THE GEEK CORNER

CHINESE SLANG SHOW

So you’ve watched every episode of “Sexy Beijing” (and if you haven’t， go do so right now!)， and you’re looking for a new blonde to start improving your Chinese. Try out “OMG! 美語，” the online English series that’s garnered thousands of views on both Youtube and Youku. while Chinese language students aren’t exactly OMG’s target demographic， the show is a great way to pick up slang and other kouyu. Hosted by the impossibly perky (but nonetheless adorable) Jessica Bainecke， the two to three minute episodes explain popular English kouyu in Mandarin—which means that while Chinese viewers are learning the words for bodily excretions in English， you’re learning their Mandarin equivalent. while you do have to listen to Bainecke pronounce things like “Let’s bounce!” and “Eww， I have SLEEPIES IN MY EYES” with exaggerated slowness， for the privilege of learning how to say“booger” in Chinese， it’s a price I’m willing to pay. – lIz tung (董怡)

BUZHIDAO? WIKI IT!

At long last， it’s here—a website dedicated solely to Chinese grammar. welcome to the Chinese Grammar wiki (resources.allsetlearning.com/ chinese/grammar/)， a work-in-progress created by John Pasden， the man behind the exemplary Chinese-learning blog Sinosplice. Among the first of its kind， this website has taken on the gargantuan task of breaking down Chinese grammar rules， particles， tenses and structures for Chinese learners. Beginners should check out the FAQ， which explains the basics and dispels common misconceptions about Chinese. After that， feel free to dive right into the well-developed “Grammar Points” section， which orders grammar points according to Chinese level， and then either by part of speech or by meaning. Though the individual articles are still fairly small， they provide clear definitions and， best of all， usage examples. – l.t.

HAPPY LANGUAGE FAMILIES

Running under the tagline “language in China， eclectically，” Sinoglot.com is an intriguing hodgepodge of resources related to the bewildering array of language families that exist in China. The team behind the blog each claims a specialist subject， whether it’s Naxi writing and language， Wu (Shanghainese) dialects or the Manchu language， but the authors also dip into far wider and disparate arenas. Sample posts include a fascinating debate on the nature of dyslexia’s relationship to character-based languages， notes on Korean and Chinese braille script， as well as less niche discussions on common language misconceptions and grammar points. The most appealing aspect of the page is the authors’receptiveness to questions and their readiness to debate points amongst themselves and their readers. If you’re a serious linguist and want to toss some ideas around， this is the place for you. – davId green (武劍)