5 Minute Chinese 五分钟中‪文‬ The Lone Mandarin Teacher

In this episode of "Five Minutes Chinese," I share the excitement and significance of prom night, a cherished tradition for American high school students. I recount my experience of volunteering at our school's prom, from the meticulous preparations to the elegant attire and the joyous atmosphere created by photographers and DJs. I also reveal the heartfelt story behind my special yellow dress, a gift from my students, marking our seven-year journey from middle school to graduation. As I reflect on their growth and bid them farewell, I express both nostalgia and optimism for their bright futures. 

Due to space constraints, I'm unable to include the transcript here. However, if you'd like a copy, please feel free to email me, and I'll happily send it your way. Additionally, if you have any questions or comments, don't hesitate to reach out. Wishing you all a fantastic day!
Support the show
It's truly an honor that my podcast can provide help and value to you. Your support and engagement mean the world to me. If you like 5 Minute Chinese, please help me by subscribing, liking, and sharing the show so that it can help more people. Thank you for your support. If you have any questions, you can email me at TheLoneMandarinTeacher@outlook.com.

In this episode of "5 Minutes Chinese," I delve into the captivating topic of solar eclipses, known as 日食 (rì shí) in Chinese. I recently witnessed a partial solar eclipse on April 8th here in the United States, and I share insights into the scientific principle behind these phenomena. While some regions enjoyed a total eclipse, my East Coast location only saw a partial eclipse, called 日偏食 (rì piān shí). Despite this, I share my excitement and attempts to photograph the event. Reflecting on the rarity of eclipses, occurring once every couple of decades, I invite you to share your own eclipse experiences if you have one. 

Due to space constraints, I'm unable to include the transcript here. However, if you'd like a copy, please feel free to email me, and I'll happily send it your way. Additionally, if you have any questions or comments, don't hesitate to reach out. Wishing you all a fantastic day!


Support the show
It's truly an honor that my podcast can provide help and value to you. Your support and engagement mean the world to me. If you like 5 Minute Chinese, please help me by subscribing, liking, and sharing the show so that it can help more people. Thank you for your support. If you have any questions, you can email me at TheLoneMandarinTeacher@outlook.com.

Hi everyone! Today's episode delves into the significance of March 15th in China, designated as Consumer Rights Day. It aims to heighten awareness about consumer protection, shedding light on issues like deceptive marketing, subpar product quality, and exorbitant pricing. This year's examples range from the sale of inferior food products to overpriced items with false health claims. It reminds consumers to stay vigilant, understand their rights, and report any violations. Despite regulatory efforts, loopholes persist. There is always a need for ongoing consumer education and awareness. 

Thank you for tuning in! Due to space constraints, I'm unable to include the transcript here. However, if you'd like a copy, please feel free to email me, and I'll happily send it your way. Additionally, if you have any questions or comments, don't hesitate to reach out. Wishing you all a fantastic day!

It's truly an honor to know that my podcast can provide help and value to you. Your support and engagement mean the world to me. If there's anything specific you'd like to hear more about or any topics you think would be beneficial, please don't hesitate to reach out. Thank you for being part of this journey with me!
Support the show
It's truly an honor that my podcast can provide help and value to you. Your support and engagement mean the world to me. If you like 5 Minute Chinese, please help me by subscribing, liking, and sharing the show so that it can help more people. Thank you for your support. If you have any questions, you can email me at TheLoneMandarinTeacher@outlook.com.

Hello everyone, welcome to the latest episode of "5 Minute Mandarin." Today, I want to chat with you about my experiences with driving in the United States. As you may know, having a car is essential in most parts of the US, unlike in China where I never felt the need to drive. Upon moving to the US, I relied on public transportation and walking, as my first city had good infrastructure for both. However, when I found a job in a smaller town, owning a car became necessary. So, I decided to learn to drive, bought a used Toyota Camry, and practiced with friends and instructors. After some preparation, I took the driving test and passed, although there was a small mishap where I accidentally drove my car into a ditch. Luckily, kind locals helped me out, and I made it to my exam on time. This experience left me grateful for the generosity of others and taught me the importance of community support. 

Hope you like my story. Due to the length of the passage, please email me if you would like a transcript of this episode. If you have any questions or comments, please don't hesitate to contact me. 

Wish everyone a very nice day!
Support the show
It's truly an honor that my podcast can provide help and value to you. Your support and engagement mean the world to me. If you like 5 Minute Chinese, please help me by subscribing, liking, and sharing the show so that it can help more people. Thank you for your support. If you have any questions, you can email me at TheLoneMandarinTeacher@outlook.com.

Hello everyone! Happy Lunar New Year! In today's podcast I talk about Lunar New Year celebratory activities at school. We went on a field trip on Tuesday, including a hotpot buffet meal and a visit to the Asian supermarket next door. We also did various other activities such as Chinese paper cutting and a "Cake Day" on Friday, where students brought cakes to celebrate. I also share my own Lunar New Year traditions, including wearing red, especially because it's my zodiac year. If you celebrate, I wish you a prosperous Year of the Dragon! 
Script and useful expressions below. I noticed that on some podcast platforms, this is not fully displayed. Please feel free to email me for script or questions!

大家好，欢迎收听新一期的5分钟中文。今天是大年初一。我想先在这里给庆祝农历新年的朋友们拜一个年：祝大家龙年吉祥，生龙活虎，身体健康，万事如意！

那这个星期我在我的学校也跟同学们进行了各种各样的活动。比如说星期二我们一起去旁边的大城市做了一个Field trip。就是先去了一个火锅店吃了火锅自助。吃完了以后呢，我们正好就走到旁边的亚洲超市逛了很长时间。去年我们也是一样的行程，但是去年的时间我安排的有一点紧。吸取了去年的经验教训之后呢，今年我安排时间安排得正好。我觉得大家都玩得很开心，时间正好够。然后回来差不多是6:00。跟我想的每个时间点都是一样的，所以我也特别的骄傲，我觉得明年也可以这么玩。大家吃喝玩乐特别开心。

然后我们在星期三、四、五也有不同的活动。比如说，我们有中国的剪纸。我从中国的淘宝买了一些剪纸，然后学生每个人就用他们的手机扫描二维码，它的剪纸上面有教学的视频，所以他们就可以一边看一边剪。然后很多人都没有剪过中国剪纸。不管是简单的还是容易的（口误：难的），大家剪得都很认真，玩得很开心！剪完了之后，有的学生带回家，学生就想让我放在教室。所以我把学生剪的十二生肖啊，春字啊，还有龙啊、福啊，等等都贴在了教室不同的地方。

星期五我们还有一个新的创意，就是cake day，就是蛋糕日。因为有个学生说我们怎么庆祝呢？我要不带一个蛋糕吧？我说中国新年蛋糕并不吃蛋糕。，但是为什么不呢？就可以是我们自己的中文课的传统。所以我有三个学生，不管是自己做的还是买的，带了三个蛋糕。然后我们一起吃了一天的蛋糕。我吃了特别多，导致我晚上都没有吃饭，因为吃了太多的东西了。

学生问我我自己会怎么过春节呢？因为今年是我的本命年。我是属龙的。所以呢，传统上说我应该更注意穿红色，所以我今天一起来就换上红色的睡衣，红色的睡裤，然后这样的话好像是比较吉利。因为本命年嘛，大家要多注意。虽然这是一个迷信，但是我觉得穿红色很好看呀！因为红色是在中国文化里很喜庆、很欢乐的颜色。然后除了穿红色，我觉得大部分中国人一般就是全家在一起吃团圆饭。团圆饭大家可能见过。中国家庭的餐桌，就是有鱼有肉，如果是北方的话，一般会有饺子。反正是一桌，大家围在一起有说有笑，一边吃一边聊天，看春晚，我觉得是一个一年中很美好的时候！

那今天就跟大家聊到这里，如果你庆祝农历新年在这里，再次祝你龙年行大运，感谢您的收听，我们下期再见！
大年初一 (dà nián chū yī) - Chinese New Year's Day吉祥如意 (jí xiáng rú yì) - Good luck and happiness经验教训 (jīng yàn jiào xùn) - Experience and lessons learned自助 (zì zhù) - Self-service二维码 (èr wéi mǎ) - QR code传统 (chuán tǒng) - Tradition; Traditional团圆饭 (tuán yuán fàn) - Reunion dinner

Hello everyone! In this episode I discuss the difficulty of learning Chinese compared to other languages, using the Foreign Service Institute's categorization. It classifies languages into four levels of difficulty for English speakers. Chinese is considered a "super-hard language," requiring approximately 88 weeks (2200 class hours) to achieve general professional fluency. By comparison, Spanish requires 30 weeks (750 class hours). 

While the ease of learning a language can be influenced by one's native tongue, mastering any language, including both easier and harder ones, is always a challenging endeavor, requiring consistent effort and dedication in language learning. As long as we work hard, we will definitely see results!

Hope you enjoy this episode. You can find the script  below. Let me know if you have any questions or suggestions. Have a great day!


大家好! 欢迎大家收听新一期的5分钟中文。今天想跟大家聊了话题是中文到底有多难呢？今天跟学生聊，我们已经学了多少东西的时候，学生就说：“西班牙语的学生学了很多。感觉我们已经学了一年多了，应该会说更多的东西。”我说：“我们学了一年多了。而且我们进步很大。但是呢，你不能跟很多像西班牙语这样的语言比。因为中文虽然说它有简单的地方，但是总体来说他是一个比较难的语言。”然后我就跟学生讲了一下美国国务院外交学院（就是他们的Foreign Service Institute）他们把各种的语言，根据母语为英语的学习者为基础，把他们的难易程度分为了不同的类别。一共呢，就有四级。


第一级的语言呢，就是category 1。就是比较容易的，你如果想达到一般的、流利的程度，他叫general professional的这个程度，差不多需要24到30周，也就是差不多600到750个课时。然后原因呢，就是像法语啊、意大利语啊、西班牙语。这些语言，他们在语法词汇上都和英语更相似。而且他们学起来好像发音上也比较容易模仿。


第二级的语言呢就需要的时间长一点，差不多需要36周，也就是差不多900个课时。那这个二级语言比一级的语言要难一点，更有挑战性。比如说，二级语言里有德语、印尼语、马来语等等。就是他们稍微难一点儿。对于母语为英语的学习者来说更有挑战性。


然后下一级就是第三级。就是更难！那这些就被认为是hard languages，就是比较困难的语言了。那这些语言呢和英语有着比较明显的语言上或者文化上的差异。比如说波斯语、希伯来语、还有缅甸语、波兰语啊、俄语啊。就是很多语言，他们跟英语的差别比较大。所以比如说，我知道越南语好像比中国的中文的声调还要多。就他好像是有六个tones/声调。我对这些语言了解不多。但是这些呢，对于英语为母语的学习者来说，差不多需要44周也就是1100个课时，才能基本有一定的熟练程度。


然后最难的呢，才是中文这种语言。就是属于超难的语言，就是super-hard languages。这些就是特别特别地具有挑战性。如果你的英语是母语的话，你如果想学习阿拉伯语，想学习中文、日语、韩语、就会非常的困难。你需要88周，差不多2200个课时，才能有一个基础的流利程度。


所以你想这四级：从一级差不多西班牙语吧，是30周可以达到一个基本的流利程度。到中文，你需要快90周才能达到一个基本的流利程度。那就相当于，如果按美国的外交学院的这个标准来看，中文要比西班牙语难三倍。就是根据他的时间上来看，你需要用三倍的时间才能达到同样的一个语言的学习的程度。


那当然了，这里说的都是以母语为英语的学习者为基础的。所以有的时候呢，你会发现中国人他学日语或者