Like its predecessor, the second edition of Fundamental Spoken Chinese places primary importance on providing a clear, systematic, and graduated introduction to the basic grammar and vocabulary of spoken Mandarin Chinese through chapters that center on identified sentence patterns and vocabulary items rather than particular social functions or daily activities. The authors continue the tradition of separating the teaching of oral and written skills, leaving the instruction of reading and writing in Chinese characters exclusively to the accompanying Fundamental Written Chinese, also in its second edition. The lessons in the two textbooks, however, are keyed to each other in terms of vocabulary and grammar, so they may be used simultaneously or the parallel written skills introduced at a later time. Both textbooks were developed for learning in the classroom and for independent study.

Every chapter of Fundamental Spoken Chinese begins with key grammar points and vocabulary arranged by part of speech. A list of sentence patterns and a few short dialogues follow to illustrate contextual use of the language—all new and updated for the second edition. Lessons are introduced in a planned order that gives students time to assimilate a concept before learning the next one. The material is explained in a concise yet complete fashion that alerts users to the similarities and differences between Chinese and English grammar. Non-technical explanations of each grammar pattern, written from the perspective of an English-speaking learner and supported by ample examples, are presented together with vocabulary, culture, and dialectal notes when appropriate. The accompanying Fundamental Spoken Chinese Exercise Book contains a wide variety of exercises and activities specifically designed to reinforce a systematic progression that focuses on developing accuracy then fluency in conversations.