The co-authors provided audio exercises to supplement their textbook Chinese the Easy Way.
Technical Requirements:
RealPlayer
Identify Major Learning Goals:
Listening
Target Student Population:
Beginning Chinese learners
Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:
None
Content Quality
Rating:
Strengths:
This website provides audio recordings for the lessons in the textbook Chinese the Easy Way. The audio files are in .ram format and can be played using RealPlayer. Lessons 1-2 provide pronunciation drills and lessons 3-19 vocabulary and dialogues. Its major strength lies in the fact that the vocabulary and dialogues are read more than once. In addition, new words are expanded to phrases and sentences and they are repeated several times for learners.
Concerns:
Users may not have the textbook to follow the audios. Information about the textbook is not clearly presented; it is linked to the publishers name (Barrons Educational Series).
Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool
Rating:
Strengths:
The audio quality is good and the pronunciation is very clear. It is a useful tool for learners who have the textbook. They can enhance their listening and speaking skills by following the audios. In particular, the recordings include slower speed in addition to normal conversational speed.
Concerns:
The site could be more useful by including English translations of vocabulary words and simple graphics related to the contents to compensate for the absence of texts.
Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty
Rating:
Strengths:
The site has clear instructions and is easy to navigate. There is also a link to download RealPlayer. No special computer skills are required.
Concerns:
The first part on pronunciation is much shorter than the second part on new vocabulary and dialogue. Since both parts have the same format and the same objective (listening and pronunciation), it would be more user-friendly to have both parts on the same page.
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.
