Chinese people learning English? Good study resources?

[Chinadoog]

Hey everyone.

My Chinese gf wants to come to Canada and she's been studying English a lot recently but I have the feeling that the resources she's currently using are really bad (all she has is one textbook). Can anyone suggest some better materials that she might be able to use? Something online or something that's available in China.

She's at the beginner-intermediate level. Can't really say much but can read some.

Thanks a bunch!

[markwong]

Have you taken a look at some of the TOEFL resources available?

check out this link and see if it might help (Free TOEFL Study on the Internet):

http://esl.about.com/cs/toefl/a/a_toefl.htm

best of luck!

[siledouyaoai]

I think something like Englishpod would be what you are looking for. My girlfriend's English has got a lot better since using it.

[drungood]

I found this site the other day, which is somewhat good for Mandarin learners but even better for English learners, which are its intended audience:

http://www.icoolen.com/film

I think watching lots of English TV and using this site to learn with would help a lot.

[wushijiao]

What is she interested in?

Personally, I'd focus on listening and vocabulary acquisition as the major skills that needs to be developed.

I might search around for things like podcasts in topics that she is interested in, and then get her to listen to them. You could also listen to them, and then help her with any parts that she doesn't understand.

[cababunga]

Check out http://yangyangcheng.com/. Lots of videos, including explanation of dialogues from popular TV series, and explanation of every day idiomatic expressions.

[Rawley]

I would recommend the podcasts from BBC China. They are great to learn typical or colloqual Chinese expresssions :

http://www.bbc.co.uk/ukchina/simp/elt/

[Brad Patterson 包德]

I agree with both WuShuJiao and Rawley: focus on listening and vocabulary. It should be just above her level or what Stephen Krashen likes to call "comprehensible input". Podcasts are a good idea.

Here's a site I've helped develop: http://www.englishaddicts.com/ which has 5 new lessons every week based on international news. Hope it helps.