Nick Kolakowski, at the Washington Post, discovers that we’re ‘not your parents’ language lessons’. The man has a point!
I guess the mainstream is starting to see the power of the new social media tools as an educational means.
If you want to know what other media outlets have been saying about ChinesePod, go here.
Ken Carroll
中文 Chinese
Changye Says:
February 27th, 2007 at 9:31 am
I feel happy to see ChinesePod really keeps getting more and more famous. Last month, I sent a email to the Japanese government and strongly recommended that they start the government-sponsored “JapanesePod.”
At present, our government is focused more than ever on spreading Japanese around the world by setting up a lot more local language schools, competing with “孔子学院” sponsored by the Chinese government.
But I think that the best way to increase the number of Japanese learners is not “schools’ but one excellent podcast just like ChinesePod. You can achieve your objective with the best cost-effectiveness.
Running a private commercial “JapanesePod” is not realistic because everything in Japan is costly, e.g. office rent, personell costs and Asahi beer for poddies who visit HQ. What’s more, the market is not big.
Ken, why don’t you start it employing Japanese here in China?
chinesepod Says:
February 27th, 2007 at 9:54 am
Changye,
There is indeed already a Japanese equivalent -
http://www.japanesepod101.com
Ken Carroll
Changye Says:
February 27th, 2007 at 11:07 am
Ken-san,
Oh my goodness, the world is progressing much faster than I thought. Anyway, it is good to know that a lot of foreigners are already learning Japanese through such an excellent podcast. I realized again that bureaucrats never be able to catch up with the world.
Ron in DC Says:
February 27th, 2007 at 11:38 am
Awesome. You guys keep rolling!
The guy’s ‘Con’ makes no sense. That Japanese pod site is so close a deaign to yours. Is there an affiliation?
Changye Says:
February 27th, 2007 at 12:00 pm
ChinesePod started in August 2005, and JapanesePod101 in December 2005. I would also like to know if there is an affiliation.
chinesepod Says:
February 27th, 2007 at 1:45 pm
Ron,
I agree that his ‘con’ is pretty lame. The tone of the article is light - perhaps even frivolous, so I guess that was how it was meant. It’s still a welcome sight!
There is no affiliation between CPod and JPod. JPod do, however, say openly that we were their inspiration. I guess you could say they learned a lot from us and we do have a fairly open communication channel to them, but we are entirely sepoarate entities.
Ken Carroll