Find Your Frequency: Podcasts for Everything "China"

Feb 03, 2012By Andrea Scarlatelli, eChinacities.com

Comments (0) Add your comment

Podcasts are a great way to learn about pretty much everything. Science buff? Trivia nerd? History lover? You can download all you will ever need to know about a particular topic, and often for free. China is no exception, with countless podcasts claiming to teach you Mandarin in a hurry or brief you on the timeliest of Chinese issues. Below is a list of some of the most interesting Chinese-oriented podcasts, which can be seen as a kind of crash course in all things "China." Found a China-centric podcast you want to share? Feel free to list your favourites in the comments section below.

Find Your Frequency: Podcasts for Everything “China”

1) Language - ChinesePod
ChinesePod is probably the most popular podcast for learning Mandarin around. With over 1,400 podcasts available to listeners, you can personalise the way you learn by choosing from structured courses, self-study, and/or speaking classes with a Chinese teacher via Skype or phone. Unfortunately, its popularity means that this once-free service now charges. Choose from basic subscriptions (12 months for $124 USD), premium subscriptions (12 months for $249 USD) or speaking classes (12 months/20 minutes a week for $735). Of course, if you are actually living in China (i.e. have access to cheap private Chinese tutoring) you are better off skipping the speaking portion and sticking to the structured or self-study courses.

2) Current Events - China Talking Points
Interested in staying up to date on China's every move? Download Michael McCune's and Eric Olander's China Talking Points, where each episode deals with relevant issues pertaining to all aspects of Chinese society. From economics to politics to society as a whole, these hosts remain engaging and interesting while discussing even the drabbest of topics. Some examples of recent podcasts include "China's Religious Revival," "Exploring the Limits of Chinese Censorship," and "Nuclear Energy in China." This podcast is particularly interesting if you currently live in China, as you are constantly surrounded by many of the issues that regularly come up in these chats.

3) Practical Tips - Chinese Savvy
Chinese Savvy is a laid back, practical approach to living and working in China. Narrated by expats currently living in China, along with native Chinese, it is a great way to navigate the everyday realities of living abroad. Empathise with fellow expats in the "Dear Rachel" podcast or get language learning advice from "Ask Laoshi." These podcasts act as a directory for all sorts of issues that may come up during your stay here, like "Renting an Apartment, "Rental Payments and Utilities," "Finding Teaching Positions," and "Improving Chinese Fluency." Navigating your Chinese city or town will get a whole lot easier when you can just click on a podcast and hear all about others in your same situation.

4) History - The China History Podcast
If you are into history, The China History Podcast is the podcast for you. Normally the topics vary from week to week in no chronological order, but sometimes lessons will arc over a multi-part series. For example, there was recently an eight part discussion of Dr. Ezra Vogel's biography on Deng Xiaoping. This fascinating series was followed the next week by an overview of Ouyang Xiu, the Song Dynasty statesman and "sage." Jumping around from time period to time period most weeks may get on some people's nerves, but if you take the historical lessons as they come, this podcast really works to bring these numerous, and sometimes obscure, historical figures to life.

5) Culture - UCLA Center for Chinese Studies
UCLA's Center for Chinese Studies was founded in 1986 and focuses on all aspects of Chinese life, including political science, art history, medicine, anthropology and law. With subscriptions to over 1,500 Chinese newspapers and journals, and over 260,000 books in its Richard C. Rudolph East Asian Library, these podcast lectures are most definitely for the academic minded. The school draws many famous scholars in Chinese studies, making for a wide range of lecture topics. Examples include "The Buddhist Arts of Tea in Medieval China," "The Quest for Moral Values in Contemporary Chinese Popular Thought," and "Isotope Research on Ancient Chinese Diets." There is literally something here for everyone.

The world of podcasts is an endless stream of knowledge, where it is not only possible, but easy, to learn new things about China as you are riding the metro to school or walking to work. It is possible to find the perfect podcast series that is right for you, whether it is Chinese cooking or Chinese comedy. Use this list as a jumping off point to find the area of interest that really engages you. Whether you are learning for a purpose or learning just for fun, podcasts are the perfect way to guide you to that goal.

back to article list>>

Add your comment

All comments are subject to moderation by eChinacities.com staff. Because we wish to encourage healthy and productive dialogue we ask that all comments remain polite, free of profanity or name calling, and relevant to the original post and subsequent discussion. Comments will not be deleted because of the viewpoints they express, only if the mode of expression itself is inappropriate. Please use the Classifieds to advertise your business and unrelated posts made merely to advertise a company or service will be deleted.

Your Name:

Email:

(Required. Your email won't be published)

Comment:

Security Code:

Enter the text diplayed in the box below