User Comments - riceeater

Posted on: Blaming Your Partner in Chinese

I made a Quizlet set for reviewing of this vocabulary 

Quizlet Set: Blaming Your Partner

This set is also available in the ANKI database by searching for “C-Pod Inter: Blaming Your Partner”

Posted on: What an Ugly Teacup! Did you Make it?

Yes, @Washingtondc..., I teach English to native speakers of Chinese in Taiwan where I have lived and taught for many years.

One of the main things I like about with Quizlet is the way it gives teachers “superpowers” which include grouping other quizlet users (students) into class groups, where I then make certain lessons available to them. On top of that it allows me to track how students interact with the software and see what they have, or have not, accessed and studied.

Spaced repetition? I’m not sure what that means. I’ll have to look it up.

I’ve put a few other Chinese related things on Quizlet.  Search within the software for  the user Mr_LaBolle and keyword “Chinese” to find them.

Posted on: Q&A 2: Questions from The Forum

@Washingtondcmandarincooperative, it seems she was playing first-person shooter video games and said something along the lines of “我喜歡打手槍” (I like to shoot handguns) which in Taiwan is a euphemism for guys masturbating.  She went on about how fun it is to shoot everywhere.... and was red-faced upon realizing its double meaning in Taiwan. 

Posted on: What an Ugly Teacup! Did you Make it?

Quizlet set for What an Ugky Teacup i have recently been using the APP ANKI to review vocabulary flash cards. I discovered that the database of cards it uses is from another APP I have been using for awhile as I teach English (Quizlet). Follow the link above to see the quizlet set I created for this lesson. if you want add the set from within ANKI search for “C-Pod Upper-Int: What an Ugly Teacup In the layout settings for that set within the app you will need to specify that you want it to display Front-to-Back If I had intended to test myself from within the Quizlet APP I would not have included the pinyin on the back side of the cards. Please let let me know what you think of my card style. Normally, for the cards I create for my ESL students, I add sample sentences with fill in the blank sentences, but my Chinese is not quite at a level to make that economical, time-wise. https://quizlet.com/249646273/c-pod-uppr-int-what-an-ugly-teacup-flash-cards/?new

Posted on: I Don't Want to Be a Housewife

Lots of useful vocabulary and talking points in there.  Thanks.

Posted on: A Chinese-Style Contradiction

The difference between the sounds of "c" and "z" in pinyin is that the tongue placement for the "c" sound is further back than for the "z" sound. They are both fricatives.

There are seven fricatives in Chinese. Here they are in order with the tongue moving backwards from just behind the teeth for the first three --- and curled further and further back against the roof of your mouth for the last four

z, c, s,--zh, ch, sh, r

Actually the "c" is a little bit different in that it starts at the teeth and requires you to move back from there as you would in the English word Tse-tse fly.

There are three sounds in English that fit this description. Here they are and the pinyin "c" sound would be first:

tse, (c in pinyin), ch, sh

The differences between them is that the tip of the tongue is slightly further back at the beginning of each one. Try and say all three in quick succession paying attention to how your tongue changes position at the start of each one.

Posted on: Farewell Dinner

If everyone agreed on a single standard for any one language and everyone spoke only that standard dialect with no local variation in pronunciation what a boring world it would be. Would an Irish pub be the same if the barman did not have an Irish brogue? Would John Wayne have become the star he did if he spoke like the newscasters on CBS News? I love meeting new people and trying to figure out where they are from based upon accent.

Viva la local variation!!!

Posted on: Study Abroad

Thanks. You are right. I think I'll ditch the sunglasses in the final.

Posted on: Study Abroad

I'm an American currently attending university in Taiwan.  Coming here was a big culture shock for me.  I've come to love it and recently attended a speech contest for foreigners studying Chinese here.

I was lucky enough to make it past the first day of the competition when a field of 173 contestants was narrowed to 30.  Now I have two weeks to improve my speech on environmentalism before the finals.

Follow this link to see me give my speech. I'm the American wearing sunglasses and a hat.

http://www.rti.com.tw/ajax/Activity2010Ajax/Foreigner2010VoteE.aspx

I'd appreciate any feedback you could give.  While you are there, click on the link at the bottom right of the page to vote for the best.

Thanks.

Posted on: Assembling IKEA Furniture

I'm very happy see all the environmentally conscious Poddies here on Chinese Pod.  In Taiwan we just had a speech contest centered on the topic of environmentalism and Save the Earth.

I made it past the first cut and will go to the Finals of the speech contest in two weeks. Wish me luck.  

I plan on re-writing my three minute speech to make it even much more environmental.  

Wish me luck.  Here's the speech online if you want to take a look.  I'm the American with the sunglasses and hat on.

http://www.rti.com.tw/ajax/Activity2010Ajax/Foreigner2010VoteE.aspx

While you are there, click on the tab at the bottom to support your fellow Chinese Podder.