SLV | Episode 14 | 聊斋志异 and the Chinese Ghost Story and Why am I STILL in China?!
Steven's Language Vlog Podcast
Release Date: 11/04/2024
SLV | Episode 69 | Coming Home, Jet Lag, What's it Like? And the Cost of Living Between Two Countries
Steven's Language Vlog Podcast
Episode 69! We take a look at what it's like to fly long haul from Beijing to Vancouver, including some of the issues that can happen along the way. Next, once landed, what's it like to acclimatize to new surroundings? Is it easy? And how do you beat jet lag... is it even possible? And what are the plans for the next few months? Is it back to China or to stay in Canada? --- Check out our IELTS Top 10 Don't forget to join our newsletter as we send out useful tips and resources every week: Keep in touch! Join our newsletter: --- Comments? Questions? Concerns? Suggestions? Get in...
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SLV | Episode 68 | I failed my students!
Steven's Language Vlog Podcast
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 much can you prepare for a class? --- DOWNLOAD IELTS Top 10 TIPS Don't forget to join our newsletter as we send out useful tips and resources every week: Keep in touch! Join our newsletter: --- Comments? Questions? Concerns? Suggestions? Get in touch: Contact: --- And support the show! Membership program: --- Time stamps:...
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SLV | Episode 67 | Why can I pass exams but fail in real life?
Steven's Language Vlog Podcast
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 when trying to speak for real. What gives? We'll look at some of the possible reasons for this occurence and what to do about it. Further, we take a look what makes a person FLUENT in a language. Is it the ability to handle any situation with any skill (reading/writing, listening/speaking), or is it something simpler, such as being able to...
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SLV | Episode 66 | Does subject-specific language learning work?
Steven's Language Vlog Podcast
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 general in nature, that is, they don't focus on any ONE topic, opting, instead, for a more broader apporach to a variety of topics. But is this better than focusing in on one subject? If you wanted to learn another language, is it better to pursue a subject you enjoy rather than use a broad-based APP or textbook? Based on real-world experience, both...
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SLV | Episode 65 | Do children's books help adults learn another language?
Steven's Language Vlog Podcast
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 read? Some materials made for older language learners are too difficult and so students are often guided to pick up a children's book in the language they are studying. But is this a good idea? From the advantages of building vocabulary and grammar structures to the disadvantages of relevance and, simply, what to do with the books once you're...
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SLV | Episode 64 | Who should decide what to teach in a class?
Steven's Language Vlog Podcast
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 students? The administration? In this episode, we explore the difference between what's fun, what's necessary, and what's boring but inevitable in language education. Drawing on experience teaching academic writing to 40+ students at a Chinese university, we look at how COVID-era online teaching has shaped current classroom dynamics—and why...
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SLV | Episode 63 | You're doing it wrong! Does all education need to be gamified?
Steven's Language Vlog Podcast
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 classroom. All good in theory, but this is a university class of 40 students... for academic writing. This follows a comment by one of my students that I'm one of only teachers that walks around the classroom, the rest of their teachers (professors) just stand at the front and talk from a PPT. This got me thinking: does all education have to be...
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SLV | Episode 62 | Chinese Ghose Stories
Steven's Language Vlog Podcast
Episode 62! Liaozhai ZhiYi and the Chinese ghost story. Strangles Tales as told through the centuries, what are they, who are they about and where can you find them? And how much Chinese do you need to know to read them? Translated as “Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio” and was written / compiled by Pu Songlin, a government official back in the late 1600s and early 1700s, during the Qing dynasty. Usually deals with ghosts or apparitions, or even shapeshifters (usually snakes or foxes). Most seem to be stories about ghosts, especially female ghosts, who...
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SLV | Episode 61 | Why did I come to China?
Steven's Language Vlog Podcast
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 much language do you need to learn to live in another country? Do you need to live there to become fluent? Membership program: Contact: Keep in touch! Join our newsletter: Time stamps: 00:00 Introduction and Welcome 00:45 Podcast Background and Evolution 01:27 Challenges and Changes in Podcasting 02:14 Transition to YouTube and...
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SLV | Episode 60 | The Beijing Autumn, University Citations, Visiting Tiananmen, and How Much Chinese Do You Need to Know?
Steven's Language Vlog Podcast
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 Beijing, China? How do you get there? What do you need to do? What do you do there? And how long should you stay? How much Chinese do you need to survive in the country? The expectation and the reality of life in another country. And why did I come to China in the first place? The answer may surprise you! Membership program: Contact: Keep in...
info_outlineThis week's episode covers a well-known collection of short stories from the 1600 to 1700s, 聊斋志异, LiaoZhaiZhiYi, by Pu Songling. We just released a video about this on our YouTube channel and in this week's podcast episode we discuss what the collection is and why it's significant. Furthermore, we include a bonus audiobook at the end of this week's podcast which you can download for free over on our Buy Me A Coffee website (https://buymeacoffee.com/stevenslanguagevlog/e/325755).
Next, we discuss a little about how our language study sessions are going, including what I'm currently reading in Russian (The DaVinci Code). I also mention how important it is to maintain good habits in our language studies and the challenges therein.
We also talk a little about the recent comments on a video we posted on YouTube. The video, titled "Why am I STILL in China?!" dicusses some of the reasons why I, Steve, came to China in the first place and what has kept me here for so long. The video has garnered a bit of attention to date and has prompted several responses. Both in this week's newsletter and podcast, I cover some of those responses.
Finally, we cover the progres on the book we're working on right now to (hopefully) be released by the end of the year!
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Time stamps:
00:00 Introduction and Welcome
00:28 Overview of the Language Vlog Podcast
00:47 YouTube Channel and Live Streams
03:06 Challenges and Internet Issues
03:57 Halloween in China
04:51 Support the Podcast
05:19 Chinese Literature Project
08:37 Reading and Translating Chinese Stories
12:19 Russian Language Studies
17:42 Engaging with Viewers
24:48 Upcoming Book Project
29:16 Audiobook Experiment
33:05 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
33.30 Lian Xiang Audiobook