ChinesePod
Template:Contains Chinese text
 | This article contains content that is written like an advertisement. |
| Other names | CPod |
|---|---|
| Genre | Educational; Language Course |
| Running time | Lesson Shows - 8 to 17 minutes (Average) |
| Country of origin | China |
| Language(s) | English; Mandarin 官话 |
| Syndicates | WordPress |
| Starring | Ken Carroll Jenny Zhu John Pasden Amber Scorah |
| Created by | Ken Carroll Hank Horkoff Steve Williams |
| Recording studio | Shanghai |
| Original release | September, 2005 – Present Date |
| No. of episodes | 1221 |
| Audio format | MP3 |
| Website | http://www.chinesepod.com |
| Podcast | http://www.chinesepod.com/podcast.php |
ChinesePod is a daily language course podcast and accompanying website that offers lessons in Standard Mandarin Chinese. The service was founded in 2005 by Ken Carroll, Hank Horkoff and Steve Williams. It is the flagship product of Praxis Languages Ltd.. Its primary goal is to teach spoken Mandarin to its listeners.
Overview
ChinesePod provides daily podcasts, with an accompanying text expansion exercises and other extensive tutoring aids available to paid subscribers or "premium subscribers". It is based in Shanghai, China and hosted mostly by local Shanghainese Jenny Zhu, Irishman Ken Carroll and American John Pasden.
The daily podcasts range in difficulty from "Newbie" or "菜鸟" to the "Media" or "媒体" level and has an average of ten to twenty minutes lesson time. Users are also encouraged to interact with the ChinesePod hosts and ChinesePod listeners around the world on their website and in the forums. Topics can vary from asking specific lesson questions to requesting content for future podcasts.
In early 2007, ChinesePod launched a similar website and podcast for those who want to speak Spanish, named SpanishSense.[1] The site was relaunched in late 2007 as SpanishPod.[2] In 2008, three other websites were launched: FrenchPod, ItalianPod, and EnglishPod. There are plans for other languages such as ArabicPod.
As of March, 2008, ChinesePod has a total of 800 lesson podcasts available freely for download under the creative commons license.[2]
The Saturday Show (周六) has the most number of comments in ChinesePod website.
In 2006, ChinesePod created a video podcast about two guys traveling in China and trying to communicate in Mandarin Chinese entitled "VideoHotPot". Videos here. Later, The Saturday Show (周六) made a live video for its 43rd episode for March 31, 2007 with no cuts and edits. It was uploaded in YouTube. Video here.
In August 2008, ChinesePod radically changed its free lesson approach with the Creative Commons License. Before that date it was possible to listen for free to all of the daily podcasts that ranged in difficulty from "Newbie" or "菜鸟" to the "Media" or "媒体" level, and was also possible to download from the site a collection with the first 500 lessons with a Creative Commons License. Now only the "Newbie" or "菜鸟" lessons are available for free. All other services require payment.
Shows
Levels
ChinesePod's main target is to teach spoken Mandarin to its listeners. For the listener's convenience, there are several levels of difficulty, from Newbie 菜鸟 (as the easiest) to Media 媒体 (as the hardest). Between the levels, the dialogue becomes progressively harder, and the particular host(s) transition from English to fluent Mandarin 官话. Each show usually starts with the sound of plucking a Chinese traditional instrument and the hosts' greetings, in English, and then a Chinese or English conversation, and then proceeds to the dialogue of the day. Afterwards, the hosts discuss the dialogue's interpretation and structure and provide context for the new vocabulary used in the dialogue. Then the dialogue is repeated once more.
- Newbie (菜鸟) - This stage is the easiest of all. It focuses on first-time learners of Mandarin Chinese. The dialogue is repeated three times. This lesson is hosted by Ken Carroll and Jenny Zhu with English conversations.
- Elementary (初级) - This stage is slightly more difficult than Newbie 菜鸟. It uses more complex yet simple Chinese words. The dialogue is repeated three times. This lesson is still hosted by Ken Carroll and Jenny Zhu with English conversations.
- Intermediate (中级) - This stage begins the capability of the listener to understand the given Chinese dialogue without English interpretation. The dialogue is repeated once with fast conversation. This lesson is hosted by John Pasden and Jenny Zhu with Chinese conversation and a little bit of English.
- Upper Intermediate (中高) - This stage deals with more complex and more difficult Chinese words and with more cultural backgrounds than the early stages. The dialogue is repeated once with fast conversation. This lesson is hosted by John Pasden and Jenny Zhu with Chinese conversation and less use of English.
- Advanced (高级)[3] - This stage has advanced vocab introduced and used. It tackles different Chinese-relevant issues and events. The dialogue is repeated once with rapid conversation. This lesson is hosted by Jenny Zhu and various hosts (Aggie Xiang or Xiao Xia) with full Chinese conversation.
- Media (媒体)[3] - The "Media" level discusses real Chinese publications, usually news articles. There are no dialogues here but has extensive discussion. This stage is hosted by Jenny Zhu and various hosts.
Extras
Besides teaching spoken Mandarin to its listeners, ChinesePod also broadcast programs all about special insights on China (especially Shanghai) and the latest topics on the website of ChinesePod or ChinesePod itself. These extra shows include:
- Dear Amber - This weekly show is the "insider's guide to everything China". It features various guests and includes such topics as: Chinese culture, customs, food and things to do around China. Sadly, Amber Scorah, the host of "Dear Amber", retired from ChinesePod on January 10, 2009.
- Movie Madness - A weekly show that resolves around a different popular Western movie that is dubbed in Chinese. A scene from the dubbed movie is played and selected vocabulary is discussed. A contest revolves around the show to be the first person to correctly identify the movie.
- News and Features - This show delivers updates on the latest news surrounding ChinesePod including any recent changes or updates to the site.
- Qing Wen (请问) - This weekly show discusses frequent questions about the Chinese language including common vocabulary, phrases and grammar.
Prior shows on ChinesePod that are no longer available include:
- The Saturday Show (周六) - This show was broadcasted every Saturday and tackled everything about ChinesePod, Shanghai, current events, and even about the hosts themselves. They also have guests (usually avid listeners of ChinesePod) being interviewed and celebrates particular occasions.
- Word On The Street (街语) or WOS - This show was based on the magazine of City Weekend (An English-speaker's guide on life in China) and was about popular words on the street that are usually used by Chinese or Shanghainese to guide foreigners to modern conversation and street language.
- 高级版本 - This show's primary target are Chinese people. It tackles on what's happening in China, its cultures and its relations to other countries. The show is in rapid Mandarin Chinese.
Presenters
The presenters of the Chinespod podcasts are drawn from its management, academic and production staff. Source: ChinesePod.com
Ken Carroll
Ken Carroll established the first English Center in Shanghai. As a pedagogy and language expert, he has continued to share his passion for learning and languages by co-creating ChinesePod with Hank Horkoff and Steve Williams.
Jenny Zhu
Jenny Zhu studied in Australia where she gained a masters' degree in international relations and public policy, before returning to Shanghai.[4] Jenny Zhu has acquired rich insights into Mandarin language learning and applies them into each podcast that she does. Arguably the face of ChinesePod, she shares hosting duties with numerous ChinesePod personalities. She was the official translator of Maria Shriver when she visited China.[5].
John Pasden
Having lived in China for almost 8 years, this former teacher and well known blogger is now ChinesePod's Academic Director. John is also currently finishing a Masters in Applied Linguistics at East China Normal University in Shanghai. He hosts a site called Sinosplice that covers China and the Chinese Language.
Aggie Xiang
During her tenure as a Mandarin teacher, Aggie has acquired many rich experiences in teaching different methodologies. A graduate of the University of Sydney, she is currently ChinesePod's head educational counselor.
Xiao Xia
Xiao Xia graduated at East China Normal University with a degree in International Chinese Studies. Before ChinesePod, she has traveled overseas to pursue a career in Mandarin teaching. She currently hosts the Advanced Shows with Jenny Zhu.
Recognition in the Media
A March 8, 2006 NPR article cited ChinesePod as the 3rd most popular podcast show in China with over 10,000 visitors a day [3]. As of January, 2007, Yahoo! Podcasts lists ChinesePod 5th in their most popular podcasts section [4]. ChinesePod also made Time Magazine's Top 25 Podcasts of 2006, ranked 10th.[5]
Criticism
It is debatable whether Chinesepod is any more effective than a real teacher. The lessons are heavily based around explicit translation of content; however translation is not recognised as being a valid way to learn a language. The lessons do not incorporate principles of communicative language teaching methodology such as task-based learning and an emphasis on speaking. Thus Chinesepod may be considered something of a gimmick, albeit an entertaining one in a convenient medium.
Notes and References
- ^ Ken Carroll (2007-03-13). Web 2.0 and Learning Spanish Grammar. blogs.SpanishSense.com. Retrieved on 2007 April 14.
- ^ "Scheduled Maintenance on ChinesePod, SpanishPod." Praxis Languages blog. November 19, 2007.
- ^ a b From its past URL zh.chinesepod.com (Chinese Language only) that started in July 2006, the Advanced (高级) and Media (媒体) are now merged into the main site when V3 was launched .
- ^ The ChinesePod Team[1]
- ^ Ken Carroll (2005-12-02). Jenny Zhu. KaiEn.net.cn. Retrieved on 2007 April 14.