Chinese School - Chinesepod.com-Does it really work? - Page 2 -

> Learning Chinese > Speaking and Listening
Chinesepod.com-Does it really work?
Home New Posts

Login: Pass: Log in or register for standard view and full access.





Page 2 of 7 < 1 2 34 > »






thph2006 -

Both Pimsleur and FSI focus on spoken language. In my opinion Pimsleur's strength is in teaching
correct pronounciation. The sound quality of the recordings is excellent and they take great care
to point out how words should be pronounced. I went through all three levels of Pimsleur and in
the end was very disappointed with how little I actually learned. So far I've been through the
first 3 1/2 FSI modules (~20%) and have learned much more useable Mandarin than I did with
Pimsleur. FSI goes far deeper than Pimsleur and provides a lot of background information on the
why and how of the language. I imagine once you've completed it you'll have a pretty decent basic
grasp of the spoken language. It also has the advantage of having the texts to fall back on when
you can't quite figure out what the recordings are saying (this can be a problem with some of the
lower quality recordings). Pimsleur has no text whatsoever for the audio but you can find
transcripts of the dialogs and flashcard vocab lists floating around the web.

I know sometimes when something is free it seems like it may not be as good as something you have
to pay for but one thing worth keeping in mind is even though the FSI material is free the
structure and content of the course are very high quality, designed by the US and Canadian
governments to quickly and efficiently train their diplomats (and spys). It's good stuff and it's
free because the US govt developed it with public funds and because guys like gdfellows and the
crew over at http://fsi-language-courses.com/default.aspx put a huge effort into collecting up all
the old materials, digitizing the tapes and texts and then making them available for free! Thanks
Guys!

Here's a link to the Pimsleur vocab in ZDT flashcard format:
http://zdt.sourceforge.net/main/wordlist_index/

Here's a link to one of the sources of Pimsleur transcripts. You need to register for access but
it's free.
http://www.ezmandarin.com/modules.ph...article&sid=36

Cheers, Tom



Pleco Software Learn Chinese with our Dictionaries for Palm and Pocket PC.
Learn Chinese in China Learn to speak Chinese 1MonthChinese.com -Mandarin School in China.
Chinese Textbooks Wide range, cheap, varied languages. Also Chinese cartoons, toys, gifts.
Study Chinese in Beijing Affordable Mandarin language courses at BLCU with ChinaUnipath.com.
HNHSoft Dictionary Learn Chinese on Smartphone and PDA with real person's voice.
XueXueXue IQChinese Get beyond the plateau.Take your Mandarin to a new level.
Chinese in Lijiang Short term Chinese study in a beautiful town with a focus on daily life.
MandarinTube Chinese Access to current everyday Chinese language and culture, 24/7.
Learn Chinese Homestay Chinese course, cultural activities & volunteer events in China.
Learn Chinese Online 1-on-1 instant tutoring, diverse courses, native teachers. FREE trial now!
Nihao Chinese Progam Free one-on-one Chinese lesson. Win 5-years of free lessons now!


About Ads (and how to hide them) -- Your message here









leosmith -

Thanks Tom,
I've always wondered what the differences are. I'm just about finished with Pimsleur I. I've used
Pimsleur before, and am very impressed with the results. But you're right about the quantity - 500
words isn't nearly enough. It's wierd, because Pimsleur goes on and on about how you only need
2000 to 2500 words to be comfortable in a language, and then they only teach you 500. I'll
probably slam some vocab after I finish, while working with a tutor at the same time. I don't see
myself going through another long audio program - how can you handle it man?

Eventually, I'll crack open my "practical audio-visual chinese". The VCDs come highly recommended,
although mine seem pretty grainy.










simonlaing -

If I started a VideoChinesepod site would you be interested in it and use it?

I have a couple of friends who like Chinesepod.com because they can put them on their MP3 player
and listen to it walking to class. There are others that always like to use it on the Computer so
they can follow along with the texts..

Even though Dashan is a bit of a dork, I still like his Travel in Chinese and that other CCTV4
learn Chinese. Most vocabulary I know before but the grammar structures are good even if they can
be repetitive.

So If there was an MPEG short vidoe clips for Chinese learning what requirements would you need?
How long would they be?
Do you want exercises to go with it?
Should it cater more to the beginner and Intermediate students?
Should it be pricd on a subscription basis? Or some other lesson basis perhaps?
Could you have a couple of western actors as well as Chinese, or would discredit the pronunciation?
Other things that would work well?____

Have fun,
Simon










gamerfu -

I would ask Chinesepod first, if you could make a website with VideoChinesepod. I have run into a
bit of trouble with similar domain names.

Honestly, Western actors are okay. A very famous college textbook at the Univeristiesand Community
Colleges is Integrated Chinese by the Cheng & Tsui Company. The DVD workbook has American actors
as well as in their textbook.










leosmith -



Quote:

If I started a VideoChinesepod site would you be interested in it and use it?

Maybe. But why can't someone make good instructional language video that has adult content? This
would really keep my interest, and help my memory. It doesn't need to be X rated, but should be
pretty racey. That's my wine for the day.

Oh, and if it were up to me, I wouldn't want non-native speakers.










Luobot -

Chinesepod.com - Does it really work?

There isn’t a clear “yes” or “no” answer to your question. It depends on your personal
learning style and the other resources that you have available to you. From the comments on their
site that I've read, the listeners who are most satisfied with ChinesePod (Cpod, for short) seem
to be those who use it as a supplement only, and not as their main learning tool. There are a
number of reasons for this, but I think the main reason is that CPod lacks structure. For example,
the podcasts are randomly topical, and one podcast is not related to the next. As someone on their
website recently complained, they can teach that ‘ma’ is the question particle a hundred times
over because each podcast is stand-alone and doesn’t assume that you’ve listened to the
earlier podcasts. Just as you have these redundant overlaps between lessons, you also have the
infamous Cpod “Gap” between the elementary and intermediate levels. These problems are the
outcome of Cpod’s decision to go without a progressive structure. If you’re using some other
resource that provides structure, then these deficiencies may not matter as much, and you can
enjoy Cpod for its entertaining style. I suspect that Cpod was designed with this scenario in
mind; that is, for those who have other structured resources and just want a more entertaining
supplement. Another downside (or upside, if it’s your preference) is that Cpod follows the
approach of making you a passive listener rather than an active speaker. Again, if you have
another resource for speaking practice you may not care, but you can’t rely on Cpod’s podcasts
to help you much there.

A new podcast series that seems to specifically address the holes in Cpod is CLO
(ChineseLearnOnline), which can be found at www.chineselearnonline.com I recently took out a
subscription to CLO because they offer progressive lessons, full transcripts, and speaking
practice opportunities built right into their podcasts. There’s even more speaking practice
opportunities on the subscription side of their website. The structure of CLO’s progressive
lessons, the full text transcripts plus summary and supplemental transcripts, and the speaking
practice are the things that really matter to me the most, and the other subscription-based tools
that they have are just icing on the cake. Their podcasts are also free to listen to, and if you
decide to subscribe then their premium subscription price of $15 per month or $100 per year is
about half of what Cpod charges. So far, they are producing beginner-elementary level lessons, but
they will be moving progressively up to intermediate soon. It’s definitely worth trying if
you’re at that level.










flameproof -

I listened to a lesson of www.chineselearnonline.com . Have to say, I do miss Ken and Jenny. CLO
sounds (again) dead boring.

I think quite a great part of the success of Cpod is that it's actually FUN to listen to Jenny and
Ken. After the CLO lesson I realize how much I like their casual style. CLO sounds like they use
material from 1965.










thph2006 -

I don't think there's any reason to choose one over the other. In my opinion neither is adequate
as a stand-alone course, but both are valuable supplements to a broader learning plan. I agree
that CPod is much more entertaining and enjoyable to listen to but I've discovered that does not
necessarily translate into better learning. I find with CPod I become more focused on the banter,
less on the material. With CLO I have the opposite experience; I find I'm 100% focused on the
material itself. I also find myself actively participating more with CLO. I think we've all
suffered through trying to find the right mix of input in learning this frustrating language.
Personally I think the beginner would learn more faster by focusing on CLO first and adding CPOD
later on as another supplement.

By the way, I have a theory about Adam's (the CLO host) droning speaking style. I'm guessing he's
trying to appeal to an international audience, for many of whom English is a second language.
Speaking English slowly and precisely is probably a big benefit to those users.










flameproof -

thph2006
Fair point. I think CLO is well suited too.

It's easy to lose focus and get into all sort of technical discussions about pro and anti, likes
and dislikes, rather then just use the material that's available and learn.

Looking back at the material that I got, most often I was just too lazy to go through with it and
find whatever excuse to stop. And then later to look at something "new", which finally didn't work
out as well.

I am now more aware that the most important input is MY input and without MY input everything else
is pretty useless.

Steve Kaufmann's YouTube videos are a very good motivational source.










ziyi star -

i think chinesepod really works, but you need to dedicate time to the lesson so as to learn the
vocabulary. i just love the vibe of the people that talk, like jenny and aric (he's from the
saturday show).












All times are GMT +8. The time now is 04:25 PM.














Learn Chinese, Chinese Online Class, Learning Materials, Mandarin audio lessons, Chinese writing lessons, Chinese vocabulary lists, About chinese characters, News in Chinese, Go to China, Travel to China, Study in China, Teach in China, Dictionaries, Learn Chinese Painting, Your name in Chinese, Chinese calligraphy, Chinese songs, Chinese proverbs, Chinese poetry, Chinese tattoo, Beijing 2008 Olympics, Mandarin Phrasebook, Chinese editor, Pinyin editor, China Travel, Travel to Beijing, Travel to Tibet