Comments on: Practice http://blog.praxislanguage.com/2007/03/28/practice/ Learning on Your Terms Fri, 05 Dec 2008 05:03:52 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.1 By: Ray http://blog.praxislanguage.com/2007/03/28/practice/#comment-17885 Ray Thu, 12 Apr 2007 21:09:16 +0000 http://blog.praxislanguage.com/2007/03/28/practice/#comment-17885 Hey, I feel that I too could use some personal instruction, one on one, so to speak. My aprehension with the 8 week course is all associated with not knowing the exact details of how it works. For instance: are there 40 lessons no matter how long it takes to accomplish the telephone hookups, or does it need to take place in the 8 week period? I was interested to read about the prep time needed prior to making the call so that the call is most effective. I think it would be helpful to see something in print that explains how best to utilize the service so that prospective students would be more familiar with the offer. As to the fee for the service, if it is effective I think is sounds rather reasonable. The fee for a 5 week course, one night two hours per week, at OSU in Ohio is about $170. It looked pretty basic but I can't speak as to what they have available for that price. Hey,
I feel that I too could use some personal instruction, one on one, so to speak. My aprehension with the 8 week course is all associated with not knowing the exact details of how it works. For instance: are there 40 lessons no matter how long it takes to accomplish the telephone hookups, or does it need to take place in the 8 week period? I was interested to read about the prep time needed prior to making the call so that the call is most effective.
I think it would be helpful to see something in print that explains how best to utilize the service so that prospective students would be more familiar with the offer.

As to the fee for the service, if it is effective I think is sounds rather reasonable. The fee for a 5 week course, one night two hours per week, at OSU in Ohio is about $170. It looked pretty basic but I can’t speak as to what they have available for that price.

]]> By: Mashhood http://blog.praxislanguage.com/2007/03/28/practice/#comment-17884 Mashhood Thu, 05 Apr 2007 06:34:43 +0000 http://blog.praxislanguage.com/2007/03/28/practice/#comment-17884 err, good point! Thanks Colleen :) err, good point!

Thanks Colleen :)

]]> By: Colleen http://blog.praxislanguage.com/2007/03/28/practice/#comment-17883 Colleen Thu, 05 Apr 2007 05:39:25 +0000 http://blog.praxislanguage.com/2007/03/28/practice/#comment-17883 Hi Mashhood, Skype out is so cheap to call landlines/cell phones (a few cents a minute) that using cp-cp and giving you back the difference would be a few pennies per ten minute phone call:) Colleen Hi Mashhood,

Skype out is so cheap to call landlines/cell phones (a few cents a minute) that using cp-cp and giving you back the difference would be a few pennies per ten minute phone call:)

Colleen

]]> By: Lesli http://blog.praxislanguage.com/2007/03/28/practice/#comment-17882 Lesli Thu, 05 Apr 2007 05:36:41 +0000 http://blog.praxislanguage.com/2007/03/28/practice/#comment-17882 I agree with much of what Guillermo has to say on his March 13 post. I have four requests/hopes: Social networking: My most valuable finds there are links to other useful websites. I also often realize I have spent valuable study time reading posts. 1.What I DREAM of being able to do there is to find other CPers in my area who would like to practice together. A very simple interface for this specific goal would be ideal: plug in your city & email address. 2."My Studies" In addition to being able to create a list of words, and a list of lessons, it would be lovely if one could click on the end on a sentence in the expansion section to create a list of sentences. Many of the lessons sitting around in "my studies" are only there for one tricky sentence in the expansion section.(Which I have a hard time finding again) 3. More More & MORE traditional characters!! Beginning conversationalists often just want to get a little comfy with the sounds before tackling those daunting characters. I didn't want to see a character for a couple years of learning conversation. Now I can't get enough. I hope to be able to read pre-Mao texts, also works from Taiwan, etc. It's perfect to be be able to see both. Ideally, all my pop-up words would be traditional, with the simplified version in a small ().The rumor that you are considering eliminating the little trad. copy you have is making me a tad nervous. 4. The podcast: Having an easy way to separate & download only the meat - the 3X conversation. (If one wanted it 6 times, they could import it twice) I agree with much of what Guillermo has to say on his March 13 post.

I have four requests/hopes:

Social networking: My most valuable finds there are links to other
useful websites. I also often realize I have spent valuable study time
reading posts.

1.What I DREAM of being able to do there is to find other CPers in my
area who would like to practice together. A very simple interface for
this specific goal would be ideal: plug in your city & email address.

2.”My Studies” In addition to being able to create a list of words, and
a list of lessons, it would be lovely if one could click on the end on
a sentence in the expansion section to create a list of sentences. Many
of the lessons sitting around in “my studies” are only there for one
tricky sentence in the expansion section.(Which I have a hard time
finding again)

3. More More & MORE traditional characters!! Beginning
conversationalists often just want to get a little comfy with the
sounds before tackling those daunting characters. I didn’t want to see
a character for a couple years of learning conversation. Now I can’t
get enough. I hope to be able to read pre-Mao texts, also works from
Taiwan, etc. It’s perfect to be be able to see both. Ideally, all my
pop-up words would be traditional, with the simplified version in a
small ().The rumor that you are considering eliminating the little
trad. copy you have is making me a tad nervous.

4. The podcast: Having an easy way to separate & download only the
meat - the 3X conversation. (If one wanted it 6 times, they could
import it twice)

]]> By: Mashhood http://blog.praxislanguage.com/2007/03/28/practice/#comment-17881 Mashhood Wed, 04 Apr 2007 08:10:30 +0000 http://blog.praxislanguage.com/2007/03/28/practice/#comment-17881 Yes, so if you use Skype, you can call other computers for free (skype-skype) and transfer the benefit to the consumer. You don't need to necessarily use skype to call a mobile or a landline, unless your consumer doesnt have access to an adequate computer, skype and bandwidth. I think being able to make the call to a mobile is great, especially for those people who are very busy, or for other reasons don't have access to a an adequate computer at that particular time. However, I think there are a lot of us who would appreciate it if you offered an increased length of call (maybe 20-30mins/day) with the provision that the call is a pc-pc free skype call. Please consider offering this as an alternative! Thank you :) Yes, so if you use Skype, you can call other computers for free (skype-skype) and transfer the benefit to the consumer. You don’t need to necessarily use skype to call a mobile or a landline, unless your consumer doesnt have access to an adequate computer, skype and bandwidth.

I think being able to make the call to a mobile is great, especially for those people who are very busy, or for other reasons don’t have access to a an adequate computer at that particular time. However, I think there are a lot of us who would appreciate it if you offered an increased length of call (maybe 20-30mins/day) with the provision that the call is a pc-pc free skype call.
Please consider offering this as an alternative!
Thank you :)

]]> By: Colleen http://blog.praxislanguage.com/2007/03/28/practice/#comment-17880 Colleen Wed, 04 Apr 2007 02:23:25 +0000 http://blog.praxislanguage.com/2007/03/28/practice/#comment-17880 Hello! Actually, we use skype-out (which means we call from a computer with headsets) and can call you on your landline/cellphone/computer. With the calculation of cost per hour, I think one reason I would prefer this 10 minute phone call to a tutor is that you dont have to go anywhere, so you have to take travel time into account:) Haha, and maybe I'm a bit lazy:) Colleen Hello!

Actually, we use skype-out (which means we call from a computer with headsets) and can call you on your landline/cellphone/computer.

With the calculation of cost per hour, I think one reason I would prefer this 10 minute phone call to a tutor is that you dont have to go anywhere, so you have to take travel time into account:) Haha, and maybe I’m a bit lazy:)

Colleen

]]> By: Mashhood http://blog.praxislanguage.com/2007/03/28/practice/#comment-17879 Mashhood Tue, 03 Apr 2007 15:15:35 +0000 http://blog.praxislanguage.com/2007/03/28/practice/#comment-17879 I recently completed a 22 week university evening chinese course. Each lesson was 2 hours long, there was one class a week, and on average there were about 6-8 students per lesson. It cost about £60 (student) or £85 for all others. Its an open access course. Although its quite cheap (~£2/hr) i think i would have gained more from self study with chinesepod materials. Mainly because the book used in this course is woefully out of date (i'm talking 30 odd years old!) and as a consequence the chinese was out of date. Also the teaching methods were not very good...similar to most language teaching that i have experienced in the uk. It is very difficult to find good language teaching here, and if you do find it, it's usually very expensive. I don't think i'll ever find such an amazing resource for learning and acquiring Mandarin, as ChinesePod, anywhere else. ChinesePod, Ken, and the whole team all deserve a huge amount of credit for this! Mashhood I recently completed a 22 week university evening chinese course. Each lesson was 2 hours long, there was one class a week, and on average there were about 6-8 students per lesson. It cost about £60 (student) or £85 for all others. Its an open access course.

Although its quite cheap (~£2/hr) i think i would have gained more from self study with chinesepod materials. Mainly because the book used in this course is woefully out of date (i’m talking 30 odd years old!) and as a consequence the chinese was out of date. Also the teaching methods were not very good…similar to most language teaching that i have experienced in the uk. It is very difficult to find good language teaching here, and if you do find it, it’s usually very expensive.

I don’t think i’ll ever find such an amazing resource for learning and acquiring Mandarin, as ChinesePod, anywhere else.
ChinesePod, Ken, and the whole team all deserve a huge amount of credit for this!

Mashhood

]]> By: goulnik (郭力毅) http://blog.praxislanguage.com/2007/03/28/practice/#comment-17878 goulnik (郭力毅) Tue, 03 Apr 2007 14:36:20 +0000 http://blog.praxislanguage.com/2007/03/28/practice/#comment-17878 It does make sense to compare the 8 Week Program to a course of a similar length as Scott did, rather than the cost/per hour, reason being you'd compare expected outcomes. Just an idea, Skype is a good one too, I guess ChinesePod wanted predictable bandwidth or is there another reason? Yv It does make sense to compare the 8 Week Program to a course of a similar length as Scott did, rather than the cost/per hour, reason being you’d compare expected outcomes. Just an idea, Skype is a good one too, I guess ChinesePod wanted predictable bandwidth or is there another reason?
Yv

]]> By: practice » Comment on Practice by Mike in Ewshot http://blog.praxislanguage.com/2007/03/28/practice/#comment-17877 practice » Comment on Practice by Mike in Ewshot Tue, 03 Apr 2007 14:08:55 +0000 http://blog.praxislanguage.com/2007/03/28/practice/#comment-17877 [...] unknown wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptKen. I have recently been searching out private 1:1 tuition from Chinese teachers in England (actually near Guildford, which is about 40miles from London). One language school offered £35 per hour - possibility of more than one student. … [...] […] unknown wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptKen. I have recently been searching out private 1:1 tuition from Chinese teachers in England (actually near Guildford, which is about 40miles from London). One language school offered £35 per hour - possibility of more than one student. … […]

]]> By: Scott http://blog.praxislanguage.com/2007/03/28/practice/#comment-17876 Scott Tue, 03 Apr 2007 13:05:34 +0000 http://blog.praxislanguage.com/2007/03/28/practice/#comment-17876 My evening course at the local university is $438/quarter. So 10 weeks, but really 9 since last class is a test. Of course this is group instruction, not one-on-one. I would be interested as well in the Skype idea. Scott My evening course at the local university is $438/quarter. So 10 weeks, but really 9 since last class is a test. Of course this is group instruction, not one-on-one.

I would be interested as well in the Skype idea.

Scott

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