English teaching is big business in China, and everyone seems to be trying to cashing in on it — everyone from big global names such as Berlitz to local players with less than orthodox methods. Just look around you, students are literally devouring their English language textbooks (and dictionaries) — on the bus, in the fast-food restaurants and just about anywhere. One of the companies that has benefited greatly in the rising interest in English courses is English First, or EF which has been named as the Official Language Training Services Supplier of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. more ›

Gll Wonton has nearly 80 restaurants all over Shanghai, all open 24 hours, they also deliver. Convenience is the key word here. The wontons are stored frozen, so this isn’t fine cuisine. The surroundings are moderately dirty, the ambience dull, and the staff inconsistent. Without much style, no English menu, and no real buzz the reason we're writing about Gll Wonton is simply about the Wonton. more ›

Pioniers, a minor league team in Amsterdam, Netherlands. In 2007, he was signed by the Beijing Tigers of the China Baseball League (more info here). The CBL season already over, Kim recently answered some of our questions via email. more ›

Drug stores are full of potentially embarrassing items. Embarrassment is exponentially heightened when it involves the acting out of said item to drug store clerk, gesturing to specific body parts and drawing pictures. Thankfully, we at ChinesePod do not shy away from these topics (to wit: lesson on buying tampons), and wouldn't want to see you acting out the word for "condom." Thus, this podcast, where you will learn how to discreetly ask for your contraceptive of choice, in Mandarin Chinese.

Wang Zihong more ›

• Everyone's favourite blogger (and rightly so), John at Sinosplice, worries about racial slurs of the optic variety.
• Not a blog we admit, but the Chinese Pod community is chatting about how to work on Mandarin Chinese pronunciation.
• Sunny Side Up finds good reasons why Chinese people think that they dislike western food, and has a drool-inducing image too.