I’ve seen some confusion as to the meanings of certain terms in recent discussions. Allow me to offer a couple of more ideas as I see them.

The ChinesePod syllabus is ‘communicative‘, holistic, and experiential. We encourage you to approach the Mandarin primarily as a means of communication. The objective is communicative fluency.

This contrasts with the traditional syllabus (in both China and the West) where language analysis was central. Grammar dominated because that was what was tested in examinations. (As any teacher in the school system will tell you, “What gets tested, gets taught”.) The effect was to abstract the language from its usage, and treat analysis as an end in itself. This legacy is still visible in most forms of language instruction in China, including TCSL.

So let’s make an important distinction between goals and tactics here. Explicit analysis of the language is a useful tactic, but it is simply one of several we employ. It is not a goal in itself. Keep in mind, too, that you must select your tactics carefully. Using poor strategies has a very high opportunity cost for the learner, because time is limited. If analysis doesn’t help you to develop fluency, (generally speaking, it doesn’t) you could be wasting a lot of time. One question you might want to ask yourself: Do you want to spend your time speaking the language or speaking about the language? There is a balance you need to find there.

We believe that acquisition occurs through psychological engagement with meaningful input. For fluency development, natural practice is the most effective way. Again, are you getting the balance right?

Let me offer an important caveat: I’ve made some general observations about learning here, but our approach to the selection of materials and activities is nonetheless eclectic. We present them in a flexible way. This gives you the freedom to exploit them in the ways that most inspire you to learn. If your learning style is heavily analytic, then by all means use ChinesePod accordingly. [If anything we’ve decided in recent weeks to offer a good deal more of the analysis because that is what some learners want.] Don’t forget, however, that you need plenty of engaging input and tons of real practice to develop your communication skills.

Ken Carroll