Get 40% OFF with the You Can Speak sale! Hurry! Ends soon!
Get 40% OFF with the You Can Speak sale! Hurry! Ends soon!
ChineseClass101.com Blog
Learn Chinese with Free Daily
Audio and Video Lessons!
Start Your Free Trial 6 FREE Features

Archive for the 'Feature Spotlight' Category

Premium PLUS: The Golden Ticket for Language-Learning

Thumbnail

Do you remember the moment you fell in love with languages?

Do you desire to learn or advance in Chinese quickly and effectively?

Then you need a Chinese tutor.

A common question that first-time language-learners ask is “Where do I begin?” The answer? Guidance.

For native English-speakers who want to learn Asian languages, for example, timelines provided by the U.S. Foreign Service Institute can appear discouraging. However, defeating these odds is not unheard of. If you want to beat the odds yourself, one of the best learning options is a subscription to Premium PLUS from Innovative Language.

As an active Premium PLUS member of JapanesePod101.com and KoreanClass101.com myself, I have an enjoyable experience learning at an accelerated pace with at least thirty minutes of study daily. The following Premium PLUS features contribute to my success:

  • Access to thousands of lessons
  • A voice recorder 
  • Spaced-repetition system (SRS) flashcards
  • Weekly homework assignments
  • A personal language instructor

As someone who decided to make Japanese her second language one year ago, I am extremely grateful for Premium PLUS.

Allow me to emphasize on how these Premium PLUS features strengthen my language studies.

Gain Unlimited Access to Audio and Video Lessons!

Woman learning a language with Premium PLUS on a tablet

As a Premium PLUS member, I have full access to the lesson library and other Premium features. Best of all, I’m not limited to one level; I can learn to my heart’s content with upper-level courses.

There are lessons on various topics that tackle crucial language-learning elements, such as:

  • Reading
  • Writing
  • Listening
  • Speaking
  • Conversation

Specifically, there are pathways. Pathways are collections of lessons that center on a specific topic. Some Innovative Language sites, like JapanesePod101.com, even have pathways geared toward proficiency tests. For example, the JLPT N3 Master Course pathway.

Because of the abundance of lessons, I’ve found pathways in the lesson library to help me prepare for certain events. Thanks to the “Speaking Perfect Japanese at a Restaurant” pathway, I spoke fully in Japanese while dining in Japan. Additionally, I participated in conversations at language exchange meetups in South Korea after completing the “Top 25 Korean Questions You Need to Know” pathway.

Each lesson has lesson notes, which I read while simultaneously listening to the audio lesson. This strategy enables me to follow along on key points. Lesson notes generally contain the following:

  • Dialogue
  • Vocabulary
  • Grammar points
  • Cultural insights

As someone who’s constantly on-the-go, I heavily benefit from mobile access to lessons. Podcasts and lesson notes are available on the Innovative Language app and/or Podcasts app for iOS.

All lessons and their contents are downloadable. Prior to my flights to Japan and South Korea, I downloaded lessons on my iPhone. The apps make learning more convenient for me during my commutes.

Practice Speaking with the Voice Recording Tool!

a young man practicing his pronunciation with a microphone headset

Pronunciation is an essential ingredient in language-learning. Proper pronunciation prompts clear understanding during conversations with native speakers.

Prior to learning full Korean sentences, my online Korean language tutor assigned the “Hana Hana Hangul” pathway to me. It demonstrated the writing and pronunciation of Hangul, the Korean alphabet. Throughout this pathway, I submitted recordings of my Hangul character pronunciations to my language teacher for review.

I was given a similar task on JapanesePod101.com with the “Ultimate Japanese Pronunciation Guide” pathway. My Japanese language teacher tested my pronunciation of the Japanese characters kana. My completion of the two pathways boosted my confidence in speaking.

Speaking is one of the more challenging components of learning a language. The voice recording tool in particular was a great way for me to improve my speaking skills. Further, because the lesson dialogues are spoken by native speakers, I’m able to practice speaking naturally.

This feature is also available for vocabulary words and sample sentences. Being able to hear these recordings improves my pronunciation skills for languages like Japanese, where intonation can change the meaning of a word entirely. The voice recorder examines my speed and tone. I also follow up by sending a recording to my online language tutor for feedback.

A great way to boost one’s speaking confidence is to shadow native speakers. During the vocabulary reviews, it’s helpful for me to hear the breakdown of each word; doing so makes a word that was originally difficult to even read a breeze to say!

Some lessons create opportunities to speak your own sentences. For example, the “Top 25 Korean Questions You Need to Know” pathway presents opportunities to answer questions personally. This helps you gain the ability to give answers as the unique individual you are.

Example Scenario:

The host asks the following question:

어디에 살고 있습니까?

eodieseo salgo isseumnikka

“Where do you live?”

If you live in Tokyo, you would readily say the following:

도쿄에 살고 있습니다.

Tokyo-e salgo isseumnida.

“I live in Tokyo.”

Increase Your Vocab with Spaced-Repetition Flashcards and More!

A child learning words with flashcards

Imagine having a conversation with a native speaker and hesitating because you lack a solid vocabulary base.

Premium PLUS offers various features to expand learners’ vocabulary, including Free Gifts of the Month. ChineseClass101’s free gifts for April 2020 included an e-book with “400 Everyday Phrases for Beginners,” and the content is updated every month. When I download free resources like this, I find opportunities to use them with co-teachers, friends, or my language tutors.

An effective way to learn vocabulary is with SRS flashcards. SRS is a system designed for learning a new word and reviewing it in varying time intervals.

You can create and study flashcard decks, whether it’s your Word Bank or a certain vocabulary list. For example, if you need to visit a post office, the “Post Office” vocabulary list for your target language would be beneficial to study prior to your visit.

In addition to the SRS flashcards, each lesson has a vocabulary slideshow and quiz to review the lesson’s vocabulary.

There’s also the 2000 Core Word List, which includes the most commonly used words in your target language. Starting from the 100 Core Word List, you’ll gradually build up your knowledge of useful vocabulary. These lists can be studied with SRS flashcards, too.

With the SRS flashcards, you can change the settings to your liking. The settings range from different card types to number of new cards per deck. Personally, I give myself vocabulary tests by changing the settings.

After studying a number of flashcards, I change the card types to listening comprehension and/or production. Then I test myself by writing the translation of the word or the spoken word or phrase.

The change in settings allow me to remember vocabulary and learn how to identify the words. This is especially helpful with Japanese kanji!

Complete Homework Assignments!

A woman studying at home

Homework assignments are advantageous to my language studies. There are homework assignments auto-generated weekly. They range from multiple-choice quizzes to writing assignments.

Language tutors are readily available for homework help. Some writing assignments, for instance, require use of unfamiliar vocabulary. In such cases, my language teachers assist me by forwarding related lessons or vocabulary lists.

In addition to these auto-generated homework tasks, language tutors customize daily assignments. My daily homework assignments include submitting three written sentences that apply the target grammar point of that lesson, and then blindly audio-recording those sentences. My personal language tutor follows up with feedback and corrections, if needed.

Your language tutors also provide assignments upon requests. When I wanted to review grammar, my Korean teacher sent related quizzes and assignments. Thus, you are not only limited to the auto-generated assignments.

Every weekend, I review by re-reading those written sentences. It helps me remember sentence structures, grammar points, and vocabulary to apply in real-world contexts.

Furthermore, I can track my progress with language portfolios every trimester. It’s like a midterm exam that tests my listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills.

Get Your Own Personal Language Teacher!

A woman teaching pronunciation in a classroom

My language teachers cater to my goals with personalized and achievable learning programs. The tangible support of my online language teachers makes it evident that we share common goals.

Once I share a short-term or long-term goal with my teacher, we establish a plan or pathway that will ultimately result in success. I coordinate with my teachers regularly to ensure the personalized learning programs are prosperous. For example, during my JLPT studies, my Japanese language tutor assigned me practice tests.

Your language tutor is available for outside help as well. When I bought drama CDs in Japan, I had difficulty transliterating the dialogue. My Japanese teacher forwarded me the script to read along as I listened.

Additionally, I often practice Korean and Japanese with music. I memorize one line of the lyrics daily. Every time, I learn a new grammar point and new vocabulary. I add the vocabulary to my SRS flashcards, locate the grammar in the Grammar Bank, and study the associated lessons online.

I send my teachers the name of the songs, making them aware of my new goal. One time, my song for Korean was “If You Do” by GOT7. My Korean teacher revealed that she was a huge fan of GOT7 like me! For Japanese, it was “CHA-LA HEAD-CHA-LA,” also known as the Dragonball Z theme song. My Japanese teacher excitedly told me that she sang the song a lot as a kid!

A remarkable thing happened to me in South Korea. I was stressed about opening a bank account with limited Korean. I sought help from my Korean teacher. She forwarded me a script of a bank conversation.

After two days, I visited the local bank. It all started with my opening sentence:

은행 계좌를 만들고 싶어요

eunhaeng gyejwaleul mandeulgo sip-eoyo.

I want to open a bank account.

Everything went smoothly, and I exited the bank with a new account!

The MyTeacher Messenger allows me to share visuals with my teachers for regular interaction, including videos to critique my pronunciation mechanisms. I improve my listening and speaking skills by exchanging audio with my teachers. In addition to my written homework assignments, I exchange messages with my language teachers in my target language. This connection with my teachers enables me to experience the culture as well as the language.

Why You Should Subscribe to Premium PLUS

It’s impossible for me to imagine my continuous progress with Japanese and Korean without Premium PLUS. Everything—from the SRS flashcards to my language teachers—makes learning languages enjoyable and clear-cut.

You’re assured to undergo the same experience with Premium PLUS. You’ll gain access to the aforementioned features as well as all of the Premium features.

Complete lessons and assignments to advance in your target language. Increase your vocabulary with the “2000 Core Word List” for that language and SRS flashcards. Learn on-the-go with the Innovative Language app and/or Podcasts app for iOS users.

Learning a new language takes dedication and commitment. The Premium PLUS features make learning irresistibly exciting. You’ll look forward to learning daily with your language tutor.

As of right now, your challenge is to subscribe to Premium PLUS! Complete your assessment, and meet your new Chinese teacher.

Have fun learning your target language in the fastest and easiest way!

Subscribe to Posted by ChineseClass101.com in Chinese Language, Chinese Online, Feature Spotlight, Learn Chinese, Site Features, Team ChineseClass101

Your Learning, Streamlined – The New Lesson Interface

Click Here to Get Your All Access Pass at ChineseClass101

Your Learning, Streamlined – The New Lesson Interface

Your learning is about to get a whole lot easier.

More than ever, learners are choosing mobile as the platform to study Chinese. Mobile has always been a part of our DNA. We began our life on your iPod, and have remained by your side ever since.

In our 11th year, we’re returning to our roots as a way to learn Chinese on-the-go. How? With a brand-new lesson interface just for you.

Hint: It will launch in beta later this month!

If you want to secure access to this brand new upgrade, take advantage of the upcoming All Access Pass Sale! Click Here to Get 25% OFF All ChineseClass101 Subscriptions!

(example taken from japanesepod101.com)

It’s built from the ground-up to be a great experience on your phone, tablet, and computer.

You don’t have to compromise anymore.

Take the whole lesson experience with you wherever you go.

Our lessons are the heart of our learning system and now they’re the heart of the interface as well. Just tap the big play button to start learning right away.

(example taken from japanesepod101.com)

As you scroll through the lesson contents, the player sticks with you at the bottom of your screen.

Pause, rewind or adjust your speed and volume without losing your place.

(example taken from japanesepod101.com)

Navigation is also just a tap away.

Quickly jump to the dialogue, vocabulary, or lesson notes with our new lesson navigation bar. Available at the top of your screen wherever you are.

(example taken from japanesepod101.com)

And for the first time ever, you don’t need to download a PDF or jump between tabs to read the lesson notes and transcript. Read it all on your mobile browser as you listen.

(example taken from japanesepod101.com)

There are many more small improvements but the end result is this: a drastically improved lesson experience on mobile and desktop.

Spend less time squinting at your screen and more time reaching your Chinese goals.

The new lesson interface will launch in beta this month.

We can’t wait to hear what you think. Keep on studying!

Sneak peek! And if you take advantage of our upcoming 25% OFF All Access Pass Sale, you secure full access to this new update! You unlock our complete Chinese learning program – ALL Audio/Video Courses from Beginner to Advanced, Premium Study Tools, Bonus Apps and much more!

Click Here to Get 25% OFF All Plans until March 31st, 2017.

To your fluency,

Team ChineseClass101

P.S. Get 25% OFF ANY Plan! Master Chinese with YOUR All-Access Pass!

Want to learn Chinese fast with an ALL-ACCESS PASS to our entire learning system? Get 25% OFF Basic, Premium and Premium PLUS and unlock ALL audio/video lessons, study tools and exclusive apps that you’ll ever need. And with Premium PLUS, you get your own teacher! Just $3 a month & up to $137 in savings. Ends March 31st, 2017.

Get Your Chinese All-Access Pass! Click here to get 25% OFF ALL Plans!

New Feature! Stay Motivated With Personal Study Stats from My Report

Hello Listeners,

There’s a brand new feature out! But first, here’s a question…

How long have you been actively studying Chinese?

Why do we ask? Well, Einstein once said… “It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer.”

While most people quit, the smarter ones (or the stubborn ones) stick with Chinese long enough to break through and see progress.

And if you think about it, time and effort are the two things that’ll ultimately dictate how far your Chinese will go. Look at it like this…

  • Anyone with bigger muscles – they’ve spent more time at the gym than most.
  • Anyone that’s a great artist – they’ve spent more time on their craft.
  • Anyone that knows a ton of Chinese words – they’ve spent more time on picking up new vocabulary.
  • And anyone that’s a great Chinese speaker – they’ve spent more time speaking Chinese.

It’s all about time and effort.

And that’s why you can now track your time and effort at ChineseClass101 with a brand new feature, My Report. You can find it in “My Account” in the upper right corner of the ChineseClass101 site. Or, just click here to log in and access it!

Click here to access My Report!

Here’s what you need to know: My Report tracks your personal study stats, like…

  • Total Time Studied
  • Flashcards Studied
  • Lessons Completed

…and gives you the overall totals and breakdowns on a monthly and daily basis. That way, you’ll know exactly how much time and effort you need to put in.

Here are some cool things you can do with this:

1. Set small, achievable goals! Why? They’re easy! Achieving goals is motivating. And once you knock one out, just set a new one and start building progress over time!

  • Study 10 flashcards and 10 lessons a day.
  • Study for 30 minutes a day.
  • 30 hours of time spent on lessons as a monthly goal.
  • 50 lessons completed as a monthly goal.
  • 200 flashcards studied as a monthly goal.

2. Get an overview of your effort. Sometimes, you just need to step back and see the big picture for a motivation boost. How long have you been been studying Chinese? And how much effort have you put in?

3. Adjust your learning routines. Feel like you’re not making enough progress? Take a look at how much time you’ve spent! If your current routine isn’t working out for you, spend more time and study more lessons.

And most importantly, use it to track your time and effort. These are the 2 things that’ll dictate your Chinese learning success. As Einstein said, “It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer.”

Let us know what you think of this new feature! You can find My Report in “My Account” in the upper right corner of ChineseClass101, or just click the link below.

Click here to access My Report!

Thanks for reading!
Team ChineseClass101

P.S. Unlock the complete ChineseClass101 learning system at 20% OFF with this special discount. Start speaking Chinese from your first lesson. You get over 180 hours of audio & video lessons from real teachers. That’s not all. Get instant access to in-depth Lesson Notes, Exclusive Apps, Premium Study Tools and Smart Progress Tracking Software to ensure your success!

Click here to learn Chinese with Premium at 20% OFF!

Learn Chinese Faster with Our NEW, Redesigned Vocabulary Lists!

Hello Listeners!

If you want to become better at speaking, writing and understanding Chinese, you NEED to know more words. (We’re sorry listeners, there’s no way around it!)

If you want to learn vocabulary fast, you must be able to read and understand it instantly!

That’s why we’ve redesigned our vocabulary lists to help you learn faster (and make your eyeballs happy too). All it takes is a few minutes to review a list. And the result? You know more Chinese. But, let’s get into what’s new with your Chinese Vocabulary Lists!

Click here to see the new design and learn more vocabulary!

Click Here to see the new Vocabulary Lists!

Pretty spiffy, right?

With bigger text, more space, a shiny new font and the ability to zoom in on words and look up their definitions, this is a brand new tool that you won’t mind staring at for hours (but with our new feature improvements, you won’t need to!).

Plus, Slideshow View is available FREE to all users! Learn visually and with audio as you review the words in a slideshow. This is a new addition to the word lists!

Click here to see the new design and learn more vocabulary!

Your vocabulary lists now come with:

  • NEW! Layout Design with improved look
  • NEW! Slideshow Vocabulary View
  • NEW! Bonus Audio Lesson for the Words (Play Audio)
  • ‘One Click Send’ to My Word Bank (Premium Users Only)
  • ‘One Click Send’ to My Flashcards (Premium Users Only)
  • Toggle Grid View/List View
  • Romanized Words – View ON/OFF
  • Word List – Audio Preview
  • Popup Dictionary – Words/Phrases

No more straining your eyes, no more wasted time. Your new Vocabulary Lists let you control how much you learn and how quickly.

Premium Users: Want to remember these words forever? Add them to your Word Bank with one click for later review. Or instantly send a word or the entire list to your Flashcards deck to master it all.

And if you’re not a Premium user, here’s a quick 20% OFF that unlocks those features plus our entire Chinese learning system. That’s over 160 hours of audio and video lessons, lesson notes, premium study tools, exclusive apps and more!

Click here to unlock Premium and save 20% at ChineseClass101!

To your fluency,

Team ChineseClass101

P.S. Want to go Premium AND get our entire Chinese learning system?
Take advantage of this quick 20% OFF and get unlimited ChineseClass101 access. All lessons, all lesson notes, exclusive apps, study tools – they’re all yours. Upgrade now and start speaking Chinese from the very first lesson.

Click here to learn Chinese at 20% OFF with unlimited Premium access!

Introducing the New ChineseClass101.com Dashboard!

Greetings from Team ChineseClass101!

We’re stopping by the blog today to tell you about an exciting new feature we’re slowly rolling out on the website. A few select users have been chosen to test drive the new Dashboard feature.

Log in to your account today to see if you’re one of them!

The new Dashboard aims to help you track your Chinese learning quickly and easily. We’ve produced a lot of lessons in our lifetime and while we pride ourselves on offering a wide variety of lessons to our users, we realized that it can been pretty overwhelming for some.

Where do I start? What level is best for me? What series do I move on to now?

These were common questions coming in from avid users like you, so we set out to solve these commonly asked questions, and the Dashboard was born!

We’ll of course continue to listen to our fans and tweak the Dashboard to provide the very best experience for everyone. If you have questions or feedback for us, send us an email here.

To help you get started, here are a few of the big changes:

  • Dashboard Home: The dashboard is now your homebase at ChineseClass101. Anything you need to know about your account and learning progress can be found right here. You’ll see:
    • Your learning progress
    • Recommended lesson alert
    • Your learning profile
    • Account information
    • Quick links to useful tools
  • My Courses: For any series, when you check a lesson complete, your progress will be updated on the Dashboard.
  • New Lesson Recommendation: To help new members get started quicker, we’ve created a recommended learning curriculum based on your level. These series were chosen by our teachers as the the best way to start with ChineseClass101.com.
  • ChineseClass101.com News: Be sure to check the news each time you log in for feature updates, amazing deals and more!
  • Quick Links: Of course, there’s more to our website than just the Dashboard. We’ve compiled a list of quick links to help you get to helpful site tools like Flashcards, My Word Bank and the Browse Lessons list.
  • Footer: Finally, we gave a facelift to our site footer because…well, we just felt like it! Just like before, you can learn all about ChineseClass101.com and parent company InnovativeLanguage.com from the links in our footer.
  • We hope you enjoy the brand new Dashboard! Stay tuned for more tweaks and updates to the site and head over to ChineseClass101.com to test out the new Dashboard beta.

    The Secret Behind Successfully Learning Chinese Effortlessly

    How to Really Learn Chinese in Just Minutes a Day and Stick with it

    Get an Instant 10% OFF with coupon code FF2009 for a limited time.

    The Myth

    What if I told you mastering Italian wasn’t that hard. That actually learning the language itself is not nearly as difficult as you may have heard. And that the problem to progressing is an age old one…failure to execute.

    The Real Issue

    Said another way, “People don’t progress ’cause they don’t do! If you don’t do the work, you won’t reach your goals.”

    Read the rest of this post »

    Learn Chinese Direct from Beijing with ChineseClass101.com

    Dear Chinese Students,

    Today we’re pleased to announce the launch of ChineseClass101.com. This is a joint project between Popup Chinese and the folks at Innovative Language Learning.

    If you’re familiar with the Innovative Language approach to teaching, you’ll know the strength of their materials has always been tight, step-by-step progressive lessons for beginners. At Popup Chinese, we’ve historically geared our materials towards more advanced students, so when we had the chance to cooperate with the Innovative team and work together to build something that could take advantage of the powerful system they’ve already built we leapt at the chance, and began work designing a focused and stepwise program for Mandarin instruction.

    Although a few hints leaked out (*ahem*), for the past few months we’ve worked somewhat stealthily to build the best team possible for the task. You’ll find our progressive beginner lessons hosted by none other than the famous Frank Fradella. Other big names on our roster are Amber Scorah and of course everyone on our existing team like Echo Yao and Brendan O’Kane. This is a great team and I can say with confidence I’ve never worked with a stronger one. With more than 100 lessons on the new site, our content is off to a good start too. As Frank said once after a marathon recording session, “our first twenty lessons here teach more than I learned in a whole year studying elsewhere.”

    We think this is a great step forward and look forward to hearing your feedback and thoughts as well. It is definitely a major step forward for Chinese language education online. There’s never been a better time to learn Chinese, or a better way to learn it online. Regardless of whether you’re an advanced independent learner or a total newbie, we hope you’ll enjoy the work we’ll be doing both here and at ChineseClass101. Thanks for your support, and 加油 everyone!

    Best from Beijing,

    David Lancashire

    Best from New York,

    Amber Scorah