你们好！Today I’ll be talking about the software we have in the lab that students can use to learn Chinese independently, as well as a very helpful online resource called Word Champ.
As some of you may know, we’ve recently acquired new software from Auralog called Tell Me More. The program has a voice recognition program that can be very useful for improving your spoken Chinese.
Chinese Tell Me More is broken up into 3 CDs; a beginner, intermediate, and advanced level. Each CD has five or six lessons, each with different vocabulary. The grammar used is not very difficult, but the learning curve on vocab might be a bit steep. Luckily, there’s a handy glossary and grammar index for each lesson as well.
(This is the good part!) Every lesson has its own set of words and dialogue, and by going to either the pronunciation or dialogue tab, you can say these words yourself to be graded by the computer. First the program will say the word/phrase, and have you either repeat or respond. If you choose pronunciation, the program will show you how closely you matched the “correct” way of speaking. While it may not pick up on the more subtle tones, Tell Me More can help you if you are struggling with pronunciation or just want to practice spoken Chinese.
If you want to use this program, just talk to any of the staff on duty and they can show you where the disk is. (When you start the program, make sure you use Tell Me More CJ, rather than normal Tell Me More.) The program is fairly simple to use, just hover over the tabs for a moment and it will tell you where they go.
Right now we only have one disk for each level, but if enough people show an interest in this program, we can order more.
Word Champ is a wonderful tool and resource for learning a language. It can be found here. You will need to register, but it’s quick and they don’t give out your email to spammers. Word Champ allows you to create flashcards for yourself, and find flashcards that others have made. You can make these cards in whatever way you want, and sometimes the words will have audio (but not for all words) that you can listen to. You can also use drills, where you can practice translation, listening, or dictation.
Another handy tool on this site is the Web Reader, which allows you to open a site in a foreign language (in this case Chinese), and if you find a word you don’t understand, will give you the translation if you hover over it with the mouse.
We have an article in this week’s collegian! Check it out if you want to read about the LLC.
