As I explained in my opening post of the series, I'm going to be using content from around the Internet (mainly via Twitter) that is related to BLCU as a basis for wider discussion on certain topics. The idea is that this is a good way to engage with the online community and others who are at BLCU whilst at the same time keeping content here on The BLCU Blog fresh.
Thanks to Audi Ghozalli (@audighozalli) for inspiring this post by sharing the photo above via Twitter!
I think this is a pretty interesting subject for a lot of readers. The tech world is changing fast and the devices now available are capable of doing so much more than they were a few years ago. Look how the iPad revolutionised the way we do stuff on the go. You no longer need to drag a laptop with you everywhere because you feel the small screen of a smartphone just won't cut it.
If you're going to study Chinese at BLCU and are someone who likes to take thorough notes in class, the idea of taking a tablet to your Mandarin lessons could be quite attractive. Sure, you could just stick to traditional handwritten notes, but if you have a tablet anyway and an array of great apps running on it, why not take full advantage?
Some things you can do with a tablet to aid in your studies at BLCU that may be worthwhile experimenting with are: taking audio recordings of your teaching delivering a dialogue or text; snapping photos of any materials you are using in class that you might want to check out later; using apps that I've already talking about in the post Building Good Study Habits At BLCU such as KTdict-CE and Pleco (for iOS device like the iPhone and iPad) or Hanping Chinese Dictionary (if you're using an Android device like a Samsung or HTC, just as two examples). All three apps are free and available now in Apple's App Store and Google Play store.
Having access to these sort of Chinese-English dictionary apps on your tablet will make life ten times easier! Why? Because translating any other way is ten times slower. Having to flip through a paper dictionary to find your word is going to end up becoming tiresome and maybe even put you off checking, which in turn will have a negative effect on your learning and retention of new or unfamiliar words. After all, building a good vocabulary is one of the most important things when you start out learning Chinese!
Tablets are also great for Chinese learners because they allow you to draw the character on the screen and then search the built-in dictionary for any and all matches. This is particularly useful if you don't know what sound the character makes and can therefore not rely on simple pinyin input. As you can see from the image at the start of this post, the person has written hanyu hen nan (Chinese is very hard). If she wrote the characters like this individually in a dictionary app, she would get information on each of them.
You may be wondering, why don't I just get an electronic dictionary? Well, you can, but now that tablets have developed so much and many models are available relatively cheaply, it just makes far more sense to get a device that can do a whole range of things rather than just being a dictionary. Besides, a good electronic dictionary in Beijing will cost you anywhere between 1000-2000 RMB. For the same price you can get a decent tablet with a 7 or 10-inch screen that can also be used for watching movies, taking pictures and video, and surfing the web. But you don't need me to tell you what tablets can do today!
When I was at BLCU, I was so grateful that I had an iPod Touch (which I'd bought in Hong Kong). I personally used the KTdict-CE, despite Pleco actually getting better reviews and more users. I just preferred the interface and it suited my needs. That is not to say that Pleco might not be better for you. Just use the app that you find easiest and most reliable. All three I've mentioned are fantastic and you won't go wrong with any of them. I also realise that the iPod Touch isn't a tablet, but it was all I had at the time and I'm using it to make a point: I benefited tremendously by having access to dictionary apps from the App Store.
If you're heading off to BLCU next year and are in the market for a tablet device, the upcoming and long-awaited Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1-inch tablet could be perfect for you. It's expected to be released some time this year, though exactly when I'm not sure. What is so useful about it for a Chinese learner, beside the fact that it will be a really high quality device coming from Samsung, is the stylus pen that will come with it (like with the current Samsung Galaxy Note smartphone). This is just perfect for drawing in Chinese characters rather than having to use your finger which can be a bit more clumsy (though still fine!).
So these have been my thoughts on why you might want to consider taking a tablet to BLCU and why it can be so useful. Of course, I've really just scratched the surface of the topic, but I hope it's given you some food for thought. I knot my trusty iPad would make a great study companion if I ever went back to BLCU again!
Thanks for reading and let me know what you think down in the comments. Have you been using a tablet to aid in your Chinese studies? Any tips to share with others?
Access blocked websites like Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and more from BLCU and China with PureVPN!
I think this is a pretty interesting subject for a lot of readers. The tech world is changing fast and the devices now available are capable of doing so much more than they were a few years ago. Look how the iPad revolutionised the way we do stuff on the go. You no longer need to drag a laptop with you everywhere because you feel the small screen of a smartphone just won't cut it.
If you're going to study Chinese at BLCU and are someone who likes to take thorough notes in class, the idea of taking a tablet to your Mandarin lessons could be quite attractive. Sure, you could just stick to traditional handwritten notes, but if you have a tablet anyway and an array of great apps running on it, why not take full advantage?
Some things you can do with a tablet to aid in your studies at BLCU that may be worthwhile experimenting with are: taking audio recordings of your teaching delivering a dialogue or text; snapping photos of any materials you are using in class that you might want to check out later; using apps that I've already talking about in the post Building Good Study Habits At BLCU such as KTdict-CE and Pleco (for iOS device like the iPhone and iPad) or Hanping Chinese Dictionary (if you're using an Android device like a Samsung or HTC, just as two examples). All three apps are free and available now in Apple's App Store and Google Play store.
Having access to these sort of Chinese-English dictionary apps on your tablet will make life ten times easier! Why? Because translating any other way is ten times slower. Having to flip through a paper dictionary to find your word is going to end up becoming tiresome and maybe even put you off checking, which in turn will have a negative effect on your learning and retention of new or unfamiliar words. After all, building a good vocabulary is one of the most important things when you start out learning Chinese!
Tablets are also great for Chinese learners because they allow you to draw the character on the screen and then search the built-in dictionary for any and all matches. This is particularly useful if you don't know what sound the character makes and can therefore not rely on simple pinyin input. As you can see from the image at the start of this post, the person has written hanyu hen nan (Chinese is very hard). If she wrote the characters like this individually in a dictionary app, she would get information on each of them.
You may be wondering, why don't I just get an electronic dictionary? Well, you can, but now that tablets have developed so much and many models are available relatively cheaply, it just makes far more sense to get a device that can do a whole range of things rather than just being a dictionary. Besides, a good electronic dictionary in Beijing will cost you anywhere between 1000-2000 RMB. For the same price you can get a decent tablet with a 7 or 10-inch screen that can also be used for watching movies, taking pictures and video, and surfing the web. But you don't need me to tell you what tablets can do today!
When I was at BLCU, I was so grateful that I had an iPod Touch (which I'd bought in Hong Kong). I personally used the KTdict-CE, despite Pleco actually getting better reviews and more users. I just preferred the interface and it suited my needs. That is not to say that Pleco might not be better for you. Just use the app that you find easiest and most reliable. All three I've mentioned are fantastic and you won't go wrong with any of them. I also realise that the iPod Touch isn't a tablet, but it was all I had at the time and I'm using it to make a point: I benefited tremendously by having access to dictionary apps from the App Store.
If you're heading off to BLCU next year and are in the market for a tablet device, the upcoming and long-awaited Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1-inch tablet could be perfect for you. It's expected to be released some time this year, though exactly when I'm not sure. What is so useful about it for a Chinese learner, beside the fact that it will be a really high quality device coming from Samsung, is the stylus pen that will come with it (like with the current Samsung Galaxy Note smartphone). This is just perfect for drawing in Chinese characters rather than having to use your finger which can be a bit more clumsy (though still fine!).
So these have been my thoughts on why you might want to consider taking a tablet to BLCU and why it can be so useful. Of course, I've really just scratched the surface of the topic, but I hope it's given you some food for thought. I knot my trusty iPad would make a great study companion if I ever went back to BLCU again!
Thanks for reading and let me know what you think down in the comments. Have you been using a tablet to aid in your Chinese studies? Any tips to share with others?
One last thing...
Access blocked websites like Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and more from BLCU and China with PureVPN!
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I never used a tablet for my learning - I didn't even have an electronic dictionary! I was a bit old-fashioned, preferring to trust my dependable hardback dictionaries. They were a bitch to bring to my English-Chinese translation exams in second and third year though, lol.
ReplyDeleteAs a post suggestion, I'd quite like to see a post debunking the myths about how hard Chinese is to learn. I grow weary of constantly reminding people both foreign and Chinese first of all that difficulty is entirely relative and subjective anyway, and also that the root of the perception of Chinese being "difficult" come merely from how different it is from European languages. It's bizarre to me that people associate difference with objective difficulty. I think it could make an interesting post.
Hey Thomas! If you find yourself with a free evening or weekend I'd love to invite you to do a guest post for the blog on that subject. I know it would interest a lot of our readers. If you can't find the time just now that's also no problem. Let me know either way as I agree it's a topic of interest among Chinese learners and students of BLCU.
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