www.chinesepod.com
Chinesepod is a relatively new resource for people interested in learning Chinese. Podcasted from Shanghai on approximately a daily basis it mixes good instruction technique, with high production values and amiable hosts. As the podcast just started in September of 2005 the selection of lessons is still heavily weighted towards the beginner/basic level. However for those with appropriate levels of Chinese experience these lessons will provide valuable assistance.
The podcasts themselves are free. If one wishes she can pay a subscription fee for access to supplementary training materials. I can't speak to the value of these as I've never used them. I do occasionaly listen to the 'intermediate' lessons and often find them useful. If anything, listening to extra Chinese lessons, whether I find them too easy or not, certainly isn't doing any harm to my Chinese abilities.
Interestingly this podcast has climbed up yahoo's ranking of podcasts to consistently rank in the top five. This speaks both to the growing popularity of Chinese as a foreign language, and to the overall quality of the service. I highly recommend chinesepod to beginners and even people who consider their Chinese abilities at an intermediate level.
Comments
Thanks for that URL, I'll listen to that for sure!
By the way, I don't know if it would suit your needs, but Taiwan brodcasts a daily program in many languages... including Chinese, of course. Have a look at the RTI Website, and enjoy!
Posted by: Pierre | March 1, 2006 11:30 PM
Ryan,
Appreciate the supportive words about ChinesePod. If you have any requests, just let us know and we'll try to include them in upcoming podcasts.
Posted by: Ken Carroll | March 2, 2006 12:05 AM
Heh, Thanks to you, ChinesePod has boosted up my Chinese studies. That's one great tool. Got more?
Posted by: fiLi | March 25, 2006 6:44 PM
Hi All,
In my quest to learn Mandarin as painlessly and as quickly as possible I've produced a self hypnosis MP3 download which ties in with Chinesepod. Download it from www.sambrown.co.uk/chinesepod and give it a go. Let me know how you get on!
Yours
Sam
Posted by: Sam Brown | March 25, 2006 9:14 PM
Fili: I have no magic tools. I do find listening to RFA really helps though. But if you're getting lots of daily exposure it isn't necessary. I have it on almost all the time I'm at home. Even if I'm not paying attention, I feel having the Chinese in the background does at least a minute amount of good.
Posted by: Ryan Whalen | March 31, 2006 3:56 PM
Hey, I found another good website for learning Mandarin.It's flash ones and have funny culture shockers sharing.I tried and it's really good.
it's called www.activechinese.com
Posted by: Anna Peak | December 20, 2006 5:06 AM
I found Yangshuo is a very good place to learn Chinese. I have studied in Omeida College for 3 months. Everybody there is happy to help you. By the way, Yangshuo scenery is amazing!
Posted by: Janie | June 11, 2007 10:32 PM