The BBC...

[Smitty]

I think I found mention of this at Slashdot, and I never knew about this before(pardon me if BBC doesn't come up in a search - that whole TLA thing...).

 

Anyway, the BBC has site for free language lessons.

 

I don't know how good it is, as I just found it this evening, but here is the Chinese page -

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/chinese/

[fineart]

Yes, they do have. I like to listen to VOA, since its pronounciation is softer and more beautiful. British English sounds beautiful too, but it gives me the feeling that it is more official and more serious sometimes.

[dnoblett]

Yes, they do have. I like to listen to VOA, since its pronounciation is softer and more beautiful. British English sounds beautiful too, but it gives me the feeling that it is more official and more serious sometimes.

Good point, most Chinese learning English tend to prefer the softer American Accent verses the British Accented English.

[HongKong2LA]

Cool...thanks. I need all of these I can get. My chinese is bu gou hao.

[Guest Pommey]

ummm... Jin says real "english" is much easier to learn and sounds much better than the corrupted american version.

[samsong]

ummm... Jin says real "english" is much easier to learn and sounds much better than the corrupted american version.

Well,,, that makes sense, (i've been saying that alot today, too).

It was the Americans that scrambled the English out of the colonies. Why not take there language and scramble that too!

[Randy W]

ummm... Jin says real "english" is much easier to learn and sounds much better than the corrupted american version.

 

Chinese tend to speak "British" English, since they were here well before we were. "WC" for example.

 

The US defined their own English, in the form of Noah Webster's dictionary, well before the British did the same.

 

But yes. Looks like a good course.

Edited February 3, 2010 by Randy W (see edit history)

[weiaijiayou]

I clicked on the link, but once there I got distracted by the "China diary" and wanted to hear about Chris's four years in China. It was well worth it. There were some good stories and funny examples of OIC ("only in China") behavior.

 

My favorite part is when Chris takes a job as a translator as part of a movie production company. He accompanies a team (the rest of whom are all Chinese) to an exhibition in Los Angeles. Once there, they learn that the stands must be rented from the exhibition for an exorbitant amount of money. Instead, they drive down to a home improvement store and buy some lumber and tools. They hire a Mexican guy standing outside to do the construction. As Chris sums up, "It worked out beautifully, costing a princely sum of $200 in total (including $100 for the Mexican guy). We had saved nearly 3000$, which was deeply satisfying for everyone - and still managed to have an attractive display for the exhibition."