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- (cameras on, please) [novice+] Let's practice "Where?" and places around town!Link visible for attendees
In this online activity series for novice learners, we'll present some basic words/phrases, explain/discuss how to pronounce them, and take turns repeating them aloud.
During the meeting, please
[1] be in a distraction-free, quiet environment;
[2] use headphones/headset to minimize audio feedback;
[3] pay close attention to melody, rhythm, and sounds.---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.---
my favorite resources
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pronunciation tips
Běijīng: It really is "jing", not "zhing".
Zhōngguó: more like "joong-gwo", -not- "zhoong-gwaw", -not- "choong-gwaw".
"Wo" should not sound like "whoa"?! 😂---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.---
review
Tā shì shéi? "Who is s/he?"
Tā shì wǒ māmā; bàba; gēgē; dìdì; jiějiě; mèimei.
"S/he is my mom; dad; big brother; little brother; big sister; little sister;"
Tā shì wǒ de péngyǒu. "S/he is my friend."
Nà shì wǒ de péngyǒu de chē. "That is my friend's car."jǐ gè a few; several; how many?
jǐ wèi "Table for...?"; How many (are in your group)?
Duōshǎo qián? How much money (does it cost)?
Nǐ jiā yǒu jǐ kǒu rén? How many people are in your family?hěn [default modifier for predicate adjectives] quite; [UK] rather
Wǒ de péngyǒu hěn gāo; kāixīn; piàoliang; shuài. My friend is quite tall; happy; beautiful; handsome/cool.zhīdào to know
[Wǒ] bù zhīdào. [I] don't know.
Ó, wǒ zhīdàole! Oh, I get it! (I know *now*!)zài to be located at/in/on
Nǐ zài nǎlǐ? Where are you?
Wǒ jiù zài zhèlǐ! I'm (right) here!zài jiā at home
zài bàngōngshì at the office
zài gōngyuán at/in a/the parkcāntīng restaurant
chāoshì supermarket
jīchǎng airport
shāngchǎng shopping center/mallxǐhuān to like
Wǒ xǐhuān ___. "I like ___."
Nǐ xǐhuān ___ ma? "Do you like ___?"zuì the most; "-est"
zuì xǐhuān de favoritenew
yínháng bank
huāyuán garden
yīyuàn hospital
shāngdiàn shop; storebówùguǎn museum
dòngwùyuán zoo
shātān beach
sēnlín forest---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.---
Use calendar view to see other upcoming events at a glance. - [self-assessment] How can I estimate my level of fluency?Link visible for attendees
Wonder what we mean by "novice", "beginner", "pre-intermediate", or "intermediate-ish"?
Listen to and/or watch the following audio clips at each level. If you can recognize most (more than 5 out of 6) of the words and comprehend the rough meaning of most of the sentences in a sample, have a listen to clips at the next level. When you reach a level where nearly half of what's being said is not comprehensible to you, the previous level is probably the one at which you can learn most effectively.😉
novice (HSK 0 to 1) classroom numbers colors
beginner (HSK 1 to 2) dialogues [Taiwan accent] videoadvanced beginner (HSK 3) story A B C
pre-intermediate (HSK 3 to 4) story D E [Taiwan accent] F [Taiwan accent] G tips [SW 贵州 accent] Hlow intermediate (HSK 4) story tips J K
high intermediate (HSK 5) story [Beijing accent] series tips 中美饮食 [southern accent] demoadvanced (HSK 6+) series
native-like humor
expert/professional/technicaltiny HSK vocabulary test
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Use calendar view to see other upcoming events at a glance.Not open - [cameras on] intermediate (口语和书面) Mandarin listening comprehension study sessionLink visible for attendees
Participants should recognize and understand 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
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9:00 听力 listening / "comprehensible input" warm-up
大鹏说中文 Speak Chinese with Da Peng
Chinese Talk Ep. 30 牛仔节---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.---
9:15 发音 pronunciation/accent warm-up
紫 (zǐ; ㄗˇ) "purple"
指 (zhǐ; ㄓˇ) "finger"
词/詞 (cí; ㄘˊ) "word"
迟/遲 (chí; ㄔˊ) "late"
四 (sì; ㄙˋ) "four"
是 (shì; ㄕˋ) "to be"tone pair practice
绕口令 (tongue twisters)
这千字幕只是前年之前值钱。
Zhè qiān zìmù zhǐshì qiánnián zhīqián zhí qián.
These thousand subtitles were valuable only before (until) the year before last.即使技术解释及时结束继续接收建议。
Jíshǐ jìshù jiěshì jíshí jiéshù jìxù jiēshōu jiànyì.
Even if the technology explanations conclude in time, we'll continue to accept suggestions.其实，即使七十名骑士及时知道的知识确实只是事实，也没事。
Qíshí, jíshǐ qīshí míng qíshì jíshí zhīdào de zhīshì qíshí quèshí zhǐshì shìshí, yě méishì.
Actually, even if the knowledge that seventy knights knew in time was in fact simply factual, it would be fine.---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.---
9:25 听力 listening / "comprehensible input" and study
瞎扯学中文 Convo Chinese
Ep. 17 加纳利岛上的爱情故事---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.---
10:00 口语词汇 conversational vocabulary
rénshānrénhǎi "people everywhere"
Nǐ xíng, nǐ shàng "Put up or shut up."
xiǎng dé měi "In your dreams!"; "Dream on!"
méimén; méimé'r "No way!"wàng méi zhǐ kě (lit. “quench thirst by looking at plums") to satisfy one's desire only through one's imagination
Bù pà yīwàn, jiù pà wànyī. "Better (to be) safe than sorry."---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.---
10:15 "comprehensible input" "cool down" and/or conversation---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.---
Use calendar view to see other upcoming events at a glance. - [cameras on] pre- to low intermediate listening & usage:Link visible for attendees
Participants should already
understand how pinyin notation expresses the precise pronunciation of Mandarin Chinese, including the "melody";
be familiar with a few hundred words;
be able to ask and answer questions like these:
"Do you like to dance/eat/sing/swim?" "I like to sing." "I don't like to dance."
"Who is she?" "She's my friend."
"What is this?" "This is a book/cup/fruit."
"What time are we going to see a movie?" "Tomorrow, at 7:30 in the evening."
"Where is David?" "He's at home."
"Why do you study Chinese?" "Because I would like to speak Chinese."and have a general idea of the "golden rule" of basic sentence structure
subject [+ time] [+ location] [+ manner] + verb [+ duration] [+ object]---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.---
my favorite resources
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"lighten up" and "tighten up"
Do you pronounce "wo" like "whoa"? (You should NOT! 😂)---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.---
HSK Level 3 audio translated
第十二课，课文一 (Lesson 12, Text 1)---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.---
supplementary listeningYouTube
张峻豪/Zhāng Jùnháo 随便跳舞/"random dance"
Blablapodcasts
TeaTime Chinese Why Chinese?---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.---
Use calendar view to see other upcoming events at a glance.
![(cameras on, please) [novice+] Let's practice "Where?" and places around town! cover photo](https://secure.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/6/8/c/9/event_514046825.webp "(cameras on, please) [novice+] Let's practice \"Where?\" and places around town!")
![[self-assessment] How can I estimate my level of fluency? cover photo](https://secure.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/6/5/1/5/event_515905877.webp "[self-assessment] How can I estimate my level of fluency?")
![[cameras on] intermediate (口语和书面) Mandarin listening comprehension study session cover photo](https://secure.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/2/0/c/e/event_515948398.webp "[cameras on] intermediate (口语和书面) Mandarin listening comprehension study session")
![[cameras on] pre- to low intermediate listening & usage: cover photo](https://secure.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/5/5/0/c/event_521061772.webp "[cameras on] pre- to low intermediate listening & usage:")
