User Comments - bababardwan

Posted on: Playing Mahjong

fair enough...I just didn't think those things had an impact on language learning [but I grant you, maybe that's just me....I'm just calling it as I see it] and am surprised that you didn't mention the one thing that impacted most on the ability to lip read [more so than the mic sometimes covering John's mouth] that being the audio being out of sync with the video. You have your points but I'm also surprised that you would go as far as to call it amateurish based on some pretty minor things and particularly that you would emphasise in capitals to do video right or not do video. hehe, yeah, looks like we'll have to agree to disagree on this one...sure tweak it [I'm sure that it will naturally get better in time anyhow ] but give me this standard video every time and I'll be very happy [very surprised that you'd rather not had this video! ] ...it was a great bonus to what we're already treated to.

Posted on: A Qing Wen to Our Listeners

Part 1 ..dowloading and installing chinese software

Part 2 updating chinese software, changing settings

Posted on: Playing Mahjong

yes, or at least some video episodes of BST, maybe with some special guests

Posted on: A Qing Wen to Our Listeners

I hope to see a QW in video format. Not saying all or even most, but where the topic lends to it.

Posted on: Playing Mahjong

Also unclear on these bits in brackets. Any help much appreciated:

11:28 Jenny： 在一【副】麻将里面

11:44 Jenny： 把三个【东风拿出来】

12:25 好我们【这就凡】四个是杠【就ok了】，好不好？

12:46 Jenny： 【啊】，要看 (how to represent that "hmm"?)

12:49 Jenny： 嗯，这个我们【见就不见是】了啊

13:05 Jenny： 杠了一个以后【呢/那】，我【将】摸一张牌

13:14 Jenny： 这个时候【就】叫

13:32 Jenny：。。。你就【？一年】运气都很好

13:56 打麻将我们要有【手气/收取】摸

13:58 Jenny： 是你【收/手一定带】的运气

14:10 所以我就【觉得/这是】这种【入了让】有很有一点赌博

14:58 虽然【人家/要】很多人就中国【其他】地方的朋友说

15:18 Jenny： 自摸不是这样【自】摸自己

15:58 John： 噢yeah【也】算很赖

16:54 Jenny： 好，那我们要【别】在看一遍对话呢？

18:58 John: 对，而且你可以看到【一/那些】麻将牌【所以也】不错

19:10 Jenny: 呵呵，你怎么会看不到这个视频【第二】看一下？

ok, thats all the bits I was unclear on. Thanks in advance

Posted on: Playing Mahjong

Unclear on the bits in brackets. Any help much appreciated:

2：57 如果是【你要】我

3：06 我演【得】这个人

3:28 :【 让就打不成，让就很气】

3:38 要【剧】作第四个人

4:32 其实条子是【这样】这样 (这样..repeated?)

5:24 水桶，【这】是bucket

5:35 它有没有【John】很像

5:41 所以【有没有】可以叫“饼”？

5:58 我（们），【嗯】，还有 (how to represent "hmm"?)

6:22 就【小/下去搓/撮】这个麻将牌

6:26 一样的，【zzzz】，撮 (how to represent "zzzz"?)

6:40 讲到了，【是】，一个

7:27 别人【又】打了

7:31 “碰”然后【就把它这个】牌拿过来

7:37 Jenny： 【？？】一下

9:03 但有的时候汉字【写？？？】是那个“和”，你和我，和谐的和，但是我们【nianhu】

9:12 你拿【一】张牌

9:37 不是啊，【这是】“碰胡”

10:29 但它是红【道】

10:41 Jenny： 比较，【念起也】比较好听

11:05 Jenny： 就像很白【嘛】你不觉得？

Posted on: Playing Mahjong

I thought the video quality was fine and don't know how necessary it is for them to be movie makers as it's just for language learning and don't know if spending hours tweaking stuff is worth their time and effort. For mine there was only one thing that did need working on and it has already been mentioned. The audio was out of sync with the video. As opposed to the previous commenter I noticed it throughout the whole video though for much of it it was only slightly out of sync. That is important to get right I think, though it didn't have much of an impact....it was still awesome to have the video, and the close ups were particularly helpful and captivating..though there was a nice mix of longer range shots so you could get the body language.

Posted on: Playing Mahjong

oh, hang on...I get one point anyhow....the Upper Intermediate label was down the side...not in the lesson title as it usually is...yeah, good point...otherwise its a lucky dip till you open the lesson page

Posted on: Playing Mahjong

"using an audio-only lesson dialogue in a video lesson seems to lead to some longer than average pauses in the lesson that don't really work for audio-only"

..I get your point...there were some pauses when I converted the whole lesson to audio only [like when Jenny would be showing the tiles] and in the dialogue too, however I would see audio in such a lesson as just a supplementary thing, thus:

"Use the exact same format for video as is used for the audio"

..I strongly disagree with. This would be to limit the possibilities of what can be achieved with video. Video lessons should be video format driven to make the most use of what can be achieved with video...if the audio only suffers a tad then so be it. But your point is a good one to the extent that it shows that the lessons shouldn't totally convert to video only....there is still a role for well made audio only lessons.

Posted on: Playing Mahjong

“Maybe labeling it a "intermediate" is still warranted for video, as well as audio”

。。。sorry pretz, I don't quite get your point. This lesson is labelled upper intermediate. Are you saying that it was a bit simple for UI? ..I would tend to agree with that...except that Intermediate has half in English which this lesson didn't, so I'd put it at the easy end of UI. But I think you're saying more here...not sure what you're trying to say...do you care to elaborate?