ChineseLingQ Beginner - Who Is She? (Pinyin Version)

Content Forum
1

I have begun converting the ChineseLingQ beginner transcripts for “Who Is She?” from characters to pinyin. I have the first few done so far, and more will follow.

Here’s the link: http://www.lingq.com/learn/zh/store/37157/#52873

I’m not sure whether it would be best to upload the pinyin transcripts as separate content items (as I’ve done) or to simply list them here for easy reference, but if anyone has any suggestions for changing anything, let me know.

2

Thanks Chris. What you have done is great.

We have in the past been reluctant to do this for the following reasons.

  1. It interferes with the calculation of known words etc.
  2. We thought we were just around the corner from being able to offer this in a way that would only count the Chinese characters, with the ability to toggle in and out of the Pin Yin sub text.

Since we are not close to being able to offer this (programmers time) I think your approach is the best. We can always re-organize the library later.

Thanks for this. Which software did you use? What do others think?

3

I just used the online converter that I posted in the other forum (http://www.purpleculture.net/Chinese-Character-Pinyin-Converter-Online.asp) which is a little awkward to use, but good enough for the job. I had originally just made it pinyin only, but Ktm suggested I add the characters in as well, and I agreed, so they now contain both (which makes a lot more sense I think).

I’d really like for the traditional characters to be available too, and I’d be happy to convert them, but I can’t actually read yet, so I’d have no way of proof-reading them for the odd error. What do others think about including traditional characters? Do you think it would look a little cluttered?

4

Chris, I think it is best to stay with simplified for now, or at least to allow the provider to submit text in whatever form of characters he wants. Nothing prevents someone from resubmitting in traditional or putting the traditional version in the content forum.

We do intend to allow users to toggle back and forth but it will be a while till we can get there.

5

I don’t know how they did it technically, but you may want to have a look here: http://www.laits.utexas.edu/orkelm/chinese/ (just choose a topic, then the person, then you have several modes: traditional, simple, pinyin, translation).

6

I remember there is a plug-in for Firefox that allows you to toggle between simplified and traditional for text on any webpage. It might be an idea to use something like that until an actual built-in option is available for LingQ. That way content submissions can remain in whichever of the two sets they were written in, and a user wishing for the other can simply switch via the plug-in.

This seems to be one such utility: http://tongwen.openfoundry.org/en_index.html

7

All good ideas but we are not going to make changes now. We have to stick with our priorities.

8

As long as any pinyin workarounds will interfere with the word count, I prefer the lessons as they are.

9

I see a few people are using the pinyin items I’ve uploaded so far…I’m sorry about the delay in getting the rest of them done, but I’ve been pretty busy lately. I’ll try and get the remaining “Who is She?” items done soon.

10

I have just uploaded parts 10 and 11 into the library. I will try to get the rest done soon.