In Mandarin Chinese, the word ma can mean four different things depending on the tone (the pitch)--mother, hemp, horse, or to scold--even though the pronunciation is the same. If you are not a native speaker of Chinese, you may find this aspect of learning the language daunting. McGraw-Hills Chinese Pronunciation makes it easier for you to pronounce Chinese words correctly. You are first introduced to the simple sounds; you then learn their combinations and correct tones. Vibrant illustrations in the book and video demonstrations on the CD-ROM even show tongue placement and mouth shapes to help you get the words right.