ChinesePod
Encyclopedia
ChinesePod is a web-based Chinese language-learning service composed of three key components: audio lessons, mobile & online review tools, and live speaking practice with professional Mandarin teachers. The service was founded in October 2005 in Shanghai
, P. R. China
, by Hank Horkoff, Ken Carroll, and Steve Williams.
Since 2005, ChinesePod has published over 1,400 self-contained audio lessons, each from between ten and twenty minutes long. Lesson content is divided into six difficulty levels, from “Newbie” to “Advanced Media”, and learners choose their own courses through the lessons, depending on their interests and needs.
Local Shanghainese
Jenny Zhu and American John Pasden are the lead hosts and public faces of ChinesePod, with Ken Carroll in the Newbie and Elementary levels. Together, the hosts break down the lesson dialogs, each of which is recorded by native Chinese speakers at the company’s studios in Shanghai.
Accompanying every lesson is a range of review tools, including flashcards, comprehension exercises, tests, “expansion” sentences, and interactive character writing practice.
ChinesePod is based on a “Freemium
” business model similar to English as a Second Language Podcast
; 300+ “Newbie” audio lessons are available free. For access to all levels of lessons, plus review tools and teacher services, it is necessary to sign-up for a free trial account, then purchase one of the various study packages available.
Before September 2008, all levels of audio lessons were available free. They were irrevocably released under a Creative Commons
license, and may be legally redistributed by anyone, though they are no longer freely downloadable from ChinesePod channels.
article cited ChinesePod as the 3rd most popular podcast
show in China with over 10,000 visitors a day. In January 2007, Yahoo!
Podcasts listed ChinesePod as the fifth most popular podcast. ChinesePod also made Time Magazine's
Top 10 Podcasts of 2006.
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
, P. R. China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
, by Hank Horkoff, Ken Carroll, and Steve Williams.
Overview
ChinesePod Mandarin lessons, study tools and teacher services are designed for adult learners of every level. The company mission is "to make language learning easier for adult students by taking advantage of modern pedagogical principles and the latest web and mobile technologies." Learners can access content via mobile phone, mobile apps, RSS feed, and directly on ChinesePod.com.Since 2005, ChinesePod has published over 1,400 self-contained audio lessons, each from between ten and twenty minutes long. Lesson content is divided into six difficulty levels, from “Newbie” to “Advanced Media”, and learners choose their own courses through the lessons, depending on their interests and needs.
Local Shanghainese
Shanghainese
Shanghainese , or the Shanghai language , is a dialect of Wu Chinese spoken in the city of Shanghai and the surrounding region. It is classified as part of the Sino-Tibetan family of languages. Shanghainese, like other Wu dialects, is largely not mutually intelligible with other Chinese varieties...
Jenny Zhu and American John Pasden are the lead hosts and public faces of ChinesePod, with Ken Carroll in the Newbie and Elementary levels. Together, the hosts break down the lesson dialogs, each of which is recorded by native Chinese speakers at the company’s studios in Shanghai.
Accompanying every lesson is a range of review tools, including flashcards, comprehension exercises, tests, “expansion” sentences, and interactive character writing practice.
ChinesePod is based on a “Freemium
Freemium
Freemium is a business model that works by offering a product or service free of charge while charging a premium for advanced features, functionality, or related products and services...
” business model similar to English as a Second Language Podcast
English as a Second Language Podcast
English as a Second Language Podcastis a web-based English language-learning podcast. It is the first and longest-running English language learning podcast on the Internet. It was launched in July 2005 by two former university professors, Dr. Jeff McQuillan and Dr. Lucy Tse of the Center for...
; 300+ “Newbie” audio lessons are available free. For access to all levels of lessons, plus review tools and teacher services, it is necessary to sign-up for a free trial account, then purchase one of the various study packages available.
Before September 2008, all levels of audio lessons were available free. They were irrevocably released under a Creative Commons
Creative Commons
Creative Commons is a non-profit organization headquartered in Mountain View, California, United States devoted to expanding the range of creative works available for others to build upon legally and to share. The organization has released several copyright-licenses known as Creative Commons...
license, and may be legally redistributed by anyone, though they are no longer freely downloadable from ChinesePod channels.
Popularity
A March 8, 2006, NPRNPR
NPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...
article cited ChinesePod as the 3rd most popular podcast
Podcast
A podcast is a series of digital media files that are released episodically and often downloaded through web syndication...
show in China with over 10,000 visitors a day. In January 2007, Yahoo!
Yahoo!
Yahoo! Inc. is an American multinational internet corporation headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, United States. The company is perhaps best known for its web portal, search engine , Yahoo! Directory, Yahoo! Mail, Yahoo! News, Yahoo! Groups, Yahoo! Answers, advertising, online mapping ,...
Podcasts listed ChinesePod as the fifth most popular podcast. ChinesePod also made Time Magazine's
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
Top 10 Podcasts of 2006.