Dr. Blair's Mandarin Chinese in No Time

De: Robert Blair

Narrado por: Robert Blair

You're a doctoral student studying forms of ocean life in the Yellow Sea when you get an unexpected call from the State Department. Suddenly, it's up to you to save a priceless Chinese art treasure from pirates, and success will depend on your ability to learn enough Mandarin Chinese to complete your mission....

Who says that learning a language can't be fun? Dr. Blair's Mandarin Chinese in No Time will get you speaking Mandarin Chinese more quickly and enjoyably than you ever thought possible. With Dr. Blair's Mandarin Chinese in No Time, you will:

Immediately learn Mandarin Chinese that you can use in real situations

Learn the practical applications you need

Master easy and effective memory tricks

Whether you're a businessperson, student, or traveler, whether you're brushing up on a forgotten language or just interested in learning a new one, Dr. Blair's Mandarin Chinese in No Time teaches you the skills you need at the pace you want, jump-starting your study with a variety of methods that keep the experience fun, fresh, and motivating.

Why rely on old, out-dated techniques to learn a new language? Dr. Blair's Mandarin Chinese in No Time offers the up-to-the-minute advantages that you won't hear anywhere else!

©2005 Gildan Audio & Power-Glide (P)2005 Gildan Media Corp & Power-Glide 2005

fun and practical

I found these introductory lessons entertaining and a very easy way to learn chinese. There are alot of mnemonic devices used to help the words stick and there is a good balance of vocabulary with grammar. It's not a traveller's phrase book but there is more everyday conversational language. I agree with the other reviewers that the pirate story does not add much to the learning process but they never ask you "do you want to pet my tiger". I've gotten alot out of repeated listening.

ruined by non-native speakers

The fatal issue with this audiobook is the use of non-native speakers. One male voice in particular is very bad, getting tones wrong half the time. Another issue is the lack of a PDF file with the content, so you can't look things up or make flashcards. It is also not really long enough given the amount of material, so a beginner would need to listen to everything many times. There is also not a long enough gap between question and answer in the tests. On the plus side it is more entertaining than most things at this level. I'd say it is not for total beginners. If you know enough to recognize the bad pronunciation and already know some basics it is useful as a review.

A good program but...

I downloaded Dr. Blair's Mandarin Chinese and found this to be a good application in assisting with a very difficult language. It's worth a download if you are staring out in Mandarin but I could have done without the "pirate" story. I could have used more Mandarin phrases as opposed a story line that is frustrating to keep fast forwarding through. Regardless, I would recommend it.