Language

There are a ton of Chinese language resources on the Web but few as engaging as ChinesePod (www.chinesepod.com). Founded in 2005 by a group of language training and technology experts in Shanghai, ChinesePod offers daily podcasts, featuring pick-your-own lessons for beginner to advanced. The site has 614 lessons so far, ranging from "Asking for a phone number" at the Newbie level, to "Abducted by aliens" at the Upper Intermediate level, and "Counterfeit iPhone" at the Advanced level.

Another good hanyu site is eChineseLearning (https://www.echineselearning.com). The service allows students to communicate live with a professional Chinese teacher through instant messaging services like Skype, MSN or Google Talk. Private lessons cost as little as $4.50 and are available for children to adults, with topics ranging from Chinese culture to business etiquette.

(China Daily 08/24/2007 page19)