So well over a year ago Andy and I set out to learn Mandarin Chinese. Thus far I have been a complete failure. Andy has done a bit better but I'm not sure how far he's gotten since his trip to China. In any case, now that I'm about to go spend several months in a small cabin on the Lakes I'm hoping to get more resources together and get more serious. The unfortunate part is that all the native speakers I knew at OnStar are now out of touch. But in the time since I've found ChinesePod, a foreign language podcast which is excellent.
I had just gotten into it, but wanted to focus first on the more basic lessons. But just a few weeks after signing up, I've found that Slate.com is now heartily endorsing it as well, which has me more motivated and hopefully I'll be speaking much better in the next year.
Anyway, this is up here primarily for Andy, but if anyone else is motivated, check it out and we can speak bad chinese together. Any podcasting software will pick this up as a feed, but they also have all the episodes available (divided into four difficultly levels) for download as mp3, so any Luddites can step only into 1999 and pick up just mp3s. Its also available on the iTunes store.
You just gave me the best idea ever. I've been trying to teach myself Japanese for 3 years now, and I didn't even consider this whole Podcast phenomenon. I don't have an iPod but I have a wonderful little mp3 player that B got me for Christmas. I am now on a quest for a Japanese podcast.
So far, I can read and write Hiragana and Katakana, but I don't know a lick of Kanji. And sure I can read it, but I have no freakin' idea what the words mean most of the time. I was considering taking a Japanese course this summer at USC, but I was actually looking forward to having the summer off after such a crazy year.
I think I'll post this on my blog just in case anyone wants to learn Mandarin or knows of a Japanese podcast themselves... Great idea. Seriously.
Funny I should read this item from Taiwan on a morning when I was just reminded how, despite having finished Pimselur Mandarin I, I have so very far to go.
The guest house at which I'm staying (National Taiwan University) employs one worker at the front desk who does not speak English and is only in from about 8:00AM-5:00PM. Therefore, when I tried to say, "I am leaving at 5:00 AM Saturday morning, can I take care of my check-out Friday night and can I pay using a credit card?" I noticed that I did not know such words as: Friday, Saturday, morning, pay, bill, and credit card.
Kind of a downer. Maybe I don't pay.
I have several friends that have taught English in China from several months to 2 years. I must say that they speak it pretty fluently by their immersion. I'm also told it pays well. Perhaps you can arrange 6 months out of your life to go there and teach English. They pay for the flight and for your stay there on top of salary. Its pretty cool.. You could pay your morgage from abroad and have your parents keep an eye on your place.