User Comments - henning
henning
Posted on: Paying Child Support
May 19, 2007 at 7:54 AMJust curious: Is this based on a user request?
Posted on: Chinese Wedding Customs
May 17, 2007 at 6:07 PMNaiai, we all here are well aware that CPod is godsend - especially because they indeed cover intermediate levels and the content is both relevant and fun. You find some newbie and (very few) advanced materials out there, but at Intermediate hights air gets very, very thin. Although this classic debate got heated as ever, I do not think the tone got particularly rude. These open discussions wouldn't exist if CPod wasn't listening and constantly reacting to users' requests. In fact the whole "Upper Intermediate" level was born out of a similar debate (if I remember that correctly). And this might become relevant for you - sooner than you think. Congratulations, by the way, to your daughter's marriage! From my own experience there is nothing more rewarding than a cross-cultural marriage, although your daughter and her husband will most probably have to overcome some unforseen challenges on the way... :)
Posted on: Cold Beer
May 17, 2007 at 9:49 AMAndy, 苦瓜啤酒 rules. I got that in the beautiful city of 连云港, (lian yun gang) in 2003 but have never seen it ever since.
Posted on: 汽车消费
May 17, 2007 at 9:35 AM我比较喜欢一辆大屁股，使用的车。 没有大屁股怎样带童车， 购买的食品， 啤酒箱 什么的。 我承认我不是汽车迷， 不特别想开车。
Posted on: 汽车消费
May 17, 2007 at 9:34 AM我比较喜欢一辆大屁股，使用的车。 没有大屁股怎样带通车， 购买的食品， 啤酒箱 什么的。 我承认我不是汽车迷， 不特别想开车。
Posted on: Chinese Wedding Customs
May 17, 2007 at 9:19 AMAre we walking in circles? Haven't we been just here before? And it is always the same. One group claims the Intermediate banter is too tough, the other wants it untouched to prevent the lessons from becoming boring. I love the Intermediate lessons just as they are but I am not alone here. Right now I only see one logical conclusion: There is a *natural* Upper Elementry (or Lower Intermediate) level. With Chinese banter that is more restricted and lower speed, and has more and more basic explanations. Complexity could be similar to those early Intermediates that once proudly carried the numbers 10-30. I think I understand the theory behind the level distinctions, but the "Upper Intermediate" also broke through that logic and it proved to be extremly valuable. The new level would leave everybody happy (and by the way increase the volume of beyond-Elementry-material). Besides there would be another benefit: Each day of the week gets one level. Restore order in the galaxis! ;)
Posted on: Chinese Wedding Customs
May 16, 2007 at 5:59 AMWhat I do is cycling through the podcasts from newest to first. At Intermediate, Upper Intermediate and Advanced (including "old" Advanced and "dropped" Intermediate lessons). With each cycle I go in with a bigger vocab base and understand more of what is being said. It is exiting to find a new piece of information even in some old Intermediate podcasts, those I thought I must have memorized already. Sometimes it is an interesting sidenote, sometimes a witty remark. That is why the "high-speed" Chinese banter (which does not really feal high-speed at all) is valuable for me...much unlike English conversation that really drives me crazy since the 9th or 10th cycle.. The fun of this approach is that it lays open progress in vocab and listening comprehension. Last year, early summer, I proudly reported that I get the gist of what the *subject* of the "ZH.Advanced" might be all about - now I can pretty much follow the Advanced banter (although there are still more than enough gaps open). Lantian, please stop calling yourself "Lower Intermediate" because that puts me at "Newbie". ;) I for myself have to admid that my level varies strongly with language domain: reading (fairly OK), listening (getting better), writing with a PC (grammar???), speaking (rather "ouch"), and writing by hand (virtually non-existent). I also wished new, more complex vocab would be repeated once more, especially when it is in Advanced and involves 4-characters... Man2Toe, The listening test is the "Take a test to check your level..." link on the CPod-start page. Is that what you mean with "vocab test"?
Posted on: Chinese Wedding Customs
May 15, 2007 at 6:12 PMLantian, I second what you are saying, exept for one thing: you are definately higher than "low-intermediate". The best proof is that you are able to "listen to a lot of Chinese media". The CPod test can be misleading. I always understand everything that program spits out. Why? Because I remember all the lines from the podcasts.
Posted on: When the Taxi Takes the Long Way
May 13, 2007 at 7:17 PMJenny, 我同意, 全CPod的团队是很棒的。 可是你的声与方式很特别， 希望你永远继续在CPod工作，录音课。 请包涵我上面像一个"自作聪明的人"写了 ("playing Mr. know-it-all")。
Posted on: Paying Child Support
May 21, 2007 at 7:12 AMamber, thanks. I thought so. 我问了是因为我怀疑一个好朋友偷偷着学中文。 他说离婚之后停了学， 可是我不相信他。。。 ;) Important topic, by the way. Vocab that you unfortunatelly need when talking about friends & family.