User Comments - ncmuck
ncmuck
Posted on: It's My Birthday!
August 20, 2009, 04:42 AMWish we had this lesson 9 days earlier, it was my birthday!
As a non-native English speaker, I too had difficulties with 'day' and 'date'. It is complicated as the word for 'day' and 'date' in my native language is the same. (Though we have seperate word for 'day', it is considered old fashion to use it)
Until high school, I used to call my 'birthday' has 'happy birthday'. For e.g. 'Today is my happy birthday', 'August 11th is my happy birthday'.
Posted on: Pinyin Sections 7-8
July 30, 2009, 03:30 PMThis is so useful.
I wish we has this Pinyin series long time back.
Posted on: A Texan Visitor
July 29, 2009, 07:43 AM@Mystic
I have updated my blog with my study strategy.
Study Strategy - ChinesePod – Newbie Level.
btw, I posted this under "Interest - Study Strategy" group blog in Chinesepod, but have problem with formatting.
Posted on: A Texan Visitor
July 27, 2009, 10:21 AM@mystic,
Thanks. I am preparing post, which will outline my strategy for the Newbie Level. I will post it under "Interest - Study-Strategy" later this week.
Thought I haven't invented anything, I just refined what Ken and Jhenny thought us in the Newbie series, for me a busy person. (I work for more than 60 hours a week and my work with computers eats a lot of my brain.)
@Jhenny,
I am not trying to be modest, but the truth is that you guys are the real motivators.
The fact that I failed miserably with self-learning kit, but with Chinesepod it's a great success potrays your motivation and encouraging methodology of explaining complex things in simple way.
As mentioned above, I will post how I worked with Newbie level. If that helps the newbies, then I would be glad that I contributed some.
Posted on: A Texan Visitor
July 26, 2009, 09:45 PMThis July, I have completed around 300 lessons of newbie level, and I was heading towards to Elementary level. I know it took me longer than expected, however I found learning Chinese is hard to get started, but once done the infectious learning cycle will keep it rolling with the momentum.
I have had a wonderful journey with C-Pod, and I have posted my experience in learning Chinese in my personal blog A year of Chinese Learning by an Indian.
Posted on: Who are You Looking For?
June 04, 2009, 01:07 PM@wwaipoo
Bienvenido a Chinesepod
Hablo poco español y entienden poco.
Aquí hay muchos como yo, todos podemos ayudar.
Posted on: Who are You Looking For?
June 04, 2009, 06:11 AM
You guys are really doing good job, hence keep it up.
Jenny regarding how to make this more funny yet realistic, I think the easiest option would be to check best practices from Spanishpod.
I have been listening to both Chinesepod and Spanishpod (at Newbie and Elementary levels), and though these languages are entirely different and I cannot make a apple to apple comparison. But there are the stuffs which I feel Chinesepod can enhance...
One of the hosts should appear less intelligent, it’s sad but it’s true and it makes the show funnier and gives the confident to the listeners that you do not need to be talented to learn a new language.
In Spanishpod, I have observed that JP does this pretty cleverly, though we all know that he is really good in Spanish and very good linguist. His dumb, not so intelligent cover-up makes the show more entertaining.
Having said that, I would like reiterate that you both are doing good work, perhaps the best in teaching Chinese language and culture. If you want to make it more entertaining for Newbies (not for Intermediate and above) then the above mentioned suggestion may help.
Posted on: Why are You Studying Chinese?
June 02, 2009, 12:31 PMInitially I was learning Chinese purely for business, but later I realized it is very close to Indian languages, and more with South Indian Languages and I found interest in Chinese.
Examples.. In Tamil (major south Indian languages), the word for you is "ni" as in Chinese. The respected form of you is "ninga", more or less same as "nin" in Chinese.
Similarly to make a statement into question, we add either "aa" or "na", just like "ma" in Chinese.
South Indian culture and Chinese culture have many in common: rice eaters, usage of Sesame oil, steam bun (dimsum vs idly), respect to guests and elders, parents arranging marriage for kids, and many more.
Posted on: Gong Xi Fa Cai!
January 26, 2009, 03:43 PMI too have the same question as maureen, when I said 新年好！恭喜发财! to my friend. He replied.. 牛年快乐 ！
Posted on: It's My Birthday!
August 20, 2009, 08:54 AM@changye, @Shenyajin
谢谢您。