2006-09-11 18:00:00 Connie
Supplementary vocab for this lesson: 休息 (xiūxi) have a rest 我想休息。 (Wǒ xiǎng xiūxi.) I want to have a rest. 先……再…… (xiān … … zài … …) first…, and then… 先做作业再出去玩。 (Xiān zuò zuòyè zài chūqu wán.) Do your homework first, and then go out to play. 先工作再休息。 (Xiān gōngzuò zài xiūxi.) Work first, and then have a rest. 一起 (yīqǐ) 我可以和你一起玩吗？ (Wǒ kěyǐ hé nǐ yīqǐ wán ma?) Can I play with you? 不行。 (Bùxíng.) You can't.]]> Connie
Supplementary vocab for this lesson: 休息 (xiūxi) have a rest 我想休息。 (Wǒ xiǎng xiūxi.) I want to have a rest. 先……再…… (xiān … … zài … …) first…, and then… 先做作业再出去玩。 (Xiān zuò zuòyè zài chūqu wán.) Do your homework first, and then go out to play. 先工作再休息。 (Xiān gōngzuò zài xiūxi.) Work first, and then have a rest. 一起 (yīqǐ) 我可以和你一起玩吗？ (Wǒ kěyǐ hé nǐ yīqǐ wán ma?) Can I play with you? 不行。 (Bùxíng.) You can't.]]> Joe in CA,USA
Glad to get some guidance on the difference between 想 and 要 (xiăng / yào). I have also seen travel guides that use both together: 想要(xiăng yào) for "I would like ..." when requesting something. Is that a common usage? Also, these words are sometimes translated as "I wish to ..." But I have seen 祈祷 (qídăo) in my dictionary as "to wish for." I'm curious about how Chinese people "wish" for things. Is the difference between wishing and wanting the same as in English? How would you say "I wish I could spend one night with Zhang Ziyi." (a request outside of reality; impossible) "I wish I could just pass my driving test!" (a real world request; very possible)]]> Joe in CA,USA
Glad to get some guidance on the difference between 想 and 要 (xiăng / yào). I have also seen travel guides that use both together: 想要(xiăng yào) for "I would like ..." when requesting something. Is that a common usage? Also, these words are sometimes translated as "I wish to ..." But I have seen 祈祷 (qídăo) in my dictionary as "to wish for." I'm curious about how Chinese people "wish" for things. Is the difference between wishing and wanting the same as in English? How would you say "I wish I could spend one night with Zhang Ziyi." (a request outside of reality; impossible) "I wish I could just pass my driving test!" (a real world request; very possible)]]> Eric Grimm
Ken, I just about fell out of my chair when I heard you say "as usual". There was nothing usual about that. I was bracing myself for another "as ever", but this time it did not come. I hope you don't mind a little teasing. It is fun to here you mix it up from time to time. As far as your "top down approach" is concerned, I don't understand it. How can anyone peice a sentence together if key words or phrases are unknown? What possible clues do we have to solve this problem? Maybe tone of voice and the other words that we might already know, but I don't think that is enough. Can you shed any light on this? Personally, I was familiar with the vocabulary, but not the use of "zai". So, I understood the meaning of the dialog even though I did not know how the words conveyed that meaning. If you had told me about how zai has this special meaning (in addition to it's other meanings), then let me hear the dialog, I would have had a different experience. I would have had the experience of understanding the dialog, without having it translated peice by peice first. And I think that would have been a more effective experience. Anyway thanks for another great job from you and the whole team.]]> Eric Grimm
Ken, I just about fell out of my chair when I heard you say "as usual". There was nothing usual about that. I was bracing myself for another "as ever", but this time it did not come. I hope you don't mind a little teasing. It is fun to here you mix it up from time to time. As far as your "top down approach" is concerned, I don't understand it. How can anyone peice a sentence together if key words or phrases are unknown? What possible clues do we have to solve this problem? Maybe tone of voice and the other words that we might already know, but I don't think that is enough. Can you shed any light on this? Personally, I was familiar with the vocabulary, but not the use of "zai". So, I understood the meaning of the dialog even though I did not know how the words conveyed that meaning. If you had told me about how zai has this special meaning (in addition to it's other meanings), then let me hear the dialog, I would have had a different experience. I would have had the experience of understanding the dialog, without having it translated peice by peice first. And I think that would have been a more effective experience. Anyway thanks for another great job from you and the whole team.]]> ChinesePod
Eric, From now on it's going to be 'as usual'. Most of the information that we receive in conversation doesn't actually come from the words we use. Body language can say much more than words sometimes. So can tone of voice. By learning to use these clues, we can become better listeners. Secondly, there is context. In natural conversation, we all use context instinctively to gain clues about each other's meaning. This includes our knowledge of the world, relationship to the speaker, and so on. The 3rd element is 'co-text'. Words are naturally surrounded by other words, the 'co-text'. The ones we know can give us a clues to the others. I gave another explanation of the top down approach here - http://www.chinesepod.com/blog/2006/02/08/what-is-a-top-down-approach-to-listening-and-learning/ Hope that helps. Ken Carroll]]> ChinesePod
Eric, From now on it's going to be 'as usual'. Most of the information that we receive in conversation doesn't actually come from the words we use. Body language can say much more than words sometimes. So can tone of voice. By learning to use these clues, we can become better listeners. Secondly, there is context. In natural conversation, we all use context instinctively to gain clues about each other's meaning. This includes our knowledge of the world, relationship to the speaker, and so on. The 3rd element is 'co-text'. Words are naturally surrounded by other words, the 'co-text'. The ones we know can give us a clues to the others. I gave another explanation of the top down approach here - http://www.chinesepod.com/blog/2006/02/08/what-is-a-top-down-approach-to-listening-and-learning/ Hope that helps. Ken Carroll]]> ChinesePod
Joe in CA, 想 (xiăng), 要 (yào), and 想要 (xiăngyào) are all commonly used. 想要 is used in the same way as 要; you can "想要 something" just as you can "要 something." 想 meaning "would like" comes before verbs, however. If you "想 something" then it means the same as "想念 (xiǎngniàn) something/someone", which means to "miss something/someone". 祈祷 (qídăo) means "pray," so I think it only means "wish for" in the sense that "praying for something" is similar to "wishing for something." I think the China use of the word "wish" differs from "want" in the same way that it does in English. "Wish" is 希望 (xīwàng). The big difference between English and Chinese is that in Chinese 希望 can be used to mean both "wish" and "hope." Here I take issue a little bit with the distinction you made. In English we wish for what is impossible or what we know we cannot have. (In your example, the speaker said “I wish I could just pass my driving test!” precisely because he can't.) We hope for those things that are within the realm of possibility, as in "I hope he comes to the party tonight" or "I hope I don't have to work overtime this weekend." Fortunately, the problem of English's hope/wish distinction dissolves into the single Chinese word 希望. -John]]> ChinesePod
Joe in CA, 想 (xiăng), 要 (yào), and 想要 (xiăngyào) are all commonly used. 想要 is used in the same way as 要; you can "想要 something" just as you can "要 something." 想 meaning "would like" comes before verbs, however. If you "想 something" then it means the same as "想念 (xiǎngniàn) something/someone", which means to "miss something/someone". 祈祷 (qídăo) means "pray," so I think it only means "wish for" in the sense that "praying for something" is similar to "wishing for something." I think the China use of the word "wish" differs from "want" in the same way that it does in English. "Wish" is 希望 (xīwàng). The big difference between English and Chinese is that in Chinese 希望 can be used to mean both "wish" and "hope." Here I take issue a little bit with the distinction you made. In English we wish for what is impossible or what we know we cannot have. (In your example, the speaker said “I wish I could just pass my driving test!” precisely because he can't.) We hope for those things that are within the realm of possibility, as in "I hope he comes to the party tonight" or "I hope I don't have to work overtime this weekend." Fortunately, the problem of English's hope/wish distinction dissolves into the single Chinese word 希望. -John]]> Bazza
My ipod refused to update this morning, so I can't listen to this until this evening now. :(]]> Bazza
My ipod refused to update this morning, so I can't listen to this until this evening now. :(]]> Mike in Jubei
Ken/Jenny and the Academic Team I sensed a uptick in complexity in this "Elementary Lesson" 現在我 有 功課. Fifty four and I can't go out and "play" for awhile. Jeez Thanks! I know, I know I asked for it along with many others and Chinesepod responds. Mike in Jubei]]> Mike in Jubei
Ken/Jenny and the Academic Team I sensed a uptick in complexity in this "Elementary Lesson" 現在我 有 功課. Fifty four and I can't go out and "play" for awhile. Jeez Thanks! I know, I know I asked for it along with many others and Chinesepod responds. Mike in Jubei]]> Jenny Zhu
Today's lesson threw a disturbing question in my face: how does one inevitably morph from an obedient and oppressed child into a violently rebellious teenager? Maybe we could do an edgier lesson on that stage of life. Speaking of which, I overheard an intriguing teenage boy's talk on the bus today (I know it's wrong and unseemly, but how can you shut your ears to someone shouting to the cell phone?). He was whining to his friend about how his 3 'girlfriends' (how come someone in awkward school uniform gets 3 girlfriends and I can't even get half a date?!) are burning his money by demanding him to sms them all the time. He seemed torn but ultimately proud of his own decison to 'toss out the not so hot 2.' What did I do at his age (14-15)? Worrying about the maths test next day which I'd always been rubbish at, getting up early to copy other people's maths homework while I let them copy my Chinese, anguished at the sight of another pimple... God, I should have enjoyed my life more!]]> Jenny Zhu
Today's lesson threw a disturbing question in my face: how does one inevitably morph from an obedient and oppressed child into a violently rebellious teenager? Maybe we could do an edgier lesson on that stage of life. Speaking of which, I overheard an intriguing teenage boy's talk on the bus today (I know it's wrong and unseemly, but how can you shut your ears to someone shouting to the cell phone?). He was whining to his friend about how his 3 'girlfriends' (how come someone in awkward school uniform gets 3 girlfriends and I can't even get half a date?!) are burning his money by demanding him to sms them all the time. He seemed torn but ultimately proud of his own decison to 'toss out the not so hot 2.' What did I do at his age (14-15)? Worrying about the maths test next day which I'd always been rubbish at, getting up early to copy other people's maths homework while I let them copy my Chinese, anguished at the sight of another pimple... God, I should have enjoyed my life more!]]> Art Kho
If the teenager is violently rebellious, it is probably because the parents are still "violently" oppressive ;). I am guessing that successful parents are those who understand that children will be independent one day and that their job as parents is to help the kids mature and allow them to ask questions, probe life and discover how life works. One problem could be that strict Chinese or other Asian parents are the ultimate control freaks. Many of them mean well and want the best for their children. They must have forgotten that they were once teenagers too. But they could have grown up at a time when the economic and political conditions didn't allow for exploring and being rebellious. Jenny, I find it hard to believe that you can't get a date. If you can't, then there's something wrong with the men in Shanghai.]]> Art Kho
If the teenager is violently rebellious, it is probably because the parents are still "violently" oppressive ;). I am guessing that successful parents are those who understand that children will be independent one day and that their job as parents is to help the kids mature and allow them to ask questions, probe life and discover how life works. One problem could be that strict Chinese or other Asian parents are the ultimate control freaks. Many of them mean well and want the best for their children. They must have forgotten that they were once teenagers too. But they could have grown up at a time when the economic and political conditions didn't allow for exploring and being rebellious. Jenny, I find it hard to believe that you can't get a date. If you can't, then there's something wrong with the men in Shanghai.]]> tintin
This is so weird, I came home from a parent meeting in my child's Mandarin kindergarten classroom to what is the absolute perfect lesson, despite the fact that I'm a newbie! I'm going to be using this a lot...So Jenny and Art, I think there may be some merit in the "control freak" rep of some Chinese parents - some parents in my meeting were upset because the English portion of the day is unstructured, the kids can choose their own activities and they were saying "you mean my child can CHOOSE not to do math"? It appears that a classroom set up to foster independence is different from the traditional Chinese approach, I would be interested to know if this is true. And Jenny, I know you're just being modest, with the devotion of the entire worldwide male CPod audience, you can have your pick! -Elizabeth]]> tintin
This is so weird, I came home from a parent meeting in my child's Mandarin kindergarten classroom to what is the absolute perfect lesson, despite the fact that I'm a newbie! I'm going to be using this a lot...So Jenny and Art, I think there may be some merit in the "control freak" rep of some Chinese parents - some parents in my meeting were upset because the English portion of the day is unstructured, the kids can choose their own activities and they were saying "you mean my child can CHOOSE not to do math"? It appears that a classroom set up to foster independence is different from the traditional Chinese approach, I would be interested to know if this is true. And Jenny, I know you're just being modest, with the devotion of the entire worldwide male CPod audience, you can have your pick! -Elizabeth]]>