User Comments - chinesecatherine

Posted on: Progress Tracking and Grammar Guide

I do mark when I've studied lessons, (the idea being that if I look at them again, I SHOULD know what they are about!)  But, I used to be able to do this from the actual lesson page, but can't anymore.  It's really a hassle to have to go back to the full list to mark the lesson I was just looking at as studied.  Is this something I can change?

Posted on: Introducing Catherine

I'm British, we don't have Thanksgiving at all!  As the American one at least was about getting AWAY from the British, then it wouldn't really be appropriate!

But Happy Thanksgiving to those for who it IS the right time of year.

And Catherine, welcome.  I'm a Catherine too.....

Posted on: Executive Plan, Newbie Changes, and More

I'm working between Newbie and Ele at the moment, and have done around 150 Newbie lessons now (and around 50 Ele).  I think I get less from each Newbie than I used to, so I can see progress.  But if I'm tired, and just want to do a bit without it being too taxing, then it's nice to put a Newbie lesson on!  I now also quite often get most or all of the dialogue the first time (though it can sometimes throw me completely) and that's good as it feels like progress.

Ele are a bit more challenging for me at the moment, but I know I'm learning more from each one of those than the Newbie ones.

I'm not sure if I will do ALL the Newbie lessons or not.  But I think with over 300, that's more than enough if I do decide I want to.  So as a Newbie, I don't mind that there won't be any more Newbie lessons.

Thank you for everything you do Chinesepod!

Posted on: Express Train or High-speed Train?

I was impressed with the high speed train in Taiwan.  Fast, clean, always on time.  Quite a contrast to the UK!  A friend told me that one time he had trouble getting from the north of the UK to the south, and wrote to the train company suggesting that they look at Taiwan as an example of how to do it right!

In China, of course, you can be on a train for days!  Is that still true with the high speed ones?

Posted on: Bean: Volunteering and Making a Difference in Shanghai

If the show is in Chinese, I won't be able to understand it.  I think the series is something in addition to the langauge learning (which has several levels) and I think it's interesting.

So please don't do shows in Mandarin!  Or if you must, then have a separate series so us newbies don't feel alienated.

Posted on: Treating and Foreigners on TV

OK, I may not get an answer to this as it's so long since the show aired - but I'm terrified of going to China and ending up in a situation where I am expected to sing!  I have no voice, I'm completely off tune, and while in my head it's wonderful and very tuneful, I know that to those poor souls who have to listen to me, it's a very different experience!

But, someone told me that if I end up in that situation and refuse to sing, it's the equivalent of going into someone's house and peeing on their floor!!!!  Now he may have been trying to scare me, but the last thing I would want to do is cause offence.  And if I don't sing, I think I would cause offence, if I do sing, then I KNOW I'll cause damage to the ears of my listeners.

Any advice?

Posted on: Pinyin Section 4: R

I have found this series useful, so thank you for it.  I think lots of repetition is good, but it's also good to have a podcast to back it up.  I also love the chart and am using it when I come across a character I'm not sure how to pronounce, I can just go the the chart, set the tone, and hear it!  Wonderful!

Just one technical point - after working through the lesson I marked it as studied on the website, and it hasn't been added to my 'studied' units, instead it seems to disappear completely from my 'Me' section.  Any ideas?  I'd like to have it for future reference so want to keep hold of it.  I work from the site and listen through my PC rather than downloading to an iPod - mostly because I don't have an iPod, and my mp3 player is good for random music, but not easy to navigate to particular tracks.

Do please keep up the good work!

Posted on: Dialect Party Mix

There are dialects in every country.  I'm British, but if I go to somewhere like Glasgow in Scotland, I really have to concentrate when the locals are speaking to me as they have a very strong accent, and use dialect words.  US accents vary so much as well.  A country as big as China is bound to have differences, there would be something wrong if it didn't!

Thanks for the lessons, I'm really finding ChinesePod useful.

Posted on: Lying in Chinese

I've been learning Mandarin for about 8 months now, and have so far mostly used books and CDs.  I've subscribed to Chinese Pod for the listening practice, as I know that what I think a word sounds like actually isn't always how it should sound.

I'm working on the Newbie and Elementary lessons, listening first (as this is where I need the practice) then looking at the text and that helps my understanding given my background.  And like you mystic, I know I'm going to get through all the newbie lessons at some point!

Not that I'm obsessive compulsive, of course ;)