User Comments - tianfeng
tianfeng
Posted on: Traveling and Chopsticks
September 25, 2007, 02:18 PMwell I am stealing internet out my window and I think it went off at that time and when it reconnected it must have posted it again. We really need an edit or a delete button.
Posted on: Traveling and Chopsticks
September 25, 2007, 01:05 AMWell House is British and he had me fooled. He does a hell of an American accent. I asked my professor if she could tell and she said no. she was in the same boat as us. Japanese and Koreans are easy to tell from their accents because they all seem to have had the same teaching plan and learned the exact same thing with the same accent. But as for telling where westerners are from by their accents, she said she cant do it. I guess I do know the standard bad North American Chinese accent with no tones and rush through all the words with the stress on all of the wrong places.
Posted on: Traveling and Chopsticks
September 25, 2007, 01:04 AMWell House is British and he had me fooled. He does a hell of an American accent. I asked my professor if she could tell and she said no. she was in the same boat as us. Japanese and Koreans are easy to tell from their accents because they all seem to have had the same teaching plan and learned the exact same thing with the same accent. But as for telling where westerners are from by their accents, she said she cant do it. I guess I do know the standard bad North American Chinese accent with no tones and rush through all the words with the stress on all of the wrong places.
Posted on: Traveling and Chopsticks
September 25, 2007, 01:04 AMWell House is British and he had me fooled. He does a hell of an American accent. I asked my professor if she could tell and she said no. she was in the same boat as us. Japanese and Koreans are easy to tell from their accents because they all seem to have had the same teaching plan and learned the exact same thing with the same accent. But as for telling where westerners are from by their accents, she said she cant do it. I guess I do know the standard bad North American Chinese accent with no tones and rush through all the words with the stress on all of the wrong places.
Posted on: Traveling and Chopsticks
September 23, 2007, 11:38 AMIt seems like a good game show. Lets get on it and make our millions. I think usually guess Chinese peoples accents when I meet them. I am usually correct in the general north, south, east and west, but I even try for provinces. I haven't been right on yet but I am sure I will amaze the person with my pure luck guess when I finally am.
Posted on: Traveling and Chopsticks
September 23, 2007, 02:27 AMthanks amber, I will be interested in hearing what they have to say. maybe you could even turn it into a competition where you take samples of some of the Cpod students speaking Chinese and test the Chinese staff plus maybe John and some others whether they can distinguish between speakers.
Posted on: Arrival in Jizhou
September 23, 2007, 02:24 AMChrismandarinstudent - hit shift and space bar and that will put it back to normal. I think the minority thing is a double edged sword like it is for aboriginal populations all around the world. Most have no manufacturing capabilities or access to higher education so they have to find a way have an income. The idea of changing ones cultural to make it marketable is a touchy one. In many cases the populations welcome the increased cash flow in to their communities, in others they resent the comericaliization of their culture for profit. But some times left leaning thinkers are too quick to jump all over this and say that these cultures should not be commercialized because of their own self-righteous feeling towards preserving an ancient culture. First an foremost the people need have a way to make money and put food on the table. I hate to see this happening but sometimes it seems like the only viable option. Most people want some amenities in life.
Posted on: Traveling and Chopsticks
September 22, 2007, 11:51 AMI think you are right henning I am going to have to look for someone with more experience with Chinese speaking foreigners. My teachers would probably be the best people to ask because they have been teaching Foreigners for several years now. What does the C-pod staff think?
Posted on: Traveling and Chopsticks
September 22, 2007, 06:48 AMI asked my students today if I had an accent when I spoke Chinese and they said no but i am not convinced. I must have an accent, I am not that good.
Posted on: Arrival in Jizhou
September 25, 2007, 02:37 PMI have to write all day every day in Chinese by hand now and now that I finally bought a phone I have to text as well. I use my Chance here to type in English to appeal to a broader audience and because I need a break. I think that even I Chengye's Chinese was not that good (it is pretty good) reading some mistakes are not going to somehow poison your learning all together. If you are trying to learn Chinese completely from some posts people have written than you have bigger problems. And anyway, half of the exercises in my book now are looking at incorrect sentences and fixing the mistakes. How would this be any different?