Bringing Asia to the World
Cheng & Tsui is an independent publisher of Asian language-learning textbooks and educational materials based in Boston, Massachusetts. We pursue our mission of “Bringing Asia to the World”™ by providing a wide variety of Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Arabic, and other Asian language and culture-learning materials in print and electronic formats for all age groups. Our range of materials includes language-learning core series, literature in translation, history and philosophy, dictionaries, audio and videos, and other interactive media. Through our many publications and a select number of distributed titles, we aim to enrich people’s lives by supporting their exploration of Asia’s many contributions to the fields of language, philosophy, business, history, and the arts.
Since its founding in 1979, Cheng & Tsui has been dedicated to supporting Asian studies with high-quality publications. We work closely with our authors to create groundbreaking and exciting materials that are accessible to a wide audience. In keeping with our mission, we publish not only language textbooks at the K-12 and university levels, but also cultural texts, literary classics, and other specialized materials that might not find a home elsewhere. While in the past we have dealt mostly with Chinese and Japanese materials, we have expanded in recent years to include Korean, Arabic, and Southeast Asian language and cultural materials.
Our website offers worldwide access to our extensive catalog of titles, as well as additional downloads and resources, product previews, company news, product-specific companion web sites, and more.
To us, there is nothing more important than the students, teachers, readers, and writers whom we serve. We strive to anticipate our customers’ needs and respond to their thoughts and suggestions. Open communication is at the heart of our philosophy. We believe that reaching an understanding between different cultures requires the ability to speak to each other both on a linguistic and a social level. In a world where political and economic interactions among nations continue to increase, Cheng & Tsui is committed to promoting a deeper understanding of Asia.
A History Through Landmark Products
Over the past three decades, Cheng & Tsui has developed a tradition of publishing original and innovative products. Founded in 1979 as a U.S. distributor of titles from overseas, Cheng & Tsui began publishing its own Chinese language materials in 1980, and its first Japanese language series in 1998. Korean, Southeast Asian, South Asian, and West Asian materials followed in 2007, 2009, 2011, and 2012, respectively.
With the release of our college textbook series Integrated Chinese in 1997 and the high school series Adventures in Japanese in 1998, we advanced Asian language education in the United States to a new level. Both series have since become the most widely used textbooks in their respective areas and are frequently revised to suit the evolving needs of the classroom. Our other published and distributed titles – secondary school Chinese series Huanying, K-6 targeted Flying with Chinese and Step by Step, and secondary Arabic material Marhaba!, among many others – further attest to the breadth of our offerings.
We were also early pioneers in the area of educational multimedia. The software program Hyperchinese: The Grammar Modules won EDUCOM’s Distinguished Humanities Software Award in the Higher Education Software and Curriculum Awards Program in 1993. In 1995, we introduced Chinese Breakthrough, one of the first multimedia-based courses for learning Chinese. The tradition continues today with our multimedia series Chinese Odyssey, the Integrated Chinese Online Workbooks and the Integrated Chinese Enhanced eBooks, and other products currently in development.
In literature and the arts, Cheng & Tsui seeks out products that give readers new and refreshing perspectives on Asian culture and history. Another Kind of Paradise, an anthology of contemporary short stories from the Asia-Pacific, and The Lotus Singers from South Asia, document the profound changes that are occurring in the regions. Chinese Storytellers: Life and Art in the Yangzhou Tradition presents the performing art of storytelling through a seldom seen combination of striking photographs, bilingual text, and video footage of actual master performances.
We also bring back to print works that will have a lasting impact in the field of Asian studies and on the lives of readers. Among them are Contemporary Japanese Literature, edited by Howard Hibbett, professor emeritus at Harvard University; Tangled Hair, a translation of poetry by prominent Japanese writer Akiko Yosano; an adapted translation of the classic 13th-century epic poem Secret History of the Mongols; and W. Allan Rickett’s groundbreaking study and translation of Guanzi: Political, Economic, and Philosophical Essays from Early China. Many contemporary Japanese tanka were published in English for the first time in Ferris Wheel, edited and translated by Kozue Uzawa and Amelia Fielden, which won the 2007 Japan-US Friendship Commission Prize for the Translation of Japanese Literature.
Our Relationships with Other Publishers
In addition to publishing our growing list of original works, Cheng & Tsui selectively distributes Asia-related books and materials from other overseas publishers. We carefully select new titles with an eye to quality and relevance to our customers. Among our exclusive distribution partners are the Italian School for East Asian Studies (ISEAS), Pearson Education-Australia, Cengage -Australia Pty Ltd., Japan Times, and Marshall-Cavendish Singapore.
Our Commitment to Education and Cultural Awareness
Cheng & Tsui supports teachers by providing professional development grants to those new in the field. Moreover, we actively seek out and respond to feedback and the latest pedagogical research. In close collaboration with our authors and teachers, we continue to develop products with diverse pedagogical approaches that accommodate all students’ learning styles and meet national standards. We take great pride in the achievements of the students using our materials as well as our authors, many of whom have won recognition from their peers and institutions.
On a local level, we work together with organizations that increase awareness of Asia in schools and the community. By instilling the importance of intercultural cooperation, we hope to help foster closer ties among all peoples.