![Austin Chinese Language Learners cover photo](https://secure.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/a/d/7/0/clean_451364400.webp)
What we’re about
* Currently, our activities focus on language learning (listening and conversational practice, particularly in Mandarin and Cantonese) and Chinese culture (especially music, poems, movies, regional cuisines, art, calligraphy, history)
* Use your computer to plan ahead.
Look at our monthly calendar to find activities that appeal to you:
https://www.meetup.com/austin-chinese-language-and-culture/events/calendar/
RSVP a week in advance if you can. Otherwise, do so at least a day before the event.
If no one signs up for an event, it will probably be cancelled a couple of days before.
* Use the app to check messages (Event Chats and Direct Messages) a day or two before any event for possible discussion.
If you won't be able to attend, update your RSVP before the event starts.
If the host needs to make a schedule change, s/he should do so before the event start time, preferably at least a day in advance.
* Participate regularly.
If we don't see you for a few weeks, you'll probably be removed from the group. Nothing personal--our events probably just don't fit your interests or schedule.
* We're here to learn and improve.
Participate in online activities using headphones and from a quiet location.
Be open to information/strategies that may challenge your practices.
We invite discussion based on research/experience.
* Please do not advertise, attack, campaign, proposition, proselytize, or solicit.
If anyone contacts you through Meetup to do any of these, please let us know.
Upcoming events (4+)
See all- English pronunciation (美式口音) workshop for speakers of Chinese languagesLink visible for attendees
During the meeting, please
[1] be in a distraction-free, quiet environment;
[2] use headphones/headset to minimize audio feedback;
[3] focus on the current task;
[4] pay close attention to stress, rhythm, and sounds.---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.---
Learning new concepts/skills should be uncomfortable.
Here's why accurate foreign language pronunciation is challenging.rough musical analogy:
Chinese is a "staccato" (sharp, light) melody.
English is a "legato" (flowing) rhythm with dynamics (loud & soft).
"slow down" and "stretch out"
"Wèi de mǐ ne?" (味的米呢) vs. "Wait a minute!"English is not phonetic:
English spelling does not provide consistent representations of sounds.---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.---
vowel sounds [relaxed, not taut; short in duration]:
see (rhymes with "西"); seen ("信"); seeing ("西-影"); sin; sing (like "西影" run together); sisall, balls, calls, falls, halls, malls, small, tall, walls
apples, cap, clap, flap, gap, happy, lap, map, nap, rap, sap, slap, tap, trap
ash, bash, brash, cash, clash, crash, dash, flash, hash, mash, rash, trash
curls, girls, pearls, rural, turtle, virtual, whirlcontrasting pairs/sets:
"a(ck)" "eh" "ee" "ih"
bad bed bead bid
bat bet beat bit
dad dead deed did
fat feet fit
had head hat heat hit
lad led lead lid
mat met meat meet
gnat net neat knit
pat pet peat pit
sand send
sat set seat sit
tan ten teen tin"ei" "ah" "oh" "uh"
calm comb come
lawn lane loan
fail fall fool full
hail hall hole hull
mail mall mole mull
pal pail pale pall pole pool pull
sail sale saw sell sold sole soul
tail tale tall told toll"ao" "ar" "aw" "uh" (+ "dj" "ch")
bounce, barge, bought, bunch
lounge, lodge, large, lawn, launch, lunch, lunge---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.---
"shadowing" with feedbackI don't want to understand.
Tall girls all want to fall onto lush lawns.
At dawn, far from harm, my charming darling yawns again.
Usually, we also do everything possible to make the client happy.
The main point is that we have enough money to pay for the stuff you bought.
Having seen sick singing scenes since I was six, it seems like it might be a sin to sing.---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.---
basic input/vocabulary: pictures apples pizza
Vanessa: sentences speakingMarina: sound more native-like/natural
Rachel: American accent linking and stress; Friends; why it's difficultissues commonly faced by Chinese speakers
transcription
"boot camp"
Obama (Àobāmǎ)
成龍/成龙 (Jackie Chan)---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.---
Use calendar view to see other upcoming events at a glance. - intermediate (口语和书面) Mandarin listening comprehension study sessionLink visible for attendees
Participants should recognize and understand well over 800 words and be familiar with a variety of verb complements (不得了,到,好,起來,完). An ideal participant should be able to understand the use of 比 in comparisons, 把 in "disposal" constructions, and 被 to express passive voice. We will emphasize fairly standard Putonghua pronunciation but also work towards comprehending regional accents.
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During the meeting, please
[1] be in a distraction-free, quiet environment;
[2] use headphones to minimize audio feedback;
[3] pay close attention to melody, rhythm, and sounds.---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.---
my favorite resources---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.---
9:00 听力 listening / "comprehensible input" warm-up
大鹏说中文 Speak Chinese with Da Peng
Chinese Talk Ep. 13 说韩国(5)(CCTV) "Happy Chinese" (Season One)
Ep. 20 "Stiff Neck"---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.---
9:15 发音 pronunciation/accent warm-up
tone pair practice绕口令 (tongue twisters)
刘奶奶找牛奶奶买牛奶,
牛奶奶给刘奶奶拿牛奶,
刘奶奶说牛奶奶的牛奶不如柳奶奶的牛奶。
Liú Nǎinai zhǎo Niú Nǎinai mǎi niúnǎi,
Niú Nǎinai gěi Liú Nǎinai ná niúnǎi,
Liú Nǎinai shuō Niú Nǎinai de niúnǎi bùrú Liǔ Nǎinai de niúnǎi!出南门,走六步,见着六叔和六舅,借我六斗六升好绿豆;
过了秋,打了豆,还我六叔六舅六十六斗六升好绿豆。
Chū nán mén, zǒu liù bù, jiànzhe liù shū hé liù jiù, jiè wǒ liù dòu liù shēng hǎo lǜdòu;
Guòle qiū, dǎle dòu, huán wǒ liù shū liù jiù liùshíliù dòu liù shēng hǎo lǜdòu.---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.---
9:25 口语词汇 conversational vocabulary
rénshānrénhǎi "people everywhere"
Nǐ xíng, nǐ shàng "Put up or shut up."
xiǎng dé měi "Dream on!"; "thought beautifully"Shuō Cáocāo, Cáocāo dào. "Speak of the devil..."
Bù pà yīwàn, jiù pà wànyī. "better (to be) safe than sorry"
Zhǒng guā dé guā, zhǒng dòu dé dòu. (lit. "plant melons, get melons; plant beans, get beans") "You reap what you sow."走着瞧 zǒuzheqiáo (lit. “look while walking”) wait and see
活该 huógāi (lit. “to live as deserved”) got what they deserve; serves them right
过分 guòfèn (lit. “exceed one's share”) to cross the line; to go too far
有的是 yǒudeshì (lit. “what there is is...”) all they have is...; have plenty of...
可不是吗 kěbùshì ma (lit. “Could (it) not be?”) You can say that again; Could it be any other way?---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.---
9:40 听力 listening / "comprehensible input" and study
EazyMandarin Chinese conversations每日中文课Free To Learn Chinese real-life conversations
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10:15 "comprehensible input" "cool down" and/or conversation
Excel Mandarin---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.---
Use calendar view to see other upcoming events at a glance. - [in-person] (intermediate+) 谈谈 (Mandarin conversations): 电动车 (electric vehicles)Dobie Mall (upper level) food court, Austin, TX
vocabulary
电动汽车 diàndòng qìchē electric-powered vehicle
汽油车 qìyóu chē gasoline-powered vehicle加速 jiāsù to speed up; to accelerate
减速 jiǎnsù to slow down; to decelerate瞬间 shùnjiān instant; instantaneous
动量 dòngliàng momentum
动力 dònglì (motive) power
电力 diànlì electrical power油门 yóumén accelerator (pedal); gas pedal
制动 zhìdòng to brake产生 chǎnshēng to generate; to produce
再生 zàishēng to regenerate
利用 lìyòng to utilize; to exploit
滑行 huáxíng to coast; to glide
额外 éwài additional电动汽车充电站 diàndòng qìchē chōngdiàn zhàn electric vehicle charging station
电池交换站 diànchí jiāohuàn zhàn battery-swapping station气候的危害 qìhòu de wēihài detrimental impacts of climate change
发电厂 fādiàn chǎng power plant
排放 páifàng emissions; exhaust
电池 diànchí battery制造 zhìzào to manufacture (on an industrial scale)
电网 diànwǎng electrical network; grid
崩溃 bēngkuì to collapse; to crumble
续航里程 xùháng lǐchéng driving range that an electric vehicle can achieve on a single charge of its battery
出行 chūxíng travel
需求 xūqiú demand
同类 tónglèi comparable; same type---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.---
能源消耗 néngyuán xiāohào energy consumption
碳排放 tàn páifàng carbon emissions
化石燃料 huàshí ránliào fossil fuels
煤炭 méitàn coal
天然气 tiānránqì natural gas
可再生能源 kězàishēng néngyuán renewable energy
太阳能 tàiyángnéng solar energy
光伏电池 guāngfú diànchí photovoltaic batteries
风能 fēngnéng wind energy
水力发电 shuǐlì fādiàn hydroelectric power---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.---
驾驶体验 jiàshǐ tǐyàn driving experience[Google] 大多数电动汽车在停车状态下都能瞬间释放动力,行驶过程中也十分平稳安静,这一点让人非常满意。
[Papago] 大多数电动汽车从停止提供即时动力,它们在行驶时既平稳又安静,这是非常令人欣慰的。
Most electric cars deliver instant power from a stop, and they are both smooth and quiet when underway, which is very gratifying.[Google] 即使是最便宜的电动汽车从 0 加速到 60 英里每小时的速度也比汽油动力汽车快得多。
[Papago] 即使是最便宜的电动汽车也可以比汽油动力汽车更快地从 0 加速到 60 英里每小时。
Even the least expensive electric cars can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph much more quickly than gasoline-powered cars.The driving experience can be quite different from a traditional gasoline-fueled car. There’s no transmission changing gears.
[Google] 当你的脚离开油门时,再生制动就会开始减慢汽车的速度。
[Papago] 一旦你把脚从油门上拿下来,再生制动就开始减慢汽车的速度。
As soon as you take your foot off the accelerator, regenerative braking begins to slow the car.[Google] 再生制动利用汽车减速或滑行时的动量来产生额外的电力。
[Papago] 再生制动利用汽车的动力,因为它减速或海岸产生额外的电力。
Regenerative braking uses the car’s momentum as it slows down or coasts to create extra electricity.You can usually adjust how aggressively an EV accelerates or how quickly its regenerative brakes slow down the vehicle. Many offer what’s called “one-pedal driving,” where the driver can speed up or slow down just by modulating the accelerator pedal.
Despite their heavy batteries, EVs typically handle well because that battery is positioned low in the vehicle and there is no heavy engine over the front axle. Our testers often rave that many new EVs are very enjoyable to drive on our test track, even without the visceral thrum of a gas engine.
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some concerns/misconceptions regarding electric vehicles:
Myth #1: Electric vehicles are worse for the climate than gasoline cars because of power plant emissions.
Myth #2: Electric vehicles are worse for the climate than gasoline cars because of battery manufacturing.
Myth #3: The increase in electric vehicles entering the market will collapse the U.S. power grid.
Myth #4: Electric vehicles don’t have enough range to handle daily travel demands.
Myth #5: Electric vehicles are not as safe as comparable gasoline vehicles.误解 1:由于发电厂排放,电动汽车对气候的危害比汽油车更大。
误解 2:由于电池制造,电动汽车对气候的危害比汽油车更大。
误解 3:电动汽车进入市场的增加将导致美国电网崩溃。
误解 4:电动汽车的续航里程不足以满足日常出行需求。
误解 5:电动汽车不如同类汽油车安全。---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.---
比亚迪 (BYD)
蔚来 (NIO)
五菱 (Wuling) 宏光 Hongguang Mini EV
小米集团 (Xiaomi)---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.---
Use calendar view to see other upcoming events at a glance. - [in-person] (beginner+) Let's learn a couple of simple songs in basic MandarinDobie Mall (upper level) food court, Austin, TX
We'll go over all of the words in the lyrics, but participants who are familiar with basic personal pronouns and a dozen or so core words will probably find the lyrics of the first song/rap fairly comfortable!
The second song uses several Chinese cooking terms (which we'll cover) in the spoken word parts. Otherwise, roughly half of the lyrics are in simple English and the rest are in simple Chinese.
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好吗 Hǎo ma? Okay?你 nǐ you
在 zài is/are/am
哪里 nǎlǐ Where?
一直 yīzhí continuously
在等 zài děng waiting我 wǒ I/me
不 bù not
知道 zhīdào to know
在说 zài shuō saying
什么 shénme what这里 zhèlǐ here
想要 xiǎngyào to want
玩 wán to play
游戏 yóuxì games谢谢 xièxiè to thank
告诉 gàosù to tell
意思 yìsi meaning
很 hěn very much
爱 ài to love对吗 duì ma right?
以后 yǐhòu from now on你在哪里 Nǐ zài nǎlǐ? Where are you?
一直在等你 Yīzhí zài děng nǐ. Waiting for you (all this time).
我不知道你在说什么 Wǒ bù zhīdào nǐ zài shuō shénme. I don't know what you're saying.
我一直在这里等你 Wǒ yīzhí zài zhèlǐ děng nǐ. I've been waiting for you all along.
你想要什么 Nǐ xiǎngyào shénme? What do you want?我知道你 Wǒ zhīdào nǐ. I know you.
你知道我 Nǐ zhīdào wǒ. You know me.
不玩游戏 Bù wán yóuxì. Not playing games.
我需要你 Wǒ xūyào nǐ. I need you.谢谢你告诉我 Xièxiè nǐ gàosù wǒ. Thank you for telling me.
我知道你什么意思 Wǒ zhīdào nǐ shénme yìsi. I know what you mean.
你很爱我,对吗?Nǐ hěn ài wǒ, duì ma? You love me very much, right?
告诉我以后,好吗?Gàosù wǒ yǐhòu, hǎo ma? Tell me from now on, okay?知道吗?Zhīdào ma? Ya know?
好不好? Hǎo bùhǎo? How about it?---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.---
饺子 Jiǎozi Dumplings包 bāo wrap
捏 niē knead; pinch
擀 gǎn roll (out)
切 qiè cut (up)煮 zhǔ boil
蒸 zhēng steam
煎 jiān pan-fry
炸 zhà deep-fry你需要用力气 nǐ xūyào yòng lìqì You need to use strength.
我一定帮助你 wǒ yīdìng bāngzhù nǐ I'll definitely help you.
你可不要放弃 nǐ kě bùyào fàngqì You certainly must not give up.
我们一起来 wǒmen yīqǐ lái Let's come together (to do this).
大家一起来 dàjiā yìqǐ lái Everybody come together (to do this).---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.---
[only if there's time and interest!]
小熊 Xiǎo Xióng Little Bears---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.---
Chinese American Bear is Bryce Barsten and Anne Tong, a quirky, retro Mandopop rock duo based in Seattle.---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.---
Use calendar view to see other upcoming events at a glance.