<![CDATA[Comments on: Minor Changes, Virtual School, and a Lefty in the Studio]]> Today's show features John, Jenny and Sarah. The team will be presenting this week's upcoming lessons (and you might learn about some prejudice Sarah has experienced in China)! John will also be introducing ChinesePod's brand new (and much anticipated) feature: tests!

The team will also be discussing a few other minor changes - if you haven't already noticed them, you'll find out all about them in today's show. Sarah's here discussing the latest promotion on CPod - find out more here.

Finally, to find out more about ChinesePod's Virtual School, just check out this link.

]]> 2010-01-23 18:00:00 <![CDATA[By: btc10]]> why do leftys get discriminated against in China? Do left handed Chinese people have to pretend they're right handed?

]]> why do leftys get discriminated against in China? Do left handed Chinese people have to pretend they're right handed?

]]> <![CDATA[By: Tal]]> You can't get chopsticks for left-handed people anywhere, so it runs deep.

]]> You can't get chopsticks for left-handed people anywhere, so it runs deep.

]]> <![CDATA[By: jckeith]]> If I recall correctly, left-handers are required to write with their right hands in school. I'm not sure if there's a practical reason behind that; as a lefty, I have no problems writing 汉字 left-handed.

]]> If I recall correctly, left-handers are required to write with their right hands in school. I'm not sure if there's a practical reason behind that; as a lefty, I have no problems writing 汉字 left-handed.

]]> <![CDATA[By: btc10]]> oh my goodness

]]> oh my goodness

]]> <![CDATA[By: jckeith]]> Just to clarify, this was the case when my wife was in school in China. I guess it hasn't changed.

]]> Just to clarify, this was the case when my wife was in school in China. I guess it hasn't changed.

]]> <![CDATA[By: changye]]> I hear that left-handed people have some disadvantages in brush calligraphy. Right or left, I'm very poor at writing characters.......

]]> I hear that left-handed people have some disadvantages in brush calligraphy. Right or left, I'm very poor at writing characters.......

]]> <![CDATA[By: jckeith]]> Haha, well I didn't meant to imply that I'm any good at it either. I'm surprised that you aren't; is Kanji handwriting not emphasized in Japanese schools? This brings to mind another question: are Japanese children allowed to write with their left hand?

]]> Haha, well I didn't meant to imply that I'm any good at it either. I'm surprised that you aren't; is Kanji handwriting not emphasized in Japanese schools? This brings to mind another question: are Japanese children allowed to write with their left hand?

]]> <![CDATA[By: changye]]> Chinese and Japanese students are just busy memorizing Chinese characters, and have (almost) no time to learn how to write them beautifully.

Students learn calligraphy at school, but it's not so important for them. After all, "beautiful handwriting" has nothing to do with scores in entrance exams.

> are Japanese children allowed to write with their left hand?

It varies from teacher to teacher, but I guess that most teachers of today take an attitude of "let it be", probably because they're afraid of being called "racist", hehe.

]]> Chinese and Japanese students are just busy memorizing Chinese characters, and have (almost) no time to learn how to write them beautifully.

Students learn calligraphy at school, but it's not so important for them. After all, "beautiful handwriting" has nothing to do with scores in entrance exams.

> are Japanese children allowed to write with their left hand?

It varies from teacher to teacher, but I guess that most teachers of today take an attitude of "let it be", probably because they're afraid of being called "racist", hehe.

]]> <![CDATA[By: suxiaoya]]> I'm looking forward to hearing the "lefty" lesson this coming week!

As far as I know, left-handedness is "tolerated" in schools in China far more readily than it once was, but it is still fairly unusual to see in adults.

I taught at a school in Anhui province for a while a few years ago. The children, both young kids and adolescents, would gasp and call out when I'd start writing on the whiteboard with my left hand. It was just amusing to them - another laowai eccentricity, perhaps.

I guess we'll find out more about this issue in the lesson...

]]> I'm looking forward to hearing the "lefty" lesson this coming week!

As far as I know, left-handedness is "tolerated" in schools in China far more readily than it once was, but it is still fairly unusual to see in adults.

I taught at a school in Anhui province for a while a few years ago. The children, both young kids and adolescents, would gasp and call out when I'd start writing on the whiteboard with my left hand. It was just amusing to them - another laowai eccentricity, perhaps.

I guess we'll find out more about this issue in the lesson...

]]> <![CDATA[By: deanet]]> Thanks Chinapod team for all the hard work over the years. I have just had a go at the tests section and it is always great to realise just how much work my Chinese language skills have to go!! One comment on the test, when reviewing errors within the dictation section the corrections were unreadable and placed vertically under the sentence instead of horizontally. Hope this helps in a better service. Love your work. DT

]]> Thanks Chinapod team for all the hard work over the years. I have just had a go at the tests section and it is always great to realise just how much work my Chinese language skills have to go!! One comment on the test, when reviewing errors within the dictation section the corrections were unreadable and placed vertically under the sentence instead of horizontally. Hope this helps in a better service. Love your work. DT

]]> <![CDATA[By: Amesburygeorge]]> I thought I was an elementary learner until I took the tests, and found that I am at newbie level. My abilities are not balanced, as I can handle the elementary levels for speaking, listening and some reading, but I struggle with writing. The tests have shown me that I need to focus more on writing.

]]> I thought I was an elementary learner until I took the tests, and found that I am at newbie level. My abilities are not balanced, as I can handle the elementary levels for speaking, listening and some reading, but I struggle with writing. The tests have shown me that I need to focus more on writing.

]]> <![CDATA[By: orangina]]> I always wished I was left handed because (aside from the astonishing list of famously clever and creative leftys) the left handed scissors in kindergarten had colored (british translation: coloured) handles rather than plain ones.

]]> I always wished I was left handed because (aside from the astonishing list of famously clever and creative leftys) the left handed scissors in kindergarten had colored (british translation: coloured) handles rather than plain ones.

]]> <![CDATA[By: thinkbuddha]]> As a lefty myself, I'm jealous. We didn't have those coloured (American translation: colored) kindergarten scissors over here.

I'd noticed that with the chopsticks as well, tal.

]]> As a lefty myself, I'm jealous. We didn't have those coloured (American translation: colored) kindergarten scissors over here.

I'd noticed that with the chopsticks as well, tal.

]]> <![CDATA[By: hyperborean]]> Test section was a great addition, very valuable tool. Thanks, good work!

]]> Test section was a great addition, very valuable tool. Thanks, good work!

]]> <![CDATA[By: zhenlijiang]]> No doubt it's disadvantageous to be left-handed in brush calligraphy--in writing kanji/hanzi in general, as they were not designed to be written with the left hand. Try it and see how your arm comes in on your heart with every horizontal stroke. It is a stressor I think. I'm left-handed btw.
Japanese children used to be corrected into right-handedness I think even when I was growing up (I didn't go to Japanese school so the issue didn't come up at school. At home my father did try to get me to use chopsticks with the right hand but it was too late, I was already eight then), but I guess not much these days. Don't know the statistics, but I do see many more young left-handed people now than I did say 20, 30 years ago. Changye I think many parents now also think it's "cool" for their kid to be left-handed, and if you're one of those parents keen for your kid to become a baseball or tennis player or something, even more so.

I don't know what it's like in China so am looking forward to the lesson. The only glimpse of any attitude I've had was from a young teacher who saw me and said "Wow!", as if I had ridden into the classroom on a unicycle.

]]> No doubt it's disadvantageous to be left-handed in brush calligraphy--in writing kanji/hanzi in general, as they were not designed to be written with the left hand. Try it and see how your arm comes in on your heart with every horizontal stroke. It is a stressor I think. I'm left-handed btw.
Japanese children used to be corrected into right-handedness I think even when I was growing up (I didn't go to Japanese school so the issue didn't come up at school. At home my father did try to get me to use chopsticks with the right hand but it was too late, I was already eight then), but I guess not much these days. Don't know the statistics, but I do see many more young left-handed people now than I did say 20, 30 years ago. Changye I think many parents now also think it's "cool" for their kid to be left-handed, and if you're one of those parents keen for your kid to become a baseball or tennis player or something, even more so.

I don't know what it's like in China so am looking forward to the lesson. The only glimpse of any attitude I've had was from a young teacher who saw me and said "Wow!", as if I had ridden into the classroom on a unicycle.

]]> <![CDATA[By: zhenlijiang]]> Suxiaoya don't you find it even more difficult to write on those whiteboards, being left-handed? I hate it, always needing to bend and scrunch up and keep from wiping away what I've just written, with my own hand.

]]> Suxiaoya don't you find it even more difficult to write on those whiteboards, being left-handed? I hate it, always needing to bend and scrunch up and keep from wiping away what I've just written, with my own hand.

]]> <![CDATA[By: jckeith]]> I'll second that! From guns to guitars to white boards, it's a right handers world out there!

]]> I'll second that! From guns to guitars to white boards, it's a right handers world out there!

]]> <![CDATA[By: gesang]]> But I heard that's why we left-handed people have better motor skills with BOTH hands...(are better with the right hand, than right handed with the left)...because we are used to deal with all the right-hand designed stuff.

A comfort for annoying lefty-situations in a right-handed world (like zhenlijiangs described whiteboard experience etc.,etc. )!!?

;-)

]]> But I heard that's why we left-handed people have better motor skills with BOTH hands...(are better with the right hand, than right handed with the left)...because we are used to deal with all the right-hand designed stuff.

A comfort for annoying lefty-situations in a right-handed world (like zhenlijiangs described whiteboard experience etc.,etc. )!!?

;-)

]]> <![CDATA[By: simonpettersson]]> I read somewhere (read: I have no idea if this is true or not) that left-handed people have a significantly shorter life expectancy than right-handed people. Supposedly because of accidents.

]]> I read somewhere (read: I have no idea if this is true or not) that left-handed people have a significantly shorter life expectancy than right-handed people. Supposedly because of accidents.

]]> <![CDATA[By: BEBC]]> I have also read somewhere of a slight correlation between left-handedness and schizophrenia; something to do with right-hemisphere dominance.

]]> I have also read somewhere of a slight correlation between left-handedness and schizophrenia; something to do with right-hemisphere dominance.

]]> <![CDATA[By: bababardwan]]> Zhen yeah a definite advantage in tennis ...particularly the serve

]]> Zhen yeah a definite advantage in tennis ...particularly the serve

]]> <![CDATA[By: kdombros]]> I also read somewhere that there is some indication that the (so far) only 'negative' side effect of ultrasounds is increased frequency of left-handed kiddies!

http://www.healthline.com/blogs/pregnancy_childbirth/2007/10/obstetrical-ultrasound-and.html

]]> I also read somewhere that there is some indication that the (so far) only 'negative' side effect of ultrasounds is increased frequency of left-handed kiddies!

http://www.healthline.com/blogs/pregnancy_childbirth/2007/10/obstetrical-ultrasound-and.html

]]> <![CDATA[By: suxiaoya]]>

Zhenlijiang - I've never considered whether or not whiteboard writing is more awkward for "leftys" (I just assumed it was awkward for everyone!). The way I'd tackle it is to keep my hand below the text rather than coming from the left; smudge-free results but it's definitely awkward, yes.

At school I did well in art class (gesang, I guess you're right!), but I wonder if I would have discovered the joy of painting had I been forced to use my right hand as a child?

It's food for thought, though: how many born artists are there in China, for example, who never discovered their creative talents because they were forced to use their right hands?

]]>

Zhenlijiang - I've never considered whether or not whiteboard writing is more awkward for "leftys" (I just assumed it was awkward for everyone!). The way I'd tackle it is to keep my hand below the text rather than coming from the left; smudge-free results but it's definitely awkward, yes.

At school I did well in art class (gesang, I guess you're right!), but I wonder if I would have discovered the joy of painting had I been forced to use my right hand as a child?

It's food for thought, though: how many born artists are there in China, for example, who never discovered their creative talents because they were forced to use their right hands?

]]> <![CDATA[By: suxiaoya]]> Gesang, talking about the experiences of left-handed people, how did your Tibeten wall painting restoration project go? You've been back home for a little while now, I imagine? Do you have pictures?

]]> Gesang, talking about the experiences of left-handed people, how did your Tibeten wall painting restoration project go? You've been back home for a little while now, I imagine? Do you have pictures?

]]> <![CDATA[By: fulankelin]]> In defense, maybe, of left-handedness the current and three of the four immediate previous U.S. presidents are/were left-handed. George W. being the exception.

]]> In defense, maybe, of left-handedness the current and three of the four immediate previous U.S. presidents are/were left-handed. George W. being the exception.

]]> <![CDATA[By: hunchiepunker]]> Suxiaoya, where did you teach in Anhui?

]]> Suxiaoya, where did you teach in Anhui?

]]> <![CDATA[By: suxiaoya]]> hunchiepunker, I lived in a city called Wuhu, the home of Chery cars and very hospitable people. Was a great experience. Are you based in Anhui?

]]> hunchiepunker, I lived in a city called Wuhu, the home of Chery cars and very hospitable people. Was a great experience. Are you based in Anhui?

]]> <![CDATA[By: hunchiepunker]]> Oh, Wuhu. Sure. I lived for a long time in Hefei. Bad rice, as they say. Not any more! Miss it.

]]> Oh, Wuhu. Sure. I lived for a long time in Hefei. Bad rice, as they say. Not any more! Miss it.

]]> <![CDATA[By: ousijia]]> Huh? Why are left hand-handed people more prone to accidents?!

]]> Huh? Why are left hand-handed people more prone to accidents?!

]]> <![CDATA[By: bababardwan]]> having to use right handed walking sticks

]]> having to use right handed walking sticks

]]>