This module is designed to help learners hone their listening and pronunciation skills. The users learn to recognize words in pinyin and pronounce them. Users can listen to sound using RealAudio. There are pronunciation exercises with English instructions. There is no scoring. There are external links to Studyweb, RealAudio, and the Harvard Chinese Language Program. Overall, the module is visually stimulating. It can be used as a supplemental instructional tool for Chinese teachers or as an independent study tool for self-motivated learners.
Technical Requirements:
Real Player
Content Quality
Rating:
Strengths:
This site provides a clear purpose and covers materials for beginning learners of Chinese pronunciation and sound system (pinyin). It is a relatively self-contained module for teaching/learning pinyin.
Concerns:
There is no mechanism to provide feedback to users regarding whether their pronunciation is correct or not. Listening exercises with scoring would enhance the learning process.
Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool
Rating:
Strengths:
Given the limited classroom time, this site provides individual tutoring to students who need extra help in the sound system. The site is colorful, and the sound is clear. It is a useful teaching-learning tool inside and outside classroom.
Concerns:
It would be helpful to include more exercises and scoring to provide feedback for self-study. Learners would also benefit from viewing examples of syllables consisting of more than one vowel.
Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty
Rating:
Strengths:
Instruction for using audio is on the main page. The user is instructed to click the pinyin link to get to RealAudio to listen to the pronunciation. The quality of the audio is good. It should be noted that the sound quality also depends on the user?s sound cards, speakers, and other sound software and hardware they use. The site also makes good and consistent use of colors, making it easy to navigate. The links at various levels are clear and consistent.
Concerns:
There are a few pages in which the fonts are either small or not very clear. Also, pinyin could not be viewed on the page ?Courses: Classroom Expression 1 and 2.? This appears to be a technical glitch, and it is recommended that it be fixed.
Creative Commons:
Search by ISBN?
It looks like you have entered an ISBN number. Would you like to search using what you have
entered as an ISBN number?
Searching for Members?
You entered an email address. Would you like to search for members? Click Yes to continue. If no, materials will be displayed first. You can refine your search with the options on the left of the results page.
Searching for Members?
You entered an email address. Would you like to search for members? Click Yes to continue. If no, materials will be displayed first. You can refine your search with the options on the left of the results page.
