The most convenient way to learn Chinese the way it is actually spoken and used. Start with our basic lessons, and in no time you’ll be listening to music, watching films and television and engaging in the actual language. With free daily podcasts, a vibrant community, online study tools and much more, PopupChinese is the most powerful and personal way to learn mandarin.
Elementary - An Evening at the Rock and Roll Club
Jun 28, 2011
Show notes
Consider the stock photo accompanying this lesson illustrative of the truly great times we have had partying at several Beijing clubs that are not the Loft nor Maggies and that Oliver Stone has yet to frequent at three o'clock in the morning, at least as far as we know.You see, Shanghai might be the clubbing capital of China, but Beijing has Rock and Roll, the only place we've ever been that has featured fire-breathing dancers and a choreographed routine involving a massive man-eating snake. Add to this the Titanic videos that still play on loop and the disc jockeys of indeterminate gender, and you've got to admit that the place has its own vibe.
Absolute Beginners - Evolutionary Strategies of Household Pets
Jun 23, 2011
Show notes
When your pet starts rummaging through the knife drawer because it hasn't been fed, it's probably time to get another pet. But what about the warning signs? What other clues do cats and dogs give us that something is off in your relationship, or that they're expecting a bit more attention? This is the critical question we explore in today's lesson for Absolute Beginners to the Chinese language.And now a warning. Although this lesson is intended for newcomers, if this is your very first time hearing Chinese, you'll probably find the dialogue a bit fast for comfort. So be aware that once we've pushed past our blitzkrieg-paced dialogue things slow down and we cover the material more slowly. But if it's still too fast for you don't panic, because we have plenty more lessons in our archives, so go check those out!
Intermediate - Crash Landing
Jun 21, 2011
Show notes
A crucial trait for any pilot is constant situational awareness, or keeping watch for small problems which might signify larger ones to come. And while James Washburn was an excellent pilot in this regard, nothing in his career could have prepared the seasoned captain for the events which were to unfold this particular evening, on what was otherwise a perfectly routine flight from New York to Boston....Learning Chinese? We haven't been treating you with kiddie gloves at our Absolute Beginner and Elementary levels, but where we really shine is the Intermediate level, which will put you on the fast track to fluency with complex dialogues that feature advanced speaking patterns and lots of emotional nuance. So if you're learning Chinese with the goal of professional fluency, be sure to listen in: you won't regret it.
Elementary - The Saga of the Power Crystals
Jun 17, 2011
Show notes
One of the benefits China offers as an expat destination is the refreshing lack of streetside vendors hawking power crystals and comfort necklaces. Unfortunately, while the Orient is insulated from the prevailing trends on late-night American television, if you live here you will have to deal with a whole new category of mystical concepts that have seized the local imagination. Except for acupuncture, which we're willing to admit might have some merits....Learning Chinese? Our Elementary lesson for today is a bit faster and more complex than most of our podcasts at this level, but still consists of fairly simple sentences and high-frequency vocabulary. So if you already know some Chinese but are looking to push yourself closer to fluency, give us a shot and experience Chinese the way it's actually spoken in mainland China. And if you have any questions or thoughts, consider yourself warmly invited to let us know in the discussion section below.
Absolute Beginners - Not Even Close
Jun 15, 2011
Show notes
So it turns out that not everything in Beijing is really in "walking distance" from your hotel as your tour guide promised. Or that's how it feels now that you're halfway between Xizhimen and Sanlitun with only twenty minutes left before the show. Suffice it to say that the maze of hutongs in which you are lost no longer seem as charming as they did from the outside....Learning Chinese? Our podcast for today is designed for absolute beginners to the Chinese language. This means that even if you don't have any background in mandarin, you should be able to follow along and pick up some of the basics of this fascinating language. So give us a listen and be sure to signup for access to our premium features like transcripts, tests and extra audio recordings.
Intermediate - Crisis in Washington
Jun 13, 2011
Show notes
A mere two hours after he had ordered the mission, the President read his security briefing with a seething fury, his thoughts as stormy as the clouds darkening the skies above Washington. His administration could deal with a partisan Congress. And no-one expected a free ride from the media on issues of national security. But to face what must either be gross incompetence or deliberate obstruction from his own military advisers? He reached for the phone....Learning Chinese? Today's lesson is an intermediate listening test filled with drama. This is Chinese the way you'll hear it on television or in the theaters. So if you have a few years of mandarin under your belt take a listen to our dialogue and then click through to our quiz section to gauge your comprehension. And if you have any questions? Feel free to leave questions in our discussion section below, or check out our online popup Chinese transcript and see what you missed.
Intermediate - A Bad China Day for Dashan
Jun 09, 2011
Show notes
We have enormous respect for Mark Rowswell, but there's still something unsettling about the constant cheer his alter ego Dashan manages to project on state television. It's almost as if Mark's creation lives in a different China than us, one where bureaucratic corruption and intransigence don't exist and the food companies aren't constantly trying to poison one with new and inventive nutritional supplements.In any event, while we suspect Mark has his ups-and-downs like the rest of us, we actually wonder what if anything he can do about it. Because how exactly can you have a bad China day when you're supposed to be the most upbeat foreigner in China. And given his reputation for impeccable mandarin, will his friends and family even notice?
Elementary - The Lecture Circuit
Jun 07, 2011
Show notes
Much later in life, Qin would still wake from terrible nightmares of his college days. Yet unlike his many classmates who struggled with the math, his decision to major in physics was not the trigger for these episodes so much as his choice of studying in Urumchi, where the finest minds in the province would lecture on the most pressing scientific questions in whatever language and accent seemed most convenient at the time.
Absolute Beginners - Sometimes you just can't take it anymore....
May 30, 2011
Show notes
At the Silk Market in Beijing, Robert had been the center of attention, with polo shirts and Timberland jackets thrust at him blindly from all sides. And now, after a brief respite at his hotel, the frenzy had begun again. Barely had the poor man cleared his plate, when a fresh serving of mutton, beef or fish would be spooned onto it by one or sometimes several of his Chinese colleagues simultaneously.Want to learn Chinese? We love China most of the time, but admit to find it grating when Chinese people assume that foreigners are incapable of putting food on their own plates. And while we usually grin and bear it, sometimes enough is enough. Which is what this lesson is about. Join us for an introductory walk through the Chinese language in which we learn a few ways to assert yourself in mandarin with varying degrees of forcefulness.
Advanced - The Commuting Life
May 29, 2011
Show notes
"And then there was the time a fight almost broke out in our studio over the Tokyo metro...." Our advanced Chinese podcast for today another merciless onslaught of full-speed, native-level Chinese. Hosted by Nicole who you might know from our site for learning Cantonese, it showcases a mix of both northern and southern accents, and covers a topic is dear to the hearts of everyone struggling to get by in Beijing: commuting and the toll it takes on your work-life balance. Listen in and then let us know how you're coping too.
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