of Chinese and spans six weeks. Everyday scenarios and conversations, and videos, photos, animation, and comics are used throughout the course to enhance memorization and understanding.
Chinese Language Standardized Test Resources
- HSK Mock TestThe official mock tests on all six levels; log in is required.
- Huamake Chinese CharactersCharacters Sorted By Level First Used In The New HSK; a comprehensive list of all characters covered by the HSK test.
- HSK Word ListsHSK vocabulary list ranked by word frequencies and sorted based on level; free resources for download.
- Chinese in FlowAn interactive game designed to test the HSK vocabulary A fun and easy way to memorize new words and prepare for the test.
- Common Chinese Patterns 330 by HSK LevelAn excellent summary of 330 grammar patterns which will be tested in the HSK test; entries sorted by HSK Level.
Chinese Language Exams
The Hànyǔ Shuǐpíng Kǎoshì (HSK) (Chinese: 汉语水平考试), translated as the Chinese Proficiency Test, is China's only standardized test of Standard Chinese language proficiency for non-native speakers such as foreign students and overseas Chinese.
Test of Chinese as a Foreign Language (TOCFL)
The Test of Chinese as a Foreign Language (TOCFL) is a standardized language proficiency test developed for non-native speakers of Chinese. It is the result of a joint project of the Mandarin Training Center, the Graduate Institute of Teaching Chinese as a Second Language, and the Psychological Testing Center of National Taiwan Normal University.
Online Dictionaries, Encyclopedia and assisting tools
- Zdic 汉典The most comprehensive Chinese Language Dictionary; free access.
- Ciyang 辞洋Ciyang allows the users to look for word they cannot spelled in pinyin by separating the character into parts. For more instruction, please see the website's homepage.
- Dict.cn 海词Dict.cn support word look-up from Chinese into English, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, German, Italian, French, and Russian.
- LINE Dict Chinese-EnglishThe dictionary offers word look-up as well as sentence translation. There is also a section of daily word and phrase. User-friendly interface.
- Dictionary of Chinese Characters VariantsThe dictionary allows look-up for arcane characters in Traditional Chinese.
- Wikipedia 维基百科Wikipedia in Chinese. Search by keyword or browse the curated collection of knowledge and concepts in Chinese.
- Baidu Baike 百度百科The Chinese version of Wikipedia. The most authoritative, comprehensive online encyclopedia in Chinese. Offers entries on the most current, popular topics happening in China today.
- Growing Careers in Translation Services 翻译行业This website is about the translation industry, translation and interpretation industry’s growth.
Click here to find Chinese language dictionaries that are available at UNC Libraries
Chinese Podcast
- Slow Chinese 慢速中文Slow Chinese is a cultural podcast for Chinese learners. Our podcasts are personal narratives by native Chinese people read in Mandarin at a slow speed. If you are learning Chinese and are curious about China, you’ve come to the right place.
- Popup Chinese 泡泡中文Popup Chinese offer frequently-updated podcasts and videos, classified by reading levels.
- Melnyks ChineseMelnyks Chinese offers language lessons via podcast; sign-up is required to download the resources for free.
- Chinese Class 101popular Chinese language learning resources; sign-up is required.
- Chinese PodcastsExcellent resource for advanced learner; offers a long list of themed podcasts on various topics.
Learning Chinese Dialects
- Learn CantoneseDictionary, grammar tips, and articles on the Cantonese language. Resources classified by reading levels.