User Comments - alwingate
alwingate
Posted on: Jenny and Learning 2007 conference
November 9, 2007 at 5:10 AMThe Saturday show is back in action? I have missed it a great deal. What happened?
Posted on: Athlete Injuries
November 8, 2007 at 10:59 AMI found the Expansion sections, in fact all the extra sections to be very useful. The time spent learning this content is cut in half with the more relax conversational style of the reader. I enjoyed it immensely. Please keep up the good work. A struggling Newbie/Ele
Posted on: How is business?
November 7, 2007 at 12:15 AMI agree with Nicolas. The teachers are the one's who have the gift of teaching. Sometimes advanced learners do not realize what a gift they have: they learn quickly or whatever. I consider Ken Jenny and Connie advanced learners, but I also esteem Ken and Jenny for being great teachers. At the Newbie level there is no equal in my experience. There is a big difference between a person who wants to become a linguist and one who just wants to learn the language, in this case Chinese. Thanks to executer for doingn something I have seen others do. Make a comment and add meaning to a lesson that a Newbie can understand. So, this spirited debate becomes very useful if the right ears are listening with a good heart and good intent. I know there are differences in teaching philosophies, but the proof is in the pudding: I learn from Ken and Jenny quite easily. Whereas, I have great difficulty at times discerning the Expansions because the sentences are read a speed to great for me to repeat. This makes learning quite tedious and uneconomical in terms of time. I am only speaking for myself and my learning difficulties. So, those of you who are gifted. Be grateful?
Posted on: How is business?
November 7, 2007 at 12:03 AMApparently, know one hear has an opinion on the pace of the dialogues and follow up exercises. May I introduce a very simple idea: JOHN PASDEN. An average student who is at the Newbie level should be able to follow this instruction: "Repeat after me." He should hear the words clearly enough to repeat the word or sentence that is being introduced. Now ask yourself a question John, the linguist, "Is the pace of your follow up excercises repeatable by a "Newbie" I think not. So, please respond, take this into account, Chinese on your terms etc. I think this is a very valid point which needs to be addressed. The more advanced student will revel in the Newbie sections. It is at their own pace. Please take note: KEN. I think you are into pedagogy. A teacher does not a linguist make. Enough said. Respectfully, your long time full member subscriber. Al Wingate If I don't get a response, I am coming to Shanghai to look you UP. hehe.
Posted on: How is business?
November 5, 2007 at 8:49 AMYes, John. I do appreciate when there is a more moderate normal pace in the speech; especially during the expansion lessons. I learn so much faster. Perhaps the speech seems a bit fast at times because I am so new as in newbie, but I have listen to past lessons which were much more easily learnable. The proposition is: Does speed of oral language effect learning and how? Also, there is the success aspect which one should never overlook. We all want to be challenged at times, but we want to feel successful as well. I have noticed that I learn much more quickly with a moderate speech pattern. Not all people speak at the same rate and "normal" is left to debate. Just my two cents. Making some gains in the learning department, but still have a long way to go. By the way, I do like the shorter sentences. They are great building blocks to add on additional language constructions such as prepositional phrases. Anyway, this from a Newbie and yes it would be nice to have all participate with some courtesy regarding the nature of the lesson in terms of its difficulty level. Best, Al
Posted on: Scary Clown
November 1, 2007 at 7:19 PMEnjoyed the lesson. Good pace for elementary. Builds on Newbie lessons. Not too far a stretch for a Newbie. Enjoyed the new voice behind the dialogues.
Posted on: Finding the Teacher
October 7, 2007 at 12:07 PMHey Kyle. Glad all is well with you. I am an old coot and not sure I have the time to learn the characters though I certainly would like to have the time. I am still working despite my age and still enjoy it. And thanks for the explanation about Ni3 hao3 and the new greeting I can use. All the best to you in your studies. Al
Posted on: Superman
October 2, 2007 at 1:56 PMThis lesson is very useful. Seems like there are some very knowledgeable people here at C-Pod. Great community. Anyone know how to perform a brain transplant?
Posted on: Don't Leave
September 28, 2007 at 5:18 AMHello. Well Amber. First I really enjoy your Qing Wen show. It is too bad it is tucked away from the rest of the content and is easy to lose. You sound really cute. Too bad I am an old coot teaching English in Taiwan. I am a newbie trying to get to Elementary. I found the last Elementary lesson very challenging. How does the C-Pod team decide content? Also, Amber what is your opinion on the pace of the dialogues and the expansion exercizes. I find that the slower pace used by Jenny in the dialogues and the reader in the Newbie section to be very helpful. I can hear the music of the language; it has rhythm, which I do not have. Yet, with the longer sentences (actually, multiple sentences) it is much more difficult for me to hear. Do you have any suggestions as to how to over-come this learning difficulty? I find the suggestion of Bob from Mexico amusing. He told me to listen faster. Do you suppose we speak so quickly in regular life because of the hectic pace of our societies? Would a poet read his poetry in similar fashion? There is software available to slow down the pace of sound files. Perhaps that is a solution. I am a bit frustrated with myself not being able to make the leap to Elementary. (My God, Elementary is grades K-6) At any rate, perhaps you can shed some light on my perceptions and really questions about learning, learning styles and the nature of learners.
Posted on: Aric and more Aric!
November 9, 2007 at 5:10 AMThe Saturday show is back in action? I have missed it a great deal. What happened?