Archive for August, 2006



What is ChinesePod (today)?

We were running the video camera the other day when Aric asked me to describe in 3 minutes what ChinesePod is. My anwswer (on that particular day!) came down to this: it’s a unique way to learn a language, born out of our particular combination of technology plus methodology that we use.
My little description rambles […]

‘Eleven questions about China’

I found an article about China on a site called Viewzone. It answers 11 questions:
1. What are the people like?
2. What kind of food do you eat? Is real chinese food a lot different from our Chinese restaurants?
3. Do they still use rickshas?
4. What is the exchange rate? Do they use paper money?
5. Is […]

‘With a Changing World Comes An Urgency to Learn Chinese’

The Washington Post has a longish article on the rise of Mandarin in US schools. The administration seems to be squarely behind this. The author has correctly identifed one of the major problems - a lack of trained teachers. The Hanban is trying to tackle this issue but they’re not in a position to train […]

周六12 The Saturday Show - Video

This is The Saturday Show feature video for August 26th, 2006.

Another brilliant idea (not mine)

The Big Brain strikes again. Bazza has started a thread on the forums to collect ChinesePod users’ photos and gather them into a collage. Why not send him your photos? We’re talking art, right now.
Bazza, could we use the Frappr photos from the wiki?
Ken carroll

Adventurous diner

Tian, over at What Tian has learned, has a link to an interesting video clip called the Adventurous Diner. If you’re thinking of going native in a Chinese restaurant this weekend, think again.
Ken Carroll

ChinesePod in Newsweek

Brad Stone pens a good article in Newsweek, ‘How new podcasts like ‘JapanesePod101’ are changing the way people learn a foreign language’. Peter Galante at JapanesePod101 is an old friend of ourrs and he deserves the credit he gets in the article. I think it’s also great that Peter talks about us in his interviews […]

World’s Worst Band Names

I just couldn’t resist when I found this list. Here are some of my favorites:
Arthur Loves Plastic
Chickens On Smack
Electric Vomit
Ethyl Meatplow
Flatutory Rape
Fuck Me, Suck Me, and Call Me Helen
The Go Kill Yourselves
Hitler Stole My Potato
Iowa Beef Experience
Prison Rape Scenes
Too Fat to Skate
Uncle Bob Touched Me
Voodoo Meat Bucket
And while we’re at it, this list of worst […]

Friday morning open thread

The time has come. For an open thread. It’s up to you. What’s on your mind?
Ken Carroll

Our Flashcards Now Have Sound

That’s right. After months of blood, sweat and tears. Several false starts, and plenty of wishful thinking, the Audio function of our online Flashcards system has finally been released.
Now you can listen to your flashcards as you review them. Forgot how to pronounce a word? No problem. Just click […]