Like its predecessor, the second edition of Fundamental Written Chinese provides students with a clear, systematic, and graduated introduction to written Mandarin Chinese with chapters designed not only to teach the content of the lessons, but also build on the proficiency the student has acquired. The authors continue the tradition of separating the teaching of written and oral skills, leaving the instruction of vocabulary and grammar exclusively to the accompanying Fundamental Spoken Chinese, also in its second edition. The lessons in the two textbooks, however, are keyed to each other, 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.

The bilingual teacher's manual provides detailed instructions on the underlying principles behind the design of the exercises in Fundamental Written Chinese and how best to use them to reinforce students' written proficiency. These Core Pedagogical Instructions are followed by explanations on the purpose of the exercises in each chapter.