User Comments - RJ

Posted on: Delegating Tasks

Paul

I have actually done that with the expansion sentence print outs from WLCP. Read the english and try to verbalize the Chinese, which I check by listening to the mp3.  Your way would be more convenient. The only reservation I have is that this way you are starting by thinking in english. When I speak Chinese I want to convert my non-verbal thoughts into Chinese words straight away. These are two different things. Give it a try just by not looking or covering up the Chinese and see what you think.

oh, and Raygo - youre the man! Thank you.

Posted on: Podcast Language 3

btw

I created a ZDT flashcard file for the "lesson speak" summary posted above. If anyone would like a copy of it to import to ZDT for flashcard use, send me a PM and I will email it to you.

Posted on: Podcast Language 3

:-)

Posted on: Delegating Tasks

angela2

I agree. We should be able to choose pinyin, instead of, or in addition to, english as a "cog-wheel" option. I keep the english turned off but would love to have pinyin turned on. So the best system would allow us to choose either pinyin, english, or both, eilther as a default "cog-wheel" option or as a toggle option.

Posted on: Podcast Language 2

Zaphekiah

for this one just type lue, using the standard u and it gives the proper character. At least mine does.

sorry bodawei - I didnt notice your post before answering.

Posted on: Podcast Language 3

Here is a summary of the "lesson speak" from all 3 QW's. Tim (or others), feel free to keep me honest here.

语境 yǔ jìng context
上下文 shàng xìa wén context
成语 chéng yǔ proverb; idiom
贬义 biǎn yì derogatory sense
褒义 bāoyì positive sense
固定搭配 gùdìngdāpèi a fixed colocation
固定说法 gùdìngshuōfǎ fixed way of saying something
中性 zhōng xìng neutral
口语 kǒu yǔ oral - spoken language
书面 shū miàn literary, in writing
正式 zhèng shì formal; official
术语 shù yǔ term; terminology
词性 cíxìng word type
动词 dòng cí verb
名词 míng cí noun
形容词 xíng róng cí adjective
副词 fù cí adverb
程度副词 chéngdùfùcí adverb of degree
量词 liàng cí measure word; classifier
比如说 bǐrúshuō for example say
举一个例子 jǔyīgelìzi to give an example
今天的课程就到这儿 jīntiāndekèchéngjiùdàozhèr thats it for today
欢迎你到留言 huānyíngnǐdàoliúyán welcome to leave word
语法 yǔ fǎ grammar
中级课程 zhōngjíkèchéng intermediate lessons
关于 guān yú about
说的是 shuōdìshì talking about
系列 xì liè series
接下来 jiēxìalái coming up next
听一遍对话 tīngyībiànduìhuà listen to the dialog
注意听一下 zhùyìtīngyīxìa listen carefully
对话很精彩 duìhuàhěnjīngcǎi dialog is very colorful
结构 jié gòu structure
句式 jùshì sentence type
肯定句式 kěndìngjùshì affirmative sentence
否定句式 fǒudìngjùshì negative statement
被动句式 bèidòngjùshì passive sentence
疑问 yí wèn interrogative
反问 fǎn wèn rhetorical question
通常用来 tōngchángyònglái usually used
强调 qiáng diào to emphasize
语气 yǔ qì tone; manner of speaking; mood
省略 shěng lu:è omission
对话 duì huà dialog
听对话 tīngduìhuà listen to dialog
听三遍 tīngsānbiàn listen three times
听一下 tīngyīxìa have a listen
看一下 kānyīxìa have a look
第一遍 dìyībiàn first time
第一声 dìyīshēng first tone
声调 shēng diào tone
轻声 qīngshēng neutral tone

Posted on: Podcast Language 3

Connie,

Thank you for including the english. very helpful (for me at least). Thanks Mike for your efforts also. At least we know that you have studied the lesson. Given these tools we can quickly catch up with you.

Posted on: Podcast Language 3

baba

the word vulgar can also be used to mean common or vernacular. The language of the common  people. These days it tends to be used to refer to lacking good taste or cultivation, maybe even profane. I think this may be where the confusion comes in.

Posted on: Why are You Studying Chinese?

Working in China- another reason to speak Chinese.

One additonal item I didnt mention was work. I really enjoy working in China. In my experience I have seen only a stellar work ethic and very clever people that provide timely and effective results, often presented in an elegantly simple form. Face is important, even that of your adversaries. The only negative thing I can say is that there is some reluctance to think independently in the presence of one's superiors. One-on-one communication is therefore important, meaning speaking the language can be very useful. China is nothing like some of the other places I have worked. For example (without naming names) an alternative experience goes like this:

Tomorrow is as good as today and a good excuse is the same as finishing a job. Organizational hierarcy is so complex, that everything must be signed by 7 people, any given 3 of which are on vacation at any given time. "Yes" means "no", and "no" means "maybe not". Everything is too hard, or somebody else's fault, and nothing works. The language is easy to learn, so they say, but I have no interest. Every day at lunch, Tacos again.

Posted on: Podcast Language 2

baba

How about some more info on the Gamow bag? Is this a hyperbaric chamber, or a "body bag"? It seems as though you could roll back down the mountain in this contraption. :-)