Comments on: ChinesePod, the New York Times, and the future http://ken-carroll.com/2008/02/17/chinesepod-the-new-york-times-and-the-future/ networks, languages, and learning 2.0 Thu, 28 Aug 2008 11:23:36 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.1 By: chris http://ken-carroll.com/2008/02/17/chinesepod-the-new-york-times-and-the-future/#comment-328 chris Mon, 25 Feb 2008 13:09:40 +0000 http://ken-carroll.com/2008/02/17/chinesepod-the-new-york-times-and-the-future/#comment-328 @Henning the real wonder of RSS isn't fully realised on one site, it is when you use it to monitor many feeds and combine feeds that are connected in some way (from anywhere). As a language learner for example what if you find twenty other learners blogs that are sometimes useful or interesting but they post sporadically? Do you waste precious time, keep visiting them to check for updates? forget about the ones that rarely post (even though they maybe good posts)?. Combine their feeds all into one feed via Google Reader or similar and in one feed reader you can check the lot in a glance. The same example works across other slices including podcasts, forums (both posting and comments). This blogs feed goes into a combined feed I have to do with education and contains 15 other blogs. I spot updates as they happen (of course I can read them at my leisure). With Chinesepod for example, combine the feeds for both Intermediates and Advanced and then a quick glance and I know about new lessons, can read the intro. text (without visiting Cpod) even play the lesson in a flash plugin on the online reader, this is faster than actually using the Cpod site in real time (a typical outcome and not Cpod's fault, my navigation needs are very specific, as are many other users). I work producing Websites for Academic publishing and RSS is big (many readers of Electronic Journals are a bit more RSS savvy the the current norm.) The gain over email alerts or search alerts for updates is enormous. 1. Check 20 Journals individually for updated content and perform my favorite searches at each one regularly. 2. Better, subscribe to 20 email alerts and a bunch of search alerts and keep monitoring my email. 3. Much Much better pull in all the RSS feeds from the above and forget about it just glance at a single place occasionally to see what is new and go and read it if looks interesting. The gain via RSS is huge, I also use it to keep my finger on the pulse for technical areas where I work. If you don't dive in though it is not apparent. I remember way back when we still had memo's floating about in in boxes etc. and hearing people question whether the new-fangled email was really going to make a difference. @Henning the real wonder of RSS isn’t fully realised on one site, it is when you use it to monitor many feeds and combine feeds that are connected in some way (from anywhere). As a language learner for example what if you find twenty other learners blogs that are sometimes useful or interesting but they post sporadically? Do you waste precious time, keep visiting them to check for updates? forget about the ones that rarely post (even though they maybe good posts)?. Combine their feeds all into one feed via Google Reader or similar and in one feed reader you can check the lot in a glance.

The same example works across other slices including podcasts, forums (both posting and comments). This blogs feed goes into a combined feed I have to do with education and contains 15 other blogs. I spot updates as they happen (of course I can read them at my leisure).

With Chinesepod for example, combine the feeds for both Intermediates and Advanced and then a quick glance and I know about new lessons, can read the intro. text (without visiting Cpod) even play the lesson in a flash plugin on the online reader, this is faster than actually using the Cpod site in real time (a typical outcome and not Cpod’s fault, my navigation needs are very specific, as are many other users).

I work producing Websites for Academic publishing and RSS is big (many readers of Electronic Journals are a bit more RSS savvy the the current norm.) The gain over email alerts or search alerts for updates is enormous.

1. Check 20 Journals individually for updated content and perform my favorite searches at each one regularly.

2. Better, subscribe to 20 email alerts and a bunch of search alerts and keep monitoring my email.

3. Much Much better pull in all the RSS feeds from the above and forget about it just glance at a single place occasionally to see what is new and go and read it if looks interesting.

The gain via RSS is huge, I also use it to keep my finger on the pulse for technical areas where I work. If you don’t dive in though it is not apparent. I remember way back when we still had memo’s floating about in in boxes etc. and hearing people question whether the new-fangled email was really going to make a difference.

]]> By: Richard http://ken-carroll.com/2008/02/17/chinesepod-the-new-york-times-and-the-future/#comment-326 Richard Sat, 23 Feb 2008 12:48:23 +0000 http://ken-carroll.com/2008/02/17/chinesepod-the-new-york-times-and-the-future/#comment-326 I think the key to successfully learning a language is to enjoy doing it. No-one realistically wants to sit down and make grammar notes when you could be listening to a fun podcast, then meeting new people while discussing what you've learnt. This is the area where ChinesePod has got it 100% right. Well done Ken! I think the key to successfully learning a language is to enjoy doing it. No-one realistically wants to sit down and make grammar notes when you could be listening to a fun podcast, then meeting new people while discussing what you’ve learnt.

This is the area where ChinesePod has got it 100% right. Well done Ken!

]]> By: trevelyan http://ken-carroll.com/2008/02/17/chinesepod-the-new-york-times-and-the-future/#comment-323 trevelyan Thu, 21 Feb 2008 19:11:40 +0000 http://ken-carroll.com/2008/02/17/chinesepod-the-new-york-times-and-the-future/#comment-323 @sushan, My guess is that more people will be studying/using languages. The weak translator fears that machine translation will make him obsolute. The strong realizes that it greatly expands the scope of the market. China hasn't really started as a service-economy, but when it does and its financial markets develop in particular, there is going to be a need for much greater interaction with the west. Everyone will be learning at some level. @sushan,

My guess is that more people will be studying/using languages. The weak translator fears that machine translation will make him obsolute. The strong realizes that it greatly expands the scope of the market.

China hasn’t really started as a service-economy, but when it does and its financial markets develop in particular, there is going to be a need for much greater interaction with the west. Everyone will be learning at some level.

]]> By: sushan http://ken-carroll.com/2008/02/17/chinesepod-the-new-york-times-and-the-future/#comment-305 sushan Mon, 18 Feb 2008 16:21:33 +0000 http://ken-carroll.com/2008/02/17/chinesepod-the-new-york-times-and-the-future/#comment-305 You left out one question: Why? Why will people learn languages? Technology is changing the way we use language even among native speakers, and increased travel and decreased communication costs are bringing people into more and more contact with other nations and cultures. In this framework what is the motivation for learning another language and how will the acquired language be used? One thing I see happening is the learner wanting a very customized experience - learning with a specific, individual goal in mind and wanting the fastest, most convenient point from A to B. Also learners wanting a great deal of control over how they learn and how they are evaluated. You left out one question: Why? Why will people learn languages? Technology is changing the way we use language even among native speakers, and increased travel and decreased communication costs are bringing people into more and more contact with other nations and cultures. In this framework what is the motivation for learning another language and how will the acquired language be used?

One thing I see happening is the learner wanting a very customized experience - learning with a specific, individual goal in mind and wanting the fastest, most convenient point from A to B. Also learners wanting a great deal of control over how they learn and how they are evaluated.

]]> By: Henning http://ken-carroll.com/2008/02/17/chinesepod-the-new-york-times-and-the-future/#comment-295 Henning Sun, 17 Feb 2008 17:24:05 +0000 http://ken-carroll.com/2008/02/17/chinesepod-the-new-york-times-and-the-future/#comment-295 I still wait for the day when Praxis buys one of the former "major" players in the foreign language market, e.g. Rosetta Stone. That will be fun. Nevertheless, I stay with my oldfashioned conclusion, that the revolution on the technical side is purely the transportation medium. RSS? I personally don't use it. And if I would it would, would it make a *qualitative* difference? Beyond some minor gaines in efficiency? I still wait for the day when Praxis buys one of the former “major” players in the foreign language market, e.g. Rosetta Stone. That will be fun.

Nevertheless, I stay with my oldfashioned conclusion, that the revolution on the technical side is purely the transportation medium.

RSS? I personally don’t use it. And if I would it would, would it make a *qualitative* difference? Beyond some minor gaines in efficiency?

]]> By: FuDaWei http://ken-carroll.com/2008/02/17/chinesepod-the-new-york-times-and-the-future/#comment-294 FuDaWei Sun, 17 Feb 2008 17:23:42 +0000 http://ken-carroll.com/2008/02/17/chinesepod-the-new-york-times-and-the-future/#comment-294 I fully expect to see traditional resources becoming intertwined with online ones (and this isn't limited to language). Praxis might do well to consider a wholly new cottage industry of helping burgeoning campus programs develop and co-ordinate curricula tailor-made to their specific needs. They already have a foot in the door; their partnership with the Confucius Institute is moving them in that direction. (I should note that the CI is already responsible for setting up and guiding the new programs at my University). Making this model almost inevitable is the high cost of textbooks -- it's getting obscene. I rather like the alternative of essentially assembling my own custom textbook as I go ... in the form of electronic .pdfs; worksheets, handouts, vocab lists, grammar guides, etc. Beyond the economic benefit, it's enormously more flexible and can reflect the language as it is currently spoken, rather than as it was spoken 10 years earlier. I fully expect to see traditional resources becoming intertwined with online ones (and this isn’t limited to language). Praxis might do well to consider a wholly new cottage industry of helping burgeoning campus programs develop and co-ordinate curricula tailor-made to their specific needs. They already have a foot in the door; their partnership with the Confucius Institute is moving them in that direction. (I should note that the CI is already responsible for setting up and guiding the new programs at my University). Making this model almost inevitable is the high cost of textbooks — it’s getting obscene. I rather like the alternative of essentially assembling my own custom textbook as I go … in the form of electronic .pdfs; worksheets, handouts, vocab lists, grammar guides, etc. Beyond the economic benefit, it’s enormously more flexible and can reflect the language as it is currently spoken, rather than as it was spoken 10 years earlier.

]]>