傻瓜凳

我這八個月忙著念碩士，所以有一陣子沒有在看板，

然後夏初回來。。。就比較安靜一些。我想，可能是這個新穎的留言板。那個舊的，就比較會讓人与彼此互動吧。這個新的也不錯，不過希望更多人會來參加討論~~嗚嗚

我不想一個人。。。。復習！！！！！！！！

dun, dun.dun! 中國網友知道這個dun dun dun是什麽意思嗎？不知道中文裏有沒有相當於之的説法，應該沒有吧？

一闪一闪亮晶晶 (obscured - I'm guessing)，满天都是小星星，挂在天空放光明，好像许多小眼睛,一闪一闪亮晶晶 (pin yin only partly obscured) 

Yì shǎn yì shǎn liàng jīng jīng 

Liǎng tiān dōu shì xiǎo xīng xīng

Guà zài tiān shàng fàng guān míng  

Hǎo xiàng xǔ duō xiǎo yǎn jīng  

Yì shǎn yì shǎn liàng jīng jīng 

Twinkle, Twinkle little star ..

I visited a primary school once (grade four room) where the kids sang this song in English.  They had no idea of the meaning of the individual words.  Kids usually start their English lessons in grade four.  

我不知道dun,dun,dun 的意思，不过可以猜 [I don't know what "dun,dun,dun" means but I can guess ]

就是這種音效！

But "Jie1 xia4lai wo3men zuo4 lian4xi2",this "lian4xi2" is something about study,grade. "Jie1 xia4lai wo3men lian4xi2",in this sentence,"lian4xi2" means practice.

In Chinese 101 we were using Integrated Chinese ed. 2. I think it's chapter 4 (地四章 dì sì zhāng）titled "Hobbies." In my hommage to classroom learning, the pattern so easily roll out of the brain and off the tounge:

你这个周末想做什么？
nǐ zhè ge zhōu mò xiǎng zuò shénme?

我想打球。
wǒ xiǎng dǎ qiú.

我想看电影。
wǒ xiǎng kàn diàn yǐng.

我想学中文。
wǒ xiǎng xué zhōngwén.

我想吃美国菜。
wǒ xiǎng chī měiguó cài.

To this day, I still confuse 复习 fùxí (review) and 预习yùxí (preview). Always have to take a moment to insure I am internalizing the correct meaning.

...sorry mate :)

要不“噔噔” 【yàobù "dēng dēng"..how about "thump or thudding sound"]...similar to your dun dun too

还有“磤” 【or "yǐn"...sound of thunder]

呯 píng..sound of a gong

突突..tūtū ...beating of the heart

嘎啦。。gálā...rumbling

..hmm, yeah ,I agree, I can't find a specific equivalent of dun dun dun.

In a classroom setting, 做练习 (zuò liànxí) is kind of a set phrase established by habit, basically meaning, "do the exercises (in the book)."

大家应该读《子儿，吐吐》，真可爱。 ^_^ Da4jia1 ying1gai1 du2 "zi3r, tu3tu", zhen1 ke3ai4.

One anecdote. I sat in on a 1st grade class that happened to be studying Chinese and actually participated in the class with the other first graders. The tones were so clear and really beautiful as spoken by the teacher and children. This was one of the things that motivated me to begin studying Chinese.

Interesting you should use the word internalize. I am a learner. And I would like to hear more of your thoughts on the value and meaning of internalizing. It surely is much more than the dictionary definition of the word.

Also, I can tell you, as a former Special Ed. teacher, that it will help you to use "Sky Writing" in big strokes, with your non-dominant hand-- especially for the more difficult characters. Try do to the whole thing with your eyes shut and "visualize". This is a method which has a lot of success for cursive handwriting in children with learning disabilities; but I found it also increases motor memory for Chinese characters as well. Good luck!

小星星 Xiăo xīngxing (twinkle little star)

一闪一闪亮晶晶

满天都是小星星

高高挂在天空中

好像宝石放光明

一闪一闪亮晶晶

满天都是小星星

Yì shǎn yì shǎn liàng jīngjīng

Mǎn tiān dōu shì xiǎo xīngxing

Gāogāo guà zài tiānkōng zhōng

Hǎoxiàng băoshí fàng guāngmíng

Yì shǎn yì shǎn liàng jīng jīng

Mǎn tiān dōu shì xiǎo xīngxing

Twinkle twinkle bright

The sky is full of little stars

Hanging high in the sky

Like a radiant gem

Twinkle twinkle bright

The sky is full of little stars

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tg655tDqqc

Strange, when I listen to this sentence in the Expansion sentence, the "q" of "qing3" is obvious. However, when listening to it in the dictation of the Excercises section, the "qing3" sounds like it begins with an "x."

It must be the very same recording, but it sounds very different to me.

When I am disciplined, I read out loud "nong2min2" and I see the farmer. I see the ye3tu4 (hare) and the shu4zhuang1 (tree stump) and I SEE him picking up the hare that bashed into the stump and knocked himself out (hun1 guo4qu4). Sorry if my tones are not correct. I'm not double checking them.

That's what I mean by internalizing. I have the characters memorized, but I have to keep the meaning attached. Concrete.

I took 101 and 102 maybe 3 or 4 years ago. Stopped studying for a while out of frustration and lack of classes. Still don't have a class to attend. There are some offered here at night but I can't drive at night. Also, in a bad neighborhood AT NIGHT far from my home. No parking, so you have to take the metro and then walk at night in a bad hood. No way!

I've posted this before that the ABC students that were the majority in my classes complained that the IC textbooks did not have real spoken Chinese. "Nobody talks like that" they would say. That is one of the strong points of CPod, I think. You get real conversational material.

常常

经常

通常

平常

通常，平常 usually

What I'd like to know is if there is a sequence following 先...first. That is, is there an equivalent "second, third" etc?

There have been times that I have misheard the "reader" and then after studying a bit and re-listen; the reader has said the word correctly. My auditory error.

I have felt in the past that the expansion sentences weren't given sufficient attention. But, lately I find improvement in them. So, I have no complaint.

Not to belabor the point but new learners must hear a very pristine and beautiful presentation of the sentences in order to learn to say the language properly. Thanks for bring up the point. The "q" sound is correct. As you know in real life there are people who speak clearly and others who don't. I think that Jenny is an excellent example of one who is very clearly heard. Also, Connie is a happy experience to listen to for me. Both are easy to learn from.

Thanks for the tip. I will venture a little further into now that I have a path. Appreciate the sharing.

Just an aside: I am a former Sped teacher as well. Good to meet you hear on CPod.

I think there are three ideas to be expressed:

1. often, or many times (referring to frequency) 'He is often late for class'

2. commonly/usually, or many cases (in the extreme this gets to 'all the time') 'Christopher is commonly called Chris.'

3. a majority of the time, mostly, probably. Where I live it mostly snows in Winter. (A majority of Winters.)

In normal Chinese I hear the most common (!) ways of expressing these three are:

1. 常常

2. 一般

3. 多半，大多

I'd be interested in getting any feedback, supporting or otherwise.

I think these Chinese expressions are self-explanatory, as follows:

常常, the repetition signifies frequency

一般, the 一 suggests to me something that just goes on continually (eg. 一直)

多半, signifies something that occurs more than half the time.

Sorry so long to respond, I hope you get this.