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Category Archives: zhonglish

Soundbites: is it easier for Zhonglish speakers?

… easier for Zhonglish speakers to understand the accents of wàidìrén (外地人 = Chinese from outside the big city), that is. The hypothesis would be something like this:
Since the first thing to vary in non-Beijing Mandarin is often the tone on a word [unsubstantiated impression -- it would be cool to know of an actual [...]

Posted 17 October 2009 † syz § BJS Daily § tones § wàidìrén ‡ Comments (6) °

Schadenfreude for Zhonglish speakers

On cultivating a lose-lose personality

With the exception of a few savants, Zhonglish speakers the world round find certain aspects of their non-native language to be exceedingly difficult, at least to the point of exasperation and sometimes to the point of bitter resentment that threatens to boil over into full Monty second-language rage. Maybe you ran [...]

Posted 24 July 2009 † syz § counting words ‡ Comments (23) °

Zhonglish for two-year-olds

On how English messes with even the kids’ Mandarin

After months of exile in Minneapolis, Siberia, the nominal proprietor of Beijing Sounds now has concrete plans to return to the main studio location in beautiful suburban Shàngdì in the northwest outskirts of the capital city. The mood surrounding this semi-permanent move, to take place around the [...]

Posted 25 January 2009 † syz § linguistics § music § personal § recipes § society § street § teacher § tones § wàidìrén ‡ Comments (7) °

The Onion in… Zhonglish?!

On maintaining political correctness when other people’s languages still sound funny

New Mexico, USA — Christmas, 1978. In the wrapping paper-strewn living room of grandma’s house, after the midday dinner, the adults are engaged in the safe banter of nostalgia, the children, including nine-year-old syz, engrossed in the newly acquired toys, tools and trinkets.
There is no [...]

Posted 22 December 2008 † syz § linguistics § tones § youtube ‡ Comments (7) °

Statistical analysis: Zhonglish-Chinglish conference a success

On how to give away T-shirts, a taxicab Tāngr-Tāng recap with a bit of Zhonglish, and the bonus: a groundbreaking announcement for the 2009 conference

Posted 30 November 2008 † syz § beijing-r § běijīnghuà § personal § tones § érhuàyīn ‡ Comments (8) °

Obama, Zhonglish, greater Manchuria — a sinister connection?

In this Beijing Sounds exclusive, we build on the story that Obama campaign computers had been compromised by “Russian or Chinese” hackers back in August.
We need to ask ourselves: might they have been invited in?

Posted 09 November 2008 † syz § ‡ Comments (5) °

Instant Zhonglish improvement — guaranteed

[ADVERTISEMENT: don't forget to consider the Zhonglish / Chinglish conference on Nov 17 -- still haven't heard from some of you three regular readers]
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Life is like a karaoke club — you always think you sound a bit better than you really do.
A karaoke club is like life — you can get away with a lot [...]

Posted 01 November 2008 † syz § Chao Yuen Ren 赵元任 Zhào Yuánrèn § beijing-r ‡ Comments (7) °

Mandarin Study Programs?

On YU Alternatives — anyone have recommendations?

Here’s a bit of the guest lecture today at YU:

Posted 14 October 2008 † syz § Yuèmǔ U. § tones ‡ Comments (34) °