Now that 88Groups has been open for a few weeks, we’re starting to see some lively groups form and discussion begin. We’re also seeing a variety of groups form, and we think that from this variety there will be some really interesting content in the coming weeks and months. Some groups to watch (and join and participate in!):

• Character Insanity, which looks at Chinese characters and the words they form, and discusses their various aspects. If you’ve ever looked at a Chinese character and wondered what all those crazy lines meant, this group’s for you.
• Brits Learning Mandarin is a regional group run by ChinesePod’s very own Bazza (of ChinesePod Forum fame), and looks at Chinese as it relates to people living in Britain. Thanks to him and his group, I now know that the Chinese for “Oxfordshire” could be interpreted as “Ox Saliva Prefecture.” You never know when stuff like that could come in handy.

We’ve also had a few schools sign up to supplement their classroom experiences with online interaction through 88Groups. They’re able to schedule lessons from the ChinesePod lesson archive and add their own material to their groups, providing value for their students even when they’re not planted in their desks.

If you have any comments or questions about 88Groups, or have ideas to help us improve, please leave them here in the comments, or write us at 88Groups@gmail.com. We look forward to hearing from you.