User Comments - catherinem
catherinem
Posted on: How Did You Learn Chinese?
April 14, 2011 at 1:49 AMYes, that's the one! It's Sina's Weibo microblogging service.
Posted on: How Did You Learn Chinese?
April 13, 2011 at 3:09 AMI actually disagree with this. I came to China in 2006 and one of my then-colleagues recommended I check out ChinesePod. I started then and it really helped me a lot - both to understand Chinese culture and to learn the language. What I liked about it then and what we really try to emphasize still is language for communication. Situations, especially at the newbie and elementary level, are generally everyday situations, and for that reason feature high-frequency language. I've used CPod to study Chinese ever since then.
I think everyone in the office has used and continues to use ChinesePod. That being said, each person has his or her own study method. You might only listen to the dialogs and thus find the UI's too short, while someone else listens to the entire podcast, and finds that to be a valuable study method. You're right when you say that users have to move to fluency on their own. A self-study learner by necessity has to work to achieve fluency. This is not unique to the study of Chinese! As with anything, learning is hard work and takes time, patience and practice.
Posted on: Sales Localization
April 11, 2011 at 9:25 AMFixed. Sorry about that.
Posted on: Awkward Silence
April 6, 2011 at 1:54 AMAd lib!
Posted on: Awkward Silence
April 2, 2011 at 2:54 AMCheck out this link for a decent lesson on April Fool's, published back in 2008! April Fool's.
Posted on: Sleepy
March 22, 2011 at 4:12 AMSomeone is boring if he or she is not interesting to other people. For example:
"You always stay at home alone and play on the computer. You're so boring!"
Someone is bored if he or she is not interested in anything that's going on. For example:
"There's nothing to do right now and no one is here to hang out with... I'm so bored!"
Posted on: Using a Cell Phone in China
March 21, 2011 at 3:31 AMFor me the recharge paper is the easier option. I simply go to any convenience store (and they are everywhere) and buy 100 RMB worth of credit. Then I dial the number from my phone and it's all set. Much easier for me, personally, than going to the China Mobile office 2k from my house... If you didn't use this method in Hangzhou, how did you recharge your phone?
Posted on: Using a Cell Phone in China
March 21, 2011 at 3:13 AMThat is indeed what I meant. Pre-pay. Thanks for keeping me on my toes!
Posted on: Using a Cell Phone in China
March 21, 2011 at 2:49 AMTough audience, indeed! :) I think that for Americans the switch from plans to pre-pay is the biggest change. What I found interesting was what David mentioned at the end of the podcast - this concern about personal details being required in future transactions with China Mobile/China Telecom. For now, pre-paid cell phone use is fairly anonymous, as opposed to plans which involve giving all your personal details to Verizon/Sprint/ATT, etc.
Posted on: A Chinese Take on Language Learning
April 18, 2011 at 1:45 AMThat's a great plan! I think it's good to designate times in which you're not allowed to speak English. It forces you to improve really quickly...