Lesson Channels > Upper Intermediate
At the Upper Intermediate stage your Chinese is quite functional, but you're still pushing for more specialized vocabulary and ways to sophisticate your language. Hosts Jenny and John guide learners through a variety of higher level topics, speaking mainly in Chinese but shifting back to English for the occasional difficult vocabulary item.
Latest Lessons:
Upper Intermediate - Rating Restaurants on Dianping
Zagat? Fodors? Frommers? Michelin? No, no, and no. Trust the most food-centric culture there is. Every holiday, gathering, birthday, birth, death, and otherwise revolves around food, food, and food. Where could there be more expertise? Check out this lesson about the restaurant review site of China, Dianping. China's answer to prudent caloric value for the kuai.
Upper Intermediate - Getting a Driver's License
This lesson does not constitute in any way, shape or form any advocation, promotion, condoning of, nor in any way comprehension of the notion of foreigners getting driver's license in China. However, if you like living on the edge, this could be an outlet, due to the sad lack of bungee jumping facilities. In this podcast, find out how to take your life back into your own hands, and get your Chinese driver's license.
Upper Intermediate - Buying on Taobao
You've developed Enochiophobia from your last venture into a Saturday department store. However, your underwear has holes and your jean supply is non-existent since Ayi's last run in with the bleach bottle. What are you going to do? Head to Taobao... China's Ebay on steroids. Listen to this podcast and learn some of the techniques and potential dangers lurking on this website made just for closet shopaholics like you.
Upper Intermediate - F1 in China
Zooming cars, screeching tires. The only thing missing is a helmet and seatbelt to strap you in. You heard Formula One racing was coming to China. You thought it was already here. Listen to this podcast and learn in Chinese about the noise and speed of this race that is the big brother of your Shanghai morning commute.
Upper Intermediate - Considering a Credit Card
With traditional Chinese money values (hiding piles of cash in a sock in the closet) changing, so is the world of debt in China. While you still won't find your card as welcome as a nice brick of not-so-crisp 100 notes, join in the debate of cash versus credit in this podcast. You will learn about the good, the bad, and the ugly of applying for a Chinese credit card, in Mandarin.
Upper Intermediate - Editing a Photo
You've always secretly envied those lovers in the park. Laying across a mossy bank, in a blue tuxedo / pink taffeta rented wedding dress pinned up at the back to fit. Well, now you don't need to hire any two-bit wedding photographer, nor do you need a gal willing to marry you. You can study this podcast lesson, and learn in Chinese how to get a misty, touched-up cheesy photo of your own.
Upper Intermediate - The 80/20 Rule
The 80/20 rule, if applied to Chinese learning, could very possibly mean that 20 percent of what you study will be what you use 80 percent of the time. So hit the podcasts, and learn here how the 80/20 rule applies to profits, spending, and placating your boss, in Mandarin.
Upper Intermediate - We're going to miss the plane!
Based on actual events, in this podcast we hear the story of four friends, a nearly doomed weekend sojourn, and perhaps the only safe driver in the land. Now, normally the story would be that you had a safe driver... however, today not so. Today the story is one of circuitous routes, backseat drivers, and red lights not run. Learn how to get the pedal to the metal, in Mandarin Chinese.
Upper Intermediate - Business Interview: e-Commerce Guru
There are love gurus, spiritual gurus, self-help gurus. These are all good. But what the world has been missing, up until now, is an e-commerce guru. No longer. The e-commerce guru has arrived, and he is going to teach you to live, love and self-actualize through online buying and selling. Listen to his wisdom, in Mandarin Chinese, in this podcast.
Upper Intermediate - Getting Internet at your Apartment
It may not quite be the internet as you knew it, but something is better than nothing, right? Learn here how to get yourself wired and online in China. Learn in this podcast how to get internet installed, and how to get which connection speed you want, in Mandarin Chinese.
