Learning Mandarin

Since I now have all this free time, I thought it would be a good idea to be able to communicate a bit when we are over in China.

For my birthday, Bill bought be a beginners Mandarin book and audio cd. Well it sucked. Sorry Bill. I tried to use it. I just want conversational Mandarin. Like where is the bathroom? Thank-you, Good Morning etc...

I found a website called ChinesePod -- see www.chinesepod.com

This site is great. Best of all most of it free! Fits right into the budget. I have downloaded about 70 lessons. Burned about 15 to cd right now. I'm listening to them in the car. I can now say:

Good Morning
How are You
I'm good and you
I'm good too Thank-you

I'm not sure on the phoentic spelling yet -- I have to pay membership to get that. Still deciding if it is worth it.

This morning, I had Emily (who is 6) listen to the first track. She went into school this morning and said Good Morning in Mandarin. I bet her teacher was shocked!

Off to listen to track 2 tonight!

Jen