Feng Zhe Podcast 冯哲播客

[suMMit]

I've had this idea for a while to make my own podcast, as a form of speaking practice. So tonight, kind of on a whim, I did my first one. I'm only just barely able to attempt it, so please cut me some slack. Also, this was done in one take, without any preparation. Next time I will think of my questions ahead of time and try and make it a bit smoother. But I felt this was ok for a first shot. Since I know a lot of Chinese people my plan is to, every now and then, interview one of them about some aspect of their life. This first one was is kind of cheating because it's the easiest person I could possibly talk to. Feel free to point to any mistakes.

[abcdefg]

Well done!

[malazann]

brilliant idea! Please keep sharing them. I will try do some with my language partners/tutors/friends. seems fun!

[Jan Finster]

You both have pleasant voices. You could definitely go into Youtubing

[MTH123]

Wow. I’m really impressed! Other than when you hesitated at times, you sounded much like my Chinese family and friends speaking with no hesitating! Wow! Keep up the great work!

 

[pon00050]

Do you intend on turning this into a real podcast?

I mean like getting the clip image for the podcast series, publishing on platforms so that they can be found on the typical podcast channels, and etc.

 

[suMMit]

I have re-done the interview, giving more thought to the questions this time. Less hesitating, I think my speaking, though far from perfect, is much better here.  Although I didn't ask her to, I think she speaks more slowly this time. 

 

There are different questions and answers, so please give another listen to this version two! Any feedback welcome.

 

And, by the way, here is some of her art:

        

         

    

 

                 

 

 

 

 

[MTH123]

You have interesting ways of improving your Chinese, which are obviously working. (I'm taking mental notes, in case I ever get as far as you have.) It seems like you picked a good point to speak so much without the risk of forming bad, hard-to-fix habits. I can tell that you think a lot as you talk. I’m sure it’ll smooth out for you in time, with practice and as more and more becomes second nature.

 

Again, your speaking is already very impressive. For another example, it’s better than most foreigners speaking Chinese in Chinese TV dramas. I know we, the viewing audience, are supposed to be impressed. But, it makes me cringe with all the bad habits that make their speaking hard to understand. (I’m talking about most, not all. Many speak Chinese really well and without any of the obvious bad habits.) Keep doing what you’re doing! Add oil, lol!

 

It sounds like your wife has a standard Chinese accent, which I’m sure helps. I couldn’t hear an accent at all. Actually, I can’t hear any accent amongst any of my Chinese family and friends either, no matter what part of China they’re from, East, West, whatever. I can’t hear any accent amongst my Taiwanese friends either. So, my spectrum of standard is apparently pretty wide, lol.

 

For English in the U. S., I heard long ago that top news anchors learned the Chicago accent (like the Canadian Peter Jennings). I heard that it isn’t perfect either, but it’s the most neutral accent in the U. S. This reminds me of an old friend of mine who had a thick southern accent. “Pen” sounded like “pin.” I kept asking her to repeat herself. I couldn’t even figure it out with context clues. I literally had to ask her what she meant by “pin.” When she told me what “pen” meant, I was a little dumbfounded, lol.

 

Good luck with your podcast and taking the next step in your speaking. Also, good luck to your wife and her art. (I don't know anything about art. So, I can't offer an opinion about it. I can only appreciate the success she's already had and hope for more. ) You kind of grilled her, and she had a very nice, level-headed attitude towards it.  Your good questions and her responses to them made the interview more interesting to listen to. 

 

Edited July 12, 2022 at 09:55 PM by MTH123
Added: I don't know anything about art...

[MTH123]

Okay, this is just for a bit of fun, since I’ve found that my username is interestingly similar to yours (suMMit). My initials are actually MM. Can anyone guess what my username means?

 

[suMMit]

On 7/11/2022 at 11:14 AM, pon00050 said:

Do you intend on turning this into a real podcast?

I think I will. Or post on Youtube. If I do I'm sure I will learn a lot from it and improve. I have started making a list of people I want to interview.

 

On 7/13/2022 at 2:13 AM, MTH123 said:

I can tell that you think a lot as you talk.

Yeah, my biggest difficulty is grammar/sentence structures. Often I have to think about it and it slows me down.

 

On 7/13/2022 at 2:13 AM, MTH123 said:

It sounds like your wife has a standard Chinese accent, which I’m sure helps.

Yes, she's from Harbin and has a very standard accent. I think living in Tianjin and Beijing for many years, she's lost any Dongbei sound. She's very good to practice with and we speak pretty much 50/50 or more Chinese at home. 

[pon00050]

Is there another episode of this podcast coming?

[Moshen]

Quote

For English in the U. S., I heard long ago that top news anchors learned the Chicago accent (like the Canadian Peter Jennings). I heard that it isn’t perfect either, but it’s the most neutral accent in the U. S.

 

I don't believe that is correct.  I grew up in Connecticut and was always told we had the most neutral accent (especially in comparison with Boston, Rhode Island, Maine, New York, New Jersey, Southern or Texas accents).  I find Midwestern accents (Minnesota, Illinois - including Chicago - and Wisconsin) distinctive and not neutral at all.

[suMMit]

I promised myself I would do this again. This second one is a video. An interview with my first Chinese teacher, from Hubei province. It did not come out nearly as good as I had hoped. I hadn't spoken to her in a long time and I was a little nervous. I speak so slowly and hesitantly?. I wrote up the questions in advance and then didn't refer back to them while I was talking to her and didn't follow what I was planning to ask her. 

 

Anyhow, here's the link:

 

https://youtu.be/ZrDqbopyAYE

[becky82]

You're really great!  Well done!  I'm far too embarrassed to record myself speaking.

[MTH123]

On 8/5/2022 at 6:30 PM, Moshen said:

I don't believe that is correct.  I grew up in Connecticut and was always told we had the most neutral accent (especially in comparison with Boston, Rhode Island, Maine, New York, New Jersey, Southern or Texas accents).  I find Midwestern accents (Minnesota, Illinois - including Chicago - and Wisconsin) distinctive and not neutral at all.

 

You may be right. I used to believe most things I read and heard when I was in my 20s. Although it's been several decades, I'm still pretty sure I read in a very reputable magazine at the time that Peter Jennings learned the Chicago accent, because it was the most neutral. It didn't completely get rid of his Canadian accent, but it was much better. I don't remember Connecticut being mentioned relative to any of the other major news anchors at the time. But, I may have, and it just didn't make an impression on me at the time. I was probably just trying to pass time, reading a magazine on an airplane.

 

I've heard that the Chicago accent can be nasally. I've also heard that it can have a slight drawl. For example, a word like bag would be pronounced baaag. So, maybe news anchors are taught to avoid those parts. I've been to Connecticut a couple of times and don't remember hearing an accent. I've also been to Rhode Island a couple of times and don't remember hearing an accent. But, I'm not that picky with accents. I've been to many states all over the country, including Midwestern states and Chicago, where I didn't feel like I heard an accent. Boston, New York, New Jersey and most Southern areas have some of the thickest accents. So, comparing with them isn't saying much.

 

[suMMit]

I dropped the ball on this project. But having just got my HSKK speaking test results back has inspired me to at least try to record myself speaking everyday , and maybe I'll get back to this when I am better. For now, Starting yesterday, I've challenged myself to make a video of myself speaking everyday for the next 30 days, answering a question, and posting it on my YouTube channel. Here is a link to today's (Day 2):

 

https://youtube.com/shorts/U6xxamIBRWE?feature=share