ChinesePod - Intermediate
Episodes
Intermediate | Buying Batteries
19 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Since you are old enough now to buy a hard drink, you don't have much need to tap your tongue on a 9 volt battery to get a buzz anymore. However, ...
Upper-intermediate | Pregnancy Series 3: Prenatal Checkup
17 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Getting poked, prodded and scanned is all part of the birthin' process. Is your uterus in the right place? Are you eating enough? Learn all this a...
Intermediate | Flowers and Bugs
15 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
If the title of this lesson conjures up gory images of the tacky floral bedroom curtains so lovingly lent to you by your packrat landlord... or that c...
Upper-intermediate | Pregnancy Series 2: Pregnancy House Ar-rest
12 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When you're pregnant, the baby isn't the only one who can't go anywhere or do anything. Many Chinese families put all kinds of restriction...
Intermediate | Interviewing an Ayi
10 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This isn't just any job interview. You're not selecting a maid, or an assistant. You're interviewing your mother substitute. Will you cook...
Upper-intermediate | Pregnancy Series 1: Officially Pregnant
08 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
You're pregnant! In today's podcast, learn how to talk about maternity in Mandarin. If there's a steamed bun in your oven, this is the les...
Intermediate | Pageant Final Episode
05 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We would like to take this opportunity to thank all the corrupt judges, scandalous rumor mills, trashy tabloids, and catty girls that made this lesson...
Upper-intermediate | Dog Meat and Animal Rights
03 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In today's lesson we'll explore the controversial issue of eating dog meat in China. In today's podcast, learn how to hold your ground usi...
Intermediate | Beauty Pageant: It's a Mess
02 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When is a beauty pageant not a mess? All those bikinis, blow-dries, manicures, bleached teeth, body part enhancements. Ew. Our blogger finds out that ...
Upper-intermediate | Zombies!
29 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Who's that with the blank stare, shuffling feet, and unholy moan of frustration? Is it someone trying to learn Chinese without ChinesePod? Or is i...
Intermediate | Scandal in the Pageant
27 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Back on the beat of the Blogger's Beauty Pageant and the Edison Chen story is looking more and more banal by the day. This time, ironically, it ma...
Upper-intermediate | Finance Segment on TV
25 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In these troubled times, purchasing a Guided membership at ChinesePod is the best thing you can do with your money. Next best is stuffing a big wad of...
Intermediate | Behind the Scenes at the Beauty Pageant
22 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
After a loooong sabbatical during which some of the contestants were convalescing from some much-needed plastic surgical procedures, we welcome back o...
Upper-intermediate | Health Check
20 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What's up, doc? Today's Chinese lesson brings you to everyone's favorite hang-out: the doctor's office! You'll learn to use Chines...
Intermediate | Romance in the Beauty Pageant
18 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A room full of beautiful, brainy bloggers. It was only a matter of time. Romance hits the runways in this edition of our beauty pageant serial. Is it ...
Upper-intermediate | A Day at the Races
15 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
If horse racing is the Sport of Kings, gambling on horses must be the Sport of Emperors! Whether you come for the geldings, or just for the gin and ci...
Intermediate | Getting to Know the Beauty Pageant Judges
13 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today we revisit the intrigue of the Chinese beauty pageant world... Do we detect a whiff of corruption, bribery, and scandal brewing? Of course! What...
Upper-intermediate | Buying Jade
11 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
You figured your Chinese stocks were your ticket to riches, until they sank like stones. Speaking of stones, have you ever considered investing in jad...
Intermediate | Of Beauty Pageants and Plastic Surgery
08 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
So you signed up for that beauty pageant and naively thought that swimsuit competitions had been outlawed due to sexist issues? Not so... Listen to th...
Upper-intermediate | Lost in the Desert
06 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever wandered through a desert of suffering, with your tongue so dry that you could barely speak? Have you ever wished that some kind soul wo...
Intermediate | Beauty Pageant Registration
04 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Since gracing China with your presence you may be starting to suspect you’re getting better looking by the day: those double-eyelids, that great ski...
Upper-intermediate | Insurance Insanity
01 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Nothing is certain but death and taxes. And also, the power of learning Mandarin with ChinesePod. For all the other uncertainties, take out some insur...
Intermediate | Beauty Pageant for Bloggers
29 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Beauty' and 'bloggers' may not seem a likely recipe for an eye-pleasing swimsuit competition. But in the new internet age, worlds meld. In...
Upper-intermediate | Personal Trainer
28 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
You look like a Tang beauty, but your ideal is more like Bruce Lee. Time to hit the gym with a personal trainer. Today's podcast will teach you th...
Intermediate | Study Abroad
24 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Studying abroad: glamorous, exciting, and culturally stimulating, all wrapped up in one ball. That is, till you found yourself living in the backwater...
Upper-intermediate | The Good Husband
22 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It's not easy to be the rice-winner. The boss is always after you. Even when you get home, the pressure never lets up. In today's podcast, lea...
Intermediate | The DVD Ploy
20 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In the realm of dating, men's ruses to get women into their arms are universal. Oh yes... don't fall for the 'arms around you to shield yo...
Upper-intermediate | Argument over Garbage (2)
17 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Almost as fun as the argument itself is the post-mortem. Can those maniacs be serious? What were they thinking? What will we do if we bump into them a...
Intermediate | Evading Nosy Questions
15 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
There's a little busybody in all of us. Now is your chance... all those questions you always wanted to ask but didn't have the guts to. In thi...
Upper-intermediate | Argument over Garbage (1)
13 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
You haven't lived until you've had a shouting match with your neighbors at 8:00 in the morning. Listen to this practical Chinese lesson and le...
Intermediate | Getting Your Hair Done
10 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Inspired by actual events: a young woman's twenty-seven traumatic breakdowns after China hair salon debacles. This Chinese lesson is your hair int...
Upper-intermediate | Job Market for Laowai
08 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Plenty of foreigners come East in pursuit of the finer things in life: tailored clothes, chauffeurs, and pretentious villas. But if you don't have...
Intermediate | Lost Cell Phone
06 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
There's nothing more traumatic than losing your cell phone. That is, until some good Samaritan dials the 'home' number and calls your wife...
Upper-intermediate | The Big Deal about Shenzhou 7
03 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Going to the moon is soooo passe. Not so! Listen to this podcast and learn more about China's grand plans for outer space. Want to study Mandarin ...
Intermediate | Singapore
01 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Manicured landscape, clean streets, not a piece of trash in sight, humidity... no, you're not at Disneyworld, but you might as well be... it's...
Upper-intermediate | Agreement on Exclusive Representation
30 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
You've gotten drunk on the baijiu, put in your time at KTV, and now is your chance to finally close the deal. Do you have the Chinese to do it? In...
Intermediate | Ordering Chinese Take-out
27 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It’s slightly reminiscent of your friendly neighborhood ‘Oriental Palace’, but where is the General Tsao’s Chicken and florescent pink sweet a...
Upper-intermediate | Battling Internet Addiction
25 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Some addictions are better than others. Internet addiction, for example, is bad. Bad, unless of course, the addiction revolves around being on the int...
Intermediate | Dorm Life: Late For Class
23 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
They were the best of times, they were the worst of times. Let's go back to your student days. Oh, the days of the camaraderie of communal showers...
Upper-intermediate | Google vs. Baidu
20 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ali vs. Foreman... Skywalker vs. Vader... Donahue vs. Oprah... There was always a winner and a loser. This may not be any rumble in the jungle, but th...
Intermediate | Night Cat
18 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
You survived the bike ride home on the handlebars of your friend's bike who was too drunk to walk. You made it to your apartment. You should drink...
Upper-intermediate | F1 in China
16 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Zooming cars, screeching tires. The only thing missing is a helmet and seatbelt to strap you in. You heard Formula One racing was coming to China. You...
Intermediate | Automated Phone Recordings
13 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Thank you for calling, for directions in English press 1 now: *1*... for directions in Mandarin press 2 now: *1*, *1*... for directions in Cantonese, ...
Upper-intermediate | Considering a Credit Card
11 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
With traditional Chinese money values (hiding piles of cash in a sock in the closet) changing, so is the world of debt in China. While you still won&#...
Intermediate | Using ChinesePod
09 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Does it seem a little conceited to do a lesson about 'ourselves?' Hey, we waited two years and 3 months to do it. It's about time for a li...
Upper-intermediate | Editing a Photo
06 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
You've always secretly envied those lovers in the park. Laying across a mossy bank, in a blue tuxedo / pink taffeta rented wedding dress pinned up...
Intermediate | Teacher Salary and Perks
04 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Of course, we know you're doing it for the sheer love of imparting knowledge, and the personal rewards of being mauled day in and day out by 45 sn...
Upper-intermediate | The 80/20 Rule
02 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The 80/20 rule, if applied to Chinese learning, could very possibly mean that 20 percent of what you study will be what you use 80 percent of the time...
Intermediate | Sydney, Australia
29 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We all know the clichés... kangaroos koalas beaches sun g'day mate shiny happy people... and though we roll our eyes it's just 'cause we&...
Upper-intermediate | We're going to miss the plane!
27 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Based on actual events, in this podcast we hear the story of four friends, a nearly doomed weekend sojourn, and perhaps the only safe driver in the la...
Intermediate | Weather Forecast
25 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Learning a language also involves learning the art of conversation. Weather talk makes great small talk. Not like the boring 'it's hot', &...
Upper-intermediate | Business Interview: e-Commerce Guru
22 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
There are love gurus, spiritual gurus, self-help gurus. These are all good. But what the world has been missing, up until now, is an e-commerce guru. ...
Intermediate | Internet Slang
20 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It seems your Chinese book left out the the units on '886' and 'PMP.' That text message you just received mentioned something about vo...
Upper-intermediate | Getting Internet at your Apartment
18 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It may not quite be the internet as you knew it, but something is better than nothing, right? Learn here how to get yourself wired and online in China...
Intermediate | Pricey Beer
15 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
When you can get take out draft beer poured into a plastic bag for pennies, it's easy to get incensed over the price of pijiu. In this podcast, le...
Upper-intermediate | Badminton
13 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It's a bird... it's a plane... no. It's the biggest thing to hit China since ping pong. Meet another sport beloved by the Chinese. In this...
Intermediate | Opinions on Poetry
11 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Poems seem like they'd be a lot easier to write in Mandarin. Think of all the words that rhyme with 'shu': lu, chu, du, fu, bu, su, poo......
Upper-intermediate | A Visit by the Police
08 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Inspired by many a Shanghai late-night party, be it mahjong with hard of hearing participants getting riled up on baijiu, or a laowai house party, per...
Intermediate | Fighting over the Bill
06 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Due to the bill-snatching prowess of the Chinese, you may find yourself at a disadvantage when it comes to tactical check-paying maneuvers, post-dinne...
Upper-intermediate | Taking the HSK
04 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The 'Fear Factor' of Chinese tests, the sit-down-break-out-in-a-sweat test, the kind of test those standing-naked-at-the-front-of-the-class ni...
Intermediate | Getting Reimbursed
01 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
ChinesePod may be the only company in the world where employees can be legitimately reimbursed for buying knock-off DVDs (they were for Movie Madness,...
Upper-intermediate | Chinese Medicine: Acupuncture, Cupping and Scraping
31 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
You have an aversion to being poked? No problem! You can get suction cupped! The polka-dotted welts clash with your striped outfit? Get skin scraped! ...
Intermediate | Godzilla in Shanghai
29 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Incredible, unstoppable titan of terror! Mightiest monster! Mightiest melodrama of them all! Civilization crumbles as its death rays blast a city of t...
Upper-intermediate | SBTG: Health Class
25 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Yes, this is the same health class that deals with the facts of life, however, you will have to patiently sit through a passionate lesson on the circu...
Intermediate | Flattery in the Office
23 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Rules of boss flattery: if you start complimenting your beer-bellied boss on his figure, he might catch on that you're just looking for a raise. B...
Upper-intermediate | SBTG: Sun Yatsen
22 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
So much more than just the name of your favorite Chinese garden in Vancouver. Sun Yatsen is often considered the founder of modern China. With such an...
Intermediate | City Stats
18 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
One never knows when one will find oneself in a game of pin the tail on the Chinese city. Get a head start on your Chinese topography. In a place wher...
Upper-intermediate | SBTG: Confucius
16 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Confucius Says: Learning Mandarin is good for you. Confucius Says: You haven't lived till you've learned Chinese. Confucius Says: Stop being s...
Intermediate | Post-Graduation Plans
14 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ah, the eternal question of what you want to be when you grow up. Said question, posed by well-meaning family members when you are in your third year ...
Upper-intermediate | Saved by the Gong: Chemistry
11 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Name a famous chemist. Mm-hmm, you can't can you? Didn't think so. If you want to make a living cooking meth, mixing hair gel or testing taint...
Intermediate | The DVD Vendor
09 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
As you know, we at ChinesePod do not advocate drug deals, illegal sale of firearms and/or parking lot rage... but when it comes to our friendly neighb...
Upper-intermediate | Saved by the Gong: Geology
07 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Anyone who has lived through an earthquake, or twenty, in a 1970s-built back alley Taipei apartment knows a little about geology. China has its fair s...
Intermediate | Free Association
04 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
ChinesePod is going a little 'new age' today and encouraging you to explore your inner child. Close your eyes, let your spirit roam... you are...
Upper-intermediate | Saved by the Gong: Math class
02 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
You thought the abacus was some sort of Chinese percussion instrument and that the guy in the market sign-languaging you number signals was challengin...
Intermediate | Snacks
31 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Cultural divide is at times nowhere more evident than in matters of appetite. When it comes to cravings--you're pining for potato chips, she's...
Upper-intermediate | Saved by the Gong: History
28 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
You won't find Screech in this classroom, but you will find some interesting characters in our new junior high drama. Someone once said: “Those ...
Intermediate | The Drug Dealer
26 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Departed was a pretty good film, although we have an office-wide dispute over whether it's better than Infernal Affairs. Before you settle dow...
Upper-intermediate | Harry Potter
24 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
So famous in China that he ranks his own statue in a housing development, the Harry Potter craze of course didn't leave China untouched. Though a ...
Intermediate | Baby Care
21 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The language of babies may be mysterious, but the customs of parenthood are universal. Granted, the open crotch pants of babies in China save on diape...
Pre-intermediate | Turndown Service
19 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this two-part hospitality series, we are going to talk about common dialogues in the hotel. Today in this episode, we are going to talk about the t...
Upper-intermediate | Preparing to give an Interview
17 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The job candidates are lined up outside the office, with their neckties, their crisply printed resumes, and their sweaty handshakes. You thought going...
Intermediate | She's Easy
14 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
You know her type: a different guy for every day of the week, the tantrum dramas, the high-maintenance demands for lavish tokens of your admiration, h...
Pre-intermediate | Coffee Break Series: 4 Ways To Ask For Something
12 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In today's lesson, we will learn about the 4 ways to ask for something. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/4611
Upper-intermediate | Billiards
10 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Is there a better way to mix with the locals than by shootin' some stick and throwing back some Tsingtao's? Those words that can often never g...
Intermediate | Transferring a Call
07 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Some people worry about the internationalization of call centers. Not us though. What could be more pleasant than getting transferred to a customer se...
Pre-intermediate | Coffee Break Series: How To Make Your Clients Feel Welcome
05 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In today's lesson, we will learn how make your clients feel welcome and help you seal the deal. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/4538
Upper-intermediate | Chinese Universities
03 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
You don't pad your resume, of course, but then if you were to pad said resume, perhaps the best padding would be a first-class Chinese university ...
Intermediate | My New MP3 Player
30 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
So you've decided to get with the cool kids and buy an MP3 player so you can rock the ChinesePod, shake your body. But how are you going to brag a...
Pre-intermediate | Coffee Break Series: How to Politely Disagree, Part 2
28 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In today's lesson, we will learn how politely disagree with someone in the workplace. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/4533
Upper-intermediate | Yoga
26 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Reasons to do yoga: 1) leisure suits are so fashionable these days; 2) get to wear said leisure suit and lay around on mats listening to relaxing wate...
Intermediate | Chinese Wedding Customs
23 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What do red dresses, red envelopes and endless toasting have in common? Find out here in this lesson all about the culture of Chinese wedding customs....
Pre-intermediate | Coffee Break Series: How to Politely Disagree, Part 1
21 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In today's lesson, we will learn how politely disagree with someone in the workplace. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/4532
Upper-intermediate | Overseas Chinese
19 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
ABC, CBC, BBC... no they are not TV networks, they are the bridge in the cultural gap, the players on both teams, the understanders of both worlds, cl...
Intermediate | Parking Lot Rage
16 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
If you’re one of the brave ones amongst us that is bold enough to get behind the wheel in China, surely there may have been times when your usually ...
Pre-intermediate | Coffee Break Series: How to Encourage & Compliment
14 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In today's lesson, we will learn how should supervisors encourage employees, for better teamwork and workplace environment. Episode link: https://...
Upper-intermediate | Ping Pong Nation
13 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Perhaps known to you as a 1970's rec room relic, the ping pong table is a veritable altar of worship for the Chinese. The ball may look pansy-ish-...
Intermediate | Death by Ninja
09 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Though ninjas aren't generally considered one of the risks of doing business in China, one never knows when one is in danger of being knocked off....
Pre-intermediate | Coffee Break Series: How to be Deliberately Vague, Part 2
07 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In today's lesson, we will learn some useful Chinese Language techniques. You will learn to understand "ways of gentility", which is oft...
Upper-intermediate | SBTG: Special Economic Zones
05 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
You're traveling to another dimension, a dimension not only of sight and sound... but of a money-making free for all. A journey into a wondrous, t...
Intermediate | Negotiating Price and Payment Terms
02 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this installment of our series, Canadian businessman Peter decides to lose the 'nice guy' image and get down and dirty in his negotiations ...