Decowen's "Concise Course Of Mandarin" Study

This article is based on the book of A SHORT COURSE OF PRIMARY LESSON IN MANDARIN which written by Calvin Wilson Mateer, an American missionary. After the comprehensive study of the content and curriculum structure of this textbook, the author exploring its characteristics and deficiencies. In view of compiling contemporary Chinese teaching materials, combined with other Chinese teaching materials in history,we can exploring the value of the Chinese textbooks in the late Qing Dynasty.This paper includes six sections:The introduction introducing the significance of topic, research status and research trends. At the same time, there is a brief introduction of Calvin Wilson Mateer and the content of A SHORT COURSE OF PRIMARY LESSON IN MANDARIN.The first chapter is stylistic rules and layout. Introducing the five components of the textbook.They are text, vocabulary, translation, practice, and note.The second chapter is corpus study. Analyzing of the corpora, the author investigates the performance of spoken Chinese in the late Qing Dynasty and the europeanization of Chinese grammar.The third chapter is features and deficiencies. Although the book of A SHORT COURSE OF PRIMARY LESSON IN MANDARIN is an introduction course, it is complete and systematic, and has its own distinctive characteristics as well as shortcomings.In the last part, the author summarizing the content of A SHORT COURSE OF PRIMARY LESSON IN MANDARIN and explaining the idea that C.W.Matter hold in compiling textbooks. Finally,clarifying the value and significance of this research.