Steven's Language Vlog Podcast

In episode 49 includes a look at the last of the Changping videos

Looking at some Chinese Study Resources (download here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dftK4HdrZ6dB6UAUpu8-9FfNcu9s7-r_13JAcfzENr4/edit?usp=sharing). List includes: (HSK Textbooks, Chinese Grammar Wiki, HSK Reading, Ankiweb/Ankidroid, DuChinese, iTalki. HelloTalk / Tandem, MDBG Dictionary, Chinesepod).

A note on AI Agents and how they can be used for language learning (Manus, Perplexity, ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, NotebookLM).

And we saw a movie, The Lychee Road - how was it? Based on the novel by Ma Boyong. About a low level government accountant who gets assigned a task that is damn-near impossible: to bring fresh lychees from Lingnan to Chang'An by June 1st for the main concubine's birthday celebration. Two hours long, first hour went by pretty quickly, well-paced, well-produced.

Upcoming movie is 731, all about the Japanese bio-facility that did some bad things its subjects, including Chinese.

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Transcripts here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1-sDW4HyeAH9PssJp8kE6XWQduAHOXj7n?usp=sharing

Contact: m.mtrbio.com/stevenslanguagevlog

Time stamps:

00:00 Introduction and Podcast Overview

00:45 Language Learning Journey: Mandarin and Russian

03:37 AI Agents and Language Learning

07:18 Changping Videos and Neighborhood Insights

12:59 Chinese Study Resources

30:58 AI Agents for Language Studies

36:57 Movie Review: The Lychees of ChangAn

40:39 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Settling back into Beijing's heat and humidity, in Episode 48 we talk a little bit about our recent trip to Australia and the respoting of one of our videos.

We also discuss a common problem with no apparent solution: dealing with the sock that gets stuck in the side-loading washing machine.

A re-visit to the campus cafeteria for 麻辣香锅, a type of spicy hot pot.

And, a return to our own language studies and live streaming while we do it!

Oh, and a new membership program? It's in the works!

PS - We received our power banks!

Transcripts here:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1-sDW4HyeAH9PssJp8kE6XWQduAHOXj7n?usp=sharing

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Time stamps:

00:00 Introduction and Episode Overview

00:43 Weather in Beijing

01:35 Travel Plans and Reflections

03:45 Chinese Character Studies and Live Streams

06:48 Exploring AI Agents and Teaching Chinese

15:35 YouTube Content Updates

17:54 The Leftover Sock Dilemma

20:38 New Go-To Noodles

24:46 Deciphering Beijing Rose Garden Characters

28:11 Membership Program Announcement

29:26 Conclusion and Contact Information

Episode 47 has use returning to our regular schedule. In this episode we talk a little bit about how our social habits change as we change, but do they need to?

What do you miss most when you're overseas? Is it the food? The people? The fragrances?

What are some of the changes we saw occur in our recent travels? And what is the latest on the power bank dilemma here in China?

What is a dummy check and how do you make sure you have all of your stuff when you leave a location?

And, finally, what do you do first when you return home?

Oh, and a bit of a discussion on the live streams we're looking to do over the summer months.

Transcripts here:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1-sDW4HyeAH9PssJp8kE6XWQduAHOXj7n?usp=sharing

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Time stamps:

00:00 Introduction and Welcome

00:44 About the Language Vlog Podcast

01:30 Recent Activities and Updates

04:15 Travel Experiences in Australia

07:53 Live Streams and YouTube Shorts

21:47 Changes in Travel Regulations

24:53 The Concept of a Dummy Check

26:33 Post-Travel Routine

29:12 Upcoming Projects and Final Thoughts

After two weeks in Australia, we're back in Beijing for Episode 46 of the Language Vlog Podcast.

In this episode we talk a little bit about what the trip was like, what we saw and what we missed.

This episode follows along with this week's newsletter which you can read here.

Major highlights included:

Sydney: Harbour Bridge, Opera House, The Rocks, Hyde Park Barracks, St. Mary's Cathedral, Australian Museum, CBD, George Street, Sydney YHA Harbour, Bondi Beach, Southern Cross constellation, Australian Stock Exchange (all digital!).

Melbourne: Melbourne Museum, downtown Melbourne (both on our own and with a free walking tour), Great Ocean Road, Victoria Market, Victoria State Library, kinda seeing koalas but we DID see a mob of kangaroos, Haigh's Chocolates, kangaroo burger, chicken parmisean (apparently very Australian pub-style), and fish n chips.

Transcripts here:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1-sDW4HyeAH9PssJp8kE6XWQduAHOXj7n?usp=sharing

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Time stamps:

00:41 Traveling and Podcasting Challenges

06:35 Australia Trip Overview

09:48 Cost of Living in Australia

15:45 Exploring Sydney and Melbourne

26:32 Travel Reflections and Future Plans

31:14 Channel Updates and Future Content

33:40 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

In Episode 45, we're hitting on a topic that we've covered a little bit before: the relevance of university degress. If you saw someone struggling with their studies, would you encourage them to struggle on through or give up and go find something else to do, such as a job?

We also talk about what it takes to renew a work residence permit here Beijing. The work residence allows you to stay in the country for extended periods of time, including entering and exiting the borders as often as you like.

We're also looking to get back into livestreaming throughout the summer, particularly YouTube

Finally, a little discussion of Chinese numerology (and what we failed to do in Episode 44) AND... a trip announcement - we're off to Australia!

Transcripts here:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1-sDW4HyeAH9PssJp8kE6XWQduAHOXj7n?usp=sharing

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Time stamps:

00:00 Introduction and Welcome

00:40 Reflecting on One Year of Podcasting

01:05 Challenges of Creating Long-Form Content

02:38 Adapting to Video Podcasting

04:19 Weekly YouTube Channel Update

05:43 Visa and Work Permit Process

09:08 Living and Working in China

22:00 Debating the Value of a University Degree

31:25 Future Plans and Live Streams

36:01 Conclusion and Farewell

Episode 44 has us looking at the end of the university semester and what should be done next.

What is the GaoKao and why is it important?

Would you encourage a young person to study or work, especially if you knew they didn't like what they were studying?

AI agents and programming your own language learning experience: good idea or bad?

And what will we be doing this summer?

BONUS! A list of TV Shows in Chinese to watch this summer! (Download the list here!)

Transcripts here:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1-sDW4HyeAH9PssJp8kE6XWQduAHOXj7n?usp=sharing

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Time stamps:

00:40 Experiences of Hot Summers in Beijing and Busan

05:05 Semester End and Student Exams

06:21 Debate: Study or Work?

12:52 AI in Education: Training Your Own Teacher

20:31 Reflecting on the End of the Semester

28:19 Exploring Chinese TV Shows

32:10 Conclusion and Farewell

In Episode 43 of the Language Vlog Podcast we take a look at the development AI agents and what it means for language learning AND teaching. Should it be allowed? Is the technology there yet? Can we make these things on our own or should we continue to pay a teacher?

Next up, if you ever land in Beijing, especially during the winter months, you might be greeted by an unfamiliar scene: a land covered by green... fabric. Are they faking it? Are they covering something up? No, all they're doing is protecting the top soil from blowing away from the winds that sweep the lands. The protective green mesh will stay in place until the grass or crops start to flourish (usually in April some time). Are these things recyclable? No idea.

And if there's one thing you get to experience as a foreigner in a far off land: it's visa renewals! Yey! If you have never worked overseas before you might never have experienced such a process but, almost guaranteed, if you asked anyone who has come from abroad to your country, they'll no doubt have a little sticker in their passport that gives them the right to work there. So too with China. And with ESL contracts, which are usually one year long, this gets to be done every year! Yey! In this episode we take you through part of the process as a bit of foreshadowing of an upcoming video.

Finally, it was the Dragon Boat Festival this past weekend. Unlike other "festivals" in China (just about all public holidays are called "festivals"), this one you're not supposed to say "Happy Dragon Boat Festival". Instead, opt for a more conservative and well-wishing greeting such as "Have a Safe Dragon Boat Festival!" This is because the Dragon Boat Festival (which only partially includes boat races) commemorates the Warring States poet Qu Yuan, who was exiled from his homeland and then threw himself into a lake. In an effort to ward of fish and evil spirits, the locals threw zongzi (粽子), sticky rice dumplings, into the lake.

Transcripts here:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1-sDW4HyeAH9PssJp8kE6XWQduAHOXj7n?usp=sharing

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Time stamps:

00:00 Introduction and Episode Overview

00:44 Recording Location and Background

01:43 Airplane Distractions at the University

06:37 Semester Wrap-Up and Future Plans

08:41 YouTube Channel Updates and AI Agents

16:49 Exploring the Green Mesh in Beijing

19:17 Visa Renewal Process

25:52 Dragon Boat Festival Insights

29:20 Conclusion and Contact Information

In Episode 42 we're looking at the idea of the United Nations adding a computer language to their list of "official" languages (alongside the six others of Spanish, English, French, Russian, Arabic, and Chinese). Is it time to add a "common computer language" to the mix and, if so, which one would it be?

Next up, we consider what could survive the test of time. I mentioned in a recent Youtube Short that we have to thank the monks of time's past for much of the literature we have today, even if it's only a fraction of what existed. And if we relied on people copying things by hand over the centuries, how will we preserve our current production of digital material? How will future historians power the mp3 and ebook of today?

Finally, we look ahead to the summer for what to do and where to do it. Stay in China? Go to Canada? Travel somewhere? Or stay put and work on... an AI Agent?! What would you do if you had six weeks off but weren't sure if you would have a job after that?

Transcripts here:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1-sDW4HyeAH9PssJp8kE6XWQduAHOXj7n?usp=sharing

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Time stamps:

00:00 Introduction and Podcast Overview

00:40 Reflecting on a Year of Podcasting

01:50 Content Creation and Distribution

04:38 Summer Plans and Language Learning Tools

07:49 Visa Issues and Travel Plans

11:28 Exploring AI Agents and Automation

21:44 The Future of Digital Content

27:18 Gaming: A Modern Dilemma

33:24 Conclusion and Contact Information

Episode 41 has us looking at a few different types of Chinese food, breakfast and lunch in particular, and some vocabulary on how and what to order.

Next up, what do you do with your commute time? Do you try to use all of the time you have available for something productive, or do you simply enoy getting away from it all and deal with it once you get there?

Finally, a look at some course offerings and ideas going forward. Want to learn Chinese? Get in touch. Want to learn English? Get in touch. Want to learn better study habits or how to implement AI into your own language learning process? Get in touch.

Transcripts here:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1-sDW4HyeAH9PssJp8kE6XWQduAHOXj7n?usp=sharing

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Time stamps:

00:00 Introduction and Episode Overview

00:36 Exploring Chinese Food in Beijing

02:08 Learning Mandarin: HSK Exam Experience

03:46 Mandarin Study Methods and Progress

07:45 Creating Chinese Content for Chinese Audience

08:32 Offering Chinese and English Lessons

14:14 YouTube Channel Updates and Upcoming Videos

21:06 Typical Chinese Breakfast Order

30:01 Using Commute Time for Language Learning

36:05 Conclusion and Contact Information

Episode 40 has us looking around the campus, what do we see and would you want to visit as a teacher, student or just an online viewer?

Responses to using AI and other LLMs in the grading and feedback process - what does the internet say?

Question: if you only had an hour to spare every day, would you rather spend your time learning a new technology or a human language?

And a Happy Mother's Day to all the hardworking Moms out there!

Transcripts here:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1-sDW4HyeAH9PssJp8kE6XWQduAHOXj7n?usp=sharing

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Time stamps:

00:00 Introduction and Podcast Overview

00:45 Language Learning Journey

03:49 Mother's Day Reflections

07:13 YouTube Channel Updates

16:45 AI in Education Debate

25:02 Human vs. Computer Languages

30:58 Exploring Beijing's EV Scooters

35:39 Chinese History Books Discussion

44:42 Conclusion and Contact Information