To my dear Chinesepod

this is fun!

JP, just saw the videos now! it seems like such a cool time working for Praxis!!! Oooh, what i would do to work there! It seems so fun!

I tried learning Spanish, Japanese, and improving my Chinese at the same time last year. It was ok, I'd get mixed up a few times though (i answered my spanish teacher in chinese!). The problem I encountered was more of motivation and lack of practice above all else.

JP, just saw the videos now! it seems like such a cool time working for Praxis!!! Oooh, what i would do to work there! It seems so fun!

I tried learning Spanish, Japanese, and improving my Chinese at the same time last year. It was ok, I'd get mixed up a few times though (i answered my spanish teacher in chinese!). The problem I encountered was more of motivation and lack of practice above all else.

umm, a little difficult for me too. English is the only foreign language that i keep learning now. I did learn some Japanese, just know some basic pronunciation and some elementary words and grammar, very limited! And I learned some Korean from Korean program. Those were just for fun. I did not learn any basic pronunciation or grammar about korean, I just learned some words or sentence from those korean program, just know how to pronounce.I can not understand any korean characters.

Yeah, light487, just be sure to pick languages which are sufficiently different from each other that you can avoid a troublesome thing known -- in the language of linguistics -- as "interference".

"Interference" is the reason why I have to resist -- daily! it's getting harder!-- the temptation to listen to SpanishPod, because Spanish messes up my Italian, which is the language of some close family friends. Even though I need Spanish, because some of my closest non-Spanish friends and I have a long tradition of spending a few weeks together in a certain house near Gerona every year! When I was living in Brussels, it was a perfect opportunity for me to learn Flemish/ Dutch, but I had to give that up because I was learning German at the time (the marks counted!), and the two languages -- Dutch and German -- were so close, linguistically, that I simply had to stop the Dutch/ Flemish because it was making me go backwards in German!

light 487:

I've tried learning several languages at the same time and believe me, it works. The only thing I do wrong is constantly get mixed up with the words for 'and' - if I've been speaking German and I go over to French for a while I'll start saying 'und' rather than 'et'. But I don't think that's a real problem. :)

Go for it!

JP:

lol :-)

Great slideshow and video JP! If this is what happens on Saturdays I'm not sure I want to know what happens on Sundays...

Auntie,

I wish I could do that, but I hardly find the time to cover one language...I am constantly not meeting my own targets with Chinese already.

I'm probably the last to hear (read) that they are moving away from the factory. Kind of sad because I never got to see it with my own eyes! I was in Shanghai exactly a year ago for May holiday, and even though they were closed for a week, I thought I should at least go see the outside of ChinesePod, yet for some reason I didn't...thinking there would be another time... I guess not. :(

I do! Or a long shower too.. I spend a lot of my time in the shower speaking mandarin phrases to myself! :)

light487 -- go for it! I'm with JP on the benefits of studying more than one language at a time. Well, it works for me. One will be my "target" language, ie the one I'm serious about. The other, I call my "R&R"/ "fun break" language, meaning absolutely no pressure there, because I don't need to get good in it, just have fun.

What almost always happens is that I end up enjoying both so much that I find myself "stealing" time from each to study the other in the limited time I have available.

I think the secret is that it keeps the "language acquisition" motor in my brain ticking over, so that if I'm a bit (temporarily) sick of the main language, but I can just move over to another section of the buffet.

And by the time I move back to the "main" language, I usually find that the last language point(s) I had been doing before the break have become "digested" and internalized, all subconsciously. That's how the human brain works; all new information needs a bit of time to be absorbed so that it becomes intuitive. Don't you find that some Chinese point which you may have been struggling over often seems so natural, intuitive, after a good night's sleep?

Well since I wrote that.. yess I know a short time.. haha.. I went and listened to a couple of the SpanishPOD lessons. I realise that I know a lot of Spanish already.. mainly from TV and movies, as well as from people I have met over the years. One TV show sticks in my mind the most.. haha Sesame Street! :) It had a lot of Spanish speakers on that show and I guess because I was young at the time, it stuck in my head more readily.

You're right about the "crisis of confusion" thing too. I play Guitar and although I am not "fluent" on piano because the same basics apply, I can still play it.. or any instrument for that matter. I guess what it comes down to is "What/How am I going to use it for?" or.. how can I relate to this new thing. Without the need to learn a specific thing, there is no motivation for the person to learn the new thing. I learn because I enjoy learning but there needs to be more than that. I need a goal to set my sights on at the end of the day.

rsmith91,

ha ha, that's not my calendar, or my shoe! btw, I missed a line in the subtiles, where Lili says, "yah, but he's not naked..."

light487,

I don't subscribe to the idea that languages conflict with each other in your brain. We haven't discovered the limit of the human capacity for languages. The only "confusion" I have sometimes arises out of habit; for example, when I'm speaking another language, sometimes I'll say "对." But that's hardly a crisis.

It's funny, you wouldn't expect someone to have a crisis of confusion if they're learning to play more than one sport at a time, or more than one musical instrument at a time, or mastering more than one video game at a time, But for some reason, people imagine that language fills your brain to capacity....

Anyway, if you're interested in a language, you should study it, period! Besides, it's free to listen to the daily podcasts at SpanishPod... :)

Do you think learning a bit of Spanish would conflict with learning mandarin? I mean.. since I am still a newbie with mandarin.. do you think that learning Spanish would confuse my little brain? :)

Shocking calendar JP! By the way, did anyone think the man on the other side of that calendar looked like Bazza's avatar?

Thanks JP - it's great seeing where all the Praxis stuff comes from. :)

more views of the Factory:

Jp, nice slideshow. I see our dear Amber this time.^_^ Many folks from Chinesepod that we are familiar with. And good to know those nice people from Spainshpod. Thanks!

Bazza, it's because everyone is star struck of you! JP, nice slideshow.

hey kids, Here's my Christmas slideshow; it includes a lot of folks from SpanishPod and ChinesePod as well!

I was just kidding. I don't get many messages. ;)

What, bazza? Don't tell me that you don't know we can send messages!!!! LOL

We can send messages?!?

Oh yeah I remember now. ;)

Yeh.. and to edit or delete them if needed too.

I completely agree with you Cassie. I've thought that very same thing in the past. It's always nice to know what you wrote to someone....like me, I seem to have early onset Alzheimers and tend to forget what I've said in the past. So it'd be helpful so I don't repeat myself, as I tend to do.

Also, it be nice if messages would automatically be sent to our e-mail address.

Oh, here comes my another question for our Chinesepod.

Why can we just have our incoming messages? I hope we can have our outgoing messages too. Oh, I meant i want to read or review those messages that written by myself sometimes. How about you guys？ Have you ever want to know what you had written before?

How's the move going?

A just fate for that building. Will the new place still be "The Factory" or is it now just "The Office"?

I don't think that's what she meant by that comment..

Seriously? Amber. Is that what the video is of?

Can't wait to see the new digs. Best of luck on the move!

Bazza,

Thank you for the feedback.

So I was right that Aric did the most videos. His voice is familiar with my ears. ^_^ Another cool guy from Chinesepod!

And maxiewawa, a funny poddie.

Yes, it's succumbing to the wrecking ball. We'll be sad to see it go (except for the bathroom).

Amber, is the old factory being demolished or something? ;)

Cassie, to answer your questions above:

1. Aric

2. Ryan, now left the crew.

3. I think Aric did most of the videos.

4. Colleen, also left now.

5. maxiewawa, a poddie.

Ha, Ha, just got an idea suddently that may be our dear Amber will show us the new Chinesepod office!!!! oh, if so, that will be really cool! I can not wait to see that!

Again, good luck with move!

hey everybody,

sorry to keep you all in such long suspense, hehe, but we are all so busy preparing everything for a smooth move that no one has had time to actually get the 'surprise' up yet! I will give you a hint though, it is a 'farewell to the factory'. Can't wait!

Can't wait for the surprise Amber and the gang has in store for us!!!

hmm.. can it be a Beijing Opera Program, with Amber and John singing?? haha, that would be interesting. :)

umm, still not get those answers!

Wow, that kind of meetup is very very cool! Did other poddies have this kind of meetup before? If so, come on, show us! Chinesefood is delicious!鱼香茄子，宫保鸡丁，三鲜炒面，麻婆豆腐，饺子，混沌etc. etc...

P.s.

Bazza, you are really a shy guy!!! If i were you and faced to the video, I would talk a lot and show some chinese that I had learned.^_^

Hehe.. I love that food comment: "I flew all this way and we're gonna have Chinese food."

haha.. such a disappointment! :) However, as someone who loves their food I can totally relate to that comment. :)

Ooooh, you've got me excited now Amber! :D

I can't wait.

oh, no, the video speed is too low to watch the whole video before the curfew. I will get up very early tomorrow morning and watch it before the time for work.

Cassie, here a video of a poddie meetup in London, I'm the shy one at about 1:24 in.

Okay, I guess it works now! I am sorry about that private profile accident.

I second light478's question. I thought to ask this question long time ago. John, when did it was taken? When i saw your avatar for the first time, i thought you look like Chad Michael Murray in this picture, especially the eyes!

Dear Amber, can i have a request, please don't put your surprise on Dear Amber or 请问, I will not be allowed to see that. Please!!!Please!!!!!

Mmmm.. a surprise from Amber. That's something I would like to see. :) :)

But seriously.. I can't wait to see what you people have planned. Can you at least let us know when it is going to happen? Like this weekend? Next month? etc?

Also.. John.. what state of being were you in when the picture you use for your avatar was taken? :) It looks like you had a long night out on the town before that picture was taken..? :)

And Casie... haha.. you are as cute as Jenny! :)

Oh, how time flied when you were addicted to Chinesepod!!!! I should go now, I haven't eat anything yet, I think it is time for brunch! See ya

Oops, It took me so long to do the comment above that i almost missed something! Wow, more videos, it is awesome! I can not wait to see them!

Wow, thanks bazza for those cool videos.

I never know "The Saturday Show" before! It is very good and those lessons from the show did taught practical words in daily life!!!

And I want to say that Chinesepod factory is really really cool place and it is a little different from my imagination before! I wonder is it still the same now? or may be somewhat changed?

Oh, It took me about an hour and a half to watch all those videos from the menu. I really enjoyed! And to be honest, I had been silly again. You know, I was too excited to comment just now and typed too fast to lose all those words i had typed. So I am carefully typing this time.

Oh, Ken's avatar show up in my mind when I saw him in the video, and i thought very "cool and wise" ken at any time, any place.^_^ And Jenny, oh, very charming lady! Wait, i think i should use chinese to comment that Jenny will understand me very well. Jenny,每次在播客中听到你的声音，我都会对自己说，她绝对是一个可爱的小女人，哈哈，爱玩，爱笑，非常的活泼，对吧？I am sorry if you guys can not understand all thoes chinese characters! And John, I saw you were texting!!!ha ha. It seems that you are about 5'12 or more than that! When i saw John in the video, i thought about those cold jokes that he made with Jenny! It was funny!

Okay, I am sorry for this long comment, but i am not going to stop, here comes my questions!

1.Who is the guy with red scarf in the holiday greeting one？

2. Who is the guy shows up at the end of the greeting video?

3. Are all those videos recorded by Eric?(Most recorded by Eric and Jenny) I feel shame that I don't know Eric before, I guess i missed many good and nice people like Eric from Chinesepod and i also missed many good and interesting stuff in the pass three years. I hope i would had known chinesepod at the first begining. Anyway, it is not too late to know.

4. Who is the shy ,beautiful and blond hair lady in the greeting one? Is she our dear Amber? I have no idea about that. Where is Amber?

5. Who is the guy in the Chinesepod translation one?

P.s. I feel shame for not knowing all of you, but i will try to, so please, tell me who are they!

YIppee!

More video. We hear you!

And this surprise Amber is hinting at will be a good one... :)

Ooooh...oooh...what is it? What is it? I can't wait! It's a surprise for us from CPod! How exciting!

Guess what everybody... there is a special surprise coming your way that just might make your wish come true... stay tuned.... watch the conversations boards... it's coooool!!!!! :D :D :D oh and i should add it's not anything to do with a "lesson"...

Yeh there's a few YouTube videos with the actual cPOD people on them (not enough for to subdue my desire to see them) and also there are YoUTube videos of "lessons", where they basically have a commentary on what happens in the video. I like both of these ideas and find it frustrating that there are not more of the same for premium members.. and the fans of cPOD.

The video lessons are great because they have the subtitles of what is being taught at the same time as it is being taught but the dialog is in the same general format as the cPOD audio lessons.

May be one video a month can be produced.. I would like it to be one a week of coruse but may be that would be too much work to the already extensive workload the cPODders do. One a month si not too unreasonable a request.. even if it is just a commentary video lesson.. or even a video of the actual recording session.. like a webcam..

Actually.. that's another idea altogether.. there could be a webcam in main office.. and then another one, that only gets switched on when a lesson is being recorded, in the studio.. that would be ok..

@ urbandweller,

In fact, Clay rather sounds like a little child slurping an EMPTY glass of juice with a straw. ;o)

There is a ChinesePod flickr page: http://www.flickr.com/photos/chinesepod/ A factory tour: Some xmas greetings:

I'm with Cassie on this one!! I'm a very visual person. It would have been fun to have seen Jenny singing on the Whatever lesson...the Qingwens would also be interesting to watch...then we could see Clay slurping his kafei!

Maybe at the least, we could get some occasional photos of the staff hard at work...or not...ha ha.

-Adam

'The Saturday Show' used to be videoed at one point, not sure if they're still available though.