Why the classroom may be holding you back

Why the classroom may be holding you back
Chinadaily .com

There are roughly 30 million people in the world studying Chinese, and Fred Rao, founder and CEO of eChineseLearning, thinks many of them are learning it the wrong way - in a classroom.

"The traditional way of Chinese language instruction is insufficient. Students go to class for 1.5 hours a week, and then they forget everything they've learned," says Rao, who once taught Mandarin through a Chinese culture center he founded in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Rao saw an opportunity. Eight months ago, he established eChineseLearning, a website that specializes in one-to-one, real-time instruction with experienced teachers in China via Instant Messaging software, such as MSN, Google Talk or Skype. Private lessons cost as 9 US,little with topics ranging from Chinese culture to business etiquette.

The idea came to Rao after spending 10 years in the United States, where he attended Stanford University's business school and later founded a social networking website.

So far, eChineseLearning has enrolled about 300 students from 25 countries. Most come from the United States, but other students come from as far way as Venezuela and Latvia. Students' ages range from as young as 4 to more than 60.

China Daily

Olympic in Beijing , to learn English or to learn Chinese?

I don't know why I use this title, but it is the question I really want to ask. I care a lot about the Olympic game in 2008, I feel so excited that it is in Beijing.
For preparing the Olympic game, the government has done many things .People think it is good for Beijing and the Beijingers . But for me, sometimes I feel so bad about it. Something new appears, something old disappeared. And I am the person who misses the old things so much.
For preparing the Olympic game, Chinese people are learning English! But I don't think this is going to work. Imagine this: during the Olympic time, there are many people from different countries and speak different languages. The worst thing is some of them can't speak English. How can they communicate in China? I don't think Chinese people can learn so many languages in such a short time. So may be, people who want to travel to China, can learn some Chinese before they are coming. That will be easy for all of us!
I spoken to some foreigner friends, they are learning Chinese now. They are so excited about learning Chinese and going to China! They think China should provide some Chinese language service to foreigners. Some of them are learning Chinese online with eChineseLearning.com, they said that the service helps them a lot, making them more confident to go to China!

To Adopt a chinese child! Willing to help !

Many American parents want to adopt a Child from China, but sometimes they face difficulties to communicate with the child. And even when the child has grown up, they also want their child to learn Chinese language.
So now there is a chance for the parents and the children: Join eChineseLearning.com, the teachers there are willing to help out and give free lessons to them!

Contact eChineselearning here: serive@echineselearning.com
skype id: service_echineselearning
Get the detail about the offer, eChineseLearning.com, the best Chinese language service from China!

Chinese idioms learning!

ài bú shì shǒu
爱 不 释 手
meaning:1.to be so fond of sth.that one cannot take one's hands off it 2.to be reluctant to give up. 3.to be unwilling to let sth out of one's hands 4. can hardly bear to put it down.
释义：喜爱到不肯放手，形容非常喜爱。

ài cái rú mìnɡ
爱 财 如 命
meaning:1.to grudge wealth as one's life.2. to be extremely miserly and greedy 3. love gold as one's life
释义：吝惜钱财如同吝惜自己的生命一样。形容贪婪。

ài cái ruò kě
爱 才 若 渴
meaning:1. to have a passion for talent 2. One's love for scholars ( or talents)is equal to one's thirst for water 3.to be very fond of talented people.
释义：爱惜人才就像口渴想喝水一样。

ài mò nénɡ zhù
爱 莫 能 助
meaning:1.to be willing to help but unable to do so 2. to love but have no ability to render assistance 3.to be sympathetic but unable to help 4. one would be glad to help but cannot.
释义：原意是因为不显露才无人相助，后指虽有同情心，而没有帮助的能力。

ài wū jí wū
爱 屋 及 乌
meaning:1. to love for a person extends even to the crows on its roof 2. love me ,love my dog.3. love one thing on account of another.
释义：因为爱一间房屋而连带喜欢房顶上的乌鸦。比喻因为爱一个人而连带喜爱和他有关系的人或事物。

ài zēnɡ fēn mínɡ
爱 憎 分 明
meaning:1. to be clear about what to love or hate 2. to know whom to love and whom to hate 3. to understand what to love and what to hate 4 .a clear idea of what one should hate or love.
释义 ：爱什么，恨什么，态度鲜明

ài shǒu ài jiǎo
碍 手 碍 脚
meaning:1.to stand (or be)in the way 2.to be obstructed by one's hands and feet 3. to be a hindrance 4 be a nuisance
释义： 形容做事受到妨碍，不顺利。

Best gift! ——reading

Comedian David Brenner came from a poor but close family. When he graduated from high school, however,he was given an unforgetable gift."some of my friends got new clothes and a few rich kids even got new cars," he remembers."My father reached into his pants pocket and took something out .I extened my hand ,palm up ,and he let my present drop into it _ a nickel!"

Dad said to me,"Buy a newspaper with that.Read everyword of it. Then trun to the classified section and get yourself a job. Get into the world . It's all yours now."

"I always thought that was a great joke my father had played on me until a few years later when I was in the Army, sitting in a foxhole,and thinking about my family and my cars, or only clothes. My father had given me the whole world . What greater gift!"

喜剧演员 David Brenner 来自一个贫穷但是关系很亲密的家庭。在他高中毕业的时候，得到一份一辈子都不会忘记的礼物。“我的一些朋友得到了新衣服，甚至有些有钱的孩子得到了一辆新车”，他回忆道，“我的爸爸把手伸进裤子口袋，然后拿出来了什么东西。我伸出我的手，掌心向上，我爸爸把我的礼物放到了我的手心里——一枚五分硬币。”

“爸爸对我说，‘用这个钱买一份报纸。读完它的每一个字。然后到分类广告栏里，给你自己找一份工作。走向现实的世界吧。现在它都是你的了。’“

“我一直认为那是爸爸跟我开的一个很大的玩笑，直到一些年以后当我在陆军，坐在一个伞兵坑里，思考我的家庭和我的车，或者只是衣服的时候我才知道，爸爸已经给我了全世界。那是多么伟大的一个礼物啊！

Thesedays I have read many beautiful storys,I learned lot . This why we need to read. It is a best way to know people , to know the world.Enjoy reading ,and share your story with someone else. I love it!

and You can learn Chinese here :http://www.echineselearning.com/