Episode 68! Just in time for the holidays and the end of the semester, we take a look at the semester that was, and the year that was, at the university level here in China. What went wrong? What went right? What could we do better? And just how muc...
Episode SIX SEVEN! We promise we won't even touch on that... in this episode. Instead, it's exam time and the students are struggling, not just to find the energy to keep going, but to understand why they can do so well in an exam only to break down...
Episode 66! In this episode we discuss the effectiveness of subject-specific language learning. Does it work better than a more generalized approach to learning a language? Many language learning APPs and books as well as many language classes are ge...
Episode 65! In this episode we discuss the pros and cons of using children's books to learn another language as an adult. No doubt you've heard from others that you need to read a lot in order to build up your vocabulary, but what are you supposed to...
Episode 64! Who Gets to Choose What's Worth Learning? As Beijing's weather turns colder, we tackle a fundamental question that emerged from a recent university class: Who should decide what students study in a language classroom? The teacher? The s...
Episode 63! Recorded at the end of October, this episode reflects on how the semester is going, especially given a recent exchange with my manager. In brief, two suggestions: Plays games with the students Move the students to the front of the classr...
Episode 62! Liaozhai ZhiYi and the Chinese ghost story. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strange_Tales_from_a_Chinese_Studio Strangles Tales as told through the centuries, what are they, who are they about and where can you find them? And how much...
Episode 61! Answering the question: Why did I come to China? (Part 2) Was it because of a job? The money? A girl? What are some things to think about if YOU want to move overseas? Do you have to teach English or can you do something else? And how mu...
The Beijing autumn is in full swing! It's the most colourful time of the year! Citations, referencing and the idea of academic honesty. What are they? Why are they important? And do you do them properly? What's it like to visit Tiananmen Square in Be...
China's on its Golden Week break, seven days of no work… but two need to be made up. Why is it like this and what is there to do? Would you dare go anywhere if you know 10,000 other people were doing the same? Tiananmen, the Great Wall, or even Hangz...