Li Ai, an associate professor in Beijing Language and Culture University, graduated from Beijing Foreign Studies Institute (present-day Beijing Foreign Studies University) in 1968, and has been teaching Chinese to foreigners in Beijing Language and Culture University since 1975. She has taught Chinese as a foreign language in Peking University, Tsinghua University and Beijing Foreign Studies University and has studied, visited, taught and lectured in Uruguay, Spain, Cuba, Chile, Argentina, Mexico and other countries. Ms. Li participated in the establishment of the Sinology Center of the University of Havana and taught there from 2002 to 2005, participated in the founding of the Confucius Institute of the University of Havana and served as the first Chinese director from 2009 to 2011, and was employed as a special reporter for Globe and World Women. She has conducted in-depth research on language and cultural differences between Chinese and foreign languages, published several relevant papers, and compiled several Chinese textbooks such as New Methodology of Learning Chinese Language.

The president of the University of Havana awarded her a special president’s award in recognition of her “outstanding work and pioneering of Chinese studies at the University of Havana”, and the 270th anniversary medal of the University of Havana.

    1. Phonics teaching throughout the course

    This textbook attaches importance to phonics teaching, and phonics training in various forms is carried out throughout. Idioms, proverbs, common colloquialisms and classical poems and their pronunciations are presented at the elementary stage without requiring memorization or explanation, the natural linguistic sensitivity of which will generate in daily practice.

    2. Concentrated presentation of relevant vocabulary

    This textbook breaks the traditional teaching method of teaching one word upon seeing, but takes a certain word in the text as the base for extension, and concentrates similar vocabulary to form a “vocabulary field” to help learners expand their vocabulary.

    3. Deductive approach to grammar teaching

    The grammar points are arranged from shallow to deep, and the deductive method is employed to give students a complete concept first, and then explain it in detail and in stages, which is in line with the way of thinking of adults.

    4. Emphasis on teaching-learning interaction, taking into account the way of thinking of native speakers of Spanish

    In order to meet the needs of learners of different Chinese levels, the content of each lesson in the textbook is slightly more than that of similar textbooks, and the vocabulary is richer and contains some words exceeding the set standard of the curriculum, which are presented in the form of “field”. Teachers can make independent choices according to the actual level of students.

    Suitable for Chinese-learning beginners and adults.

    Each lesson takes four class hours.