User Comments - alwingate
alwingate
Posted on: Hungry Traveler: Hunan
May 9, 2008 at 9:41 AMSFRR I want to say this in the spirit of discussion. To say that any restaurant is the best Chinese restaurant in the world is a stretch. I'm surprised that the New Yorker, prestigious magazine it is what makes us of sweeping generalization. As you may or may not know a few years ago when desktop publishing was invoke the New Yorker was one of the first to modernize its print facilities going totally digital using Macintosh computers. The unintended consequence of that move was the abrogation of the rights of working people in the print industry. Now as you know, or I suspect you know the New Yorker was a strong advocate of labor rights. But when he came down to the bottom line i.e. money; you forgot its ideals and move forward into the future. The world is indeed a strange and wonderful place since I was able to avoid or perhaps should I say have been deprived of the eating of jellyfish for almost 60 years until I came to Taiwan where that food is commonly served. Anyway food is really a code word in China for sex. If a young pretty Chinese girl offers you something to chew on and calls it a nutritional supplement don't turn her down.
Posted on: Hungry Traveler: Hunan
May 9, 2008 at 9:33 AMThanks Bazza. This is really helpful. By the way, I notice Beijin Hua (or is it Huar) introduced as a staple in the dialalogues of late. I am curious. Why this change now without notice? Before it was introduced along with Taiwanese as regional dialects. But, is it in fact Mandarin or did Mandarin spring from it. Guess this is an historical question really. Anyone? Anyone?
Posted on: Chicago
May 7, 2008 at 7:08 AMOh, quit wining you cheese eater...from Wisconsin.
Posted on: Chicago
May 7, 2008 at 7:07 AMActually, I spent some months in Chicago and it was quite windy when I was there. But, then this is just experience. JP told me to write a comment to pad his lead over the Newbies. :)
Posted on: Diet Coke
May 4, 2008 at 10:49 AMlight487 Points well taken. I too stay in both the Newbie and Elementary lessons. Sometimes I try the Intermediate but my head wants to explode. However, sometimes I find the pace about the same as the Elementary. On the other hand, in the expansion sections I find the Intermediate to have much more complex sentence structures and more advanced vocabulary. I must say I am catching on...slowly but catching on...
Posted on: Diet Coke
May 4, 2008 at 4:15 AMCalkin, closest thing I know of is coke zero. Perhaps that is the same? Don't know. You might try it.
Posted on: Diet Coke
May 4, 2008 at 4:14 AMI am an elementary student. And I enjoyed this lesson very much! It was at a success level. Kudos. I wish it were too easy for me. Then, I try intermediate. I call myself intermediate with great pride. hehe. Anyway, the pace was just great. No racing through the Expanision sentences in the premium session. Thank you. Then, the thanks also go to light487 for including the elementaries in his discussion by using pinyin. After all, most true ele's don't have enough information to use chinese characters. And these lessons are "spoken Mandarin." The last ele lesson was a ball buster. Can I say that here? At any rate, I said, "Damn, that was a hard lesson." Guess you take the one with the other as well. But, for me, the analytic approach is too dusty and the whole language approach with an emphasis on correct speaking and recognition of patterns and the emphasis of lexical chunks fills the bill. My friends of mine have a saying about analysis: There is paralysis in analysis. Also, there is another saying: Utilize, don't analyze. So, it is with language practice. Sitting around congugating verbs and declining nouns is most boring. Thank you C-Pod to a fresh approach to learning language. Sincerely, Albert from TAiwan
Posted on: Months
April 28, 2008 at 5:16 AMOne more thing: I would like to see some Chinese lessons for teachers now that there is a growing demand for English teachers throughout the world (especially in China) it would be very USEFUL to those of us who are Newbies to be armed with some lexical chunks which can be used to control an unruly classroom.
Posted on: Months
April 28, 2008 at 4:43 AMHey Ken and Jenny. Welcome back. By the way, keeping the pace slow for Newbie's is paramount. Thank you. If you speak at an increased speed; I certainly would have been turned off. The purpose of the Podcast is to draw people into your business. So, it is a showcase. And what a showcase it is!!! Ken, my esteemed colleague you and Jenny are a wonderful teaching team and are inspiration to teachers such as myself. I have copied some of the techniques you have used in my own class. By the way, it would be great to have a section called "Lexical Chunks" or something like that. Hey, I am looking out for you because I love CP dearly. All you who have not tried the premium section you are in for a treat. The analytical approach is for the intellectual/linguist whose minds thrive on this and it works for them - not for me. Much too dry, I say. No one wants to drink sand. Also, patterns could be exploited to a greater extent always. It is a subject that needs exploring especially in the Expansion Section of the premium. The expansion section is why I subscribed the Premium by the way. Good to know EH??? Ken, you are such an engaging rogue, it would be a pleasure to meet you. And Jenny, kudos to you for your patience in working with this man. So patterns and lexical chunks: way to go. Is there a blog on teaching theory and practice here? I am constantly learning how to teach. It is a joy. I live in the real world. Ha! And please remember this if you will: "A teacher does not a linguist make" - Albert Wingate 2008
Posted on: Hungry Traveler: Hunan
May 9, 2008 at 9:42 AMMark, thank you for bringing that to my attention. It is one of them more insightful statements that I've seen for a long time. This is the strength of a community of learners who when they bond together and communicate makes a learning experience so much more valuable.