Intermediate Level 2X's a Week??

[Johnnyltn]

I love your show and think that you're doing a fantastic job.

I'd like to ask if you could consider putting out an intermediate level program twice a week instead of the current once a week show?

[tarokun]

Err, I think that would be in Japanesepod201.com instead.

[Johnnyltn]

Right, 201, but there are already Intermediate lessons offered in the 101 class so what about the precedent already set?

[tarokun]

I think the current format of 3 beginner lessons, 1 intermediate, 1 survival lesson, 1 cultural and 1 news/rest day is a good balance for a website teaching *beginner* Japanese.

The 3 beginner and 1 survival lessons form the core of the program from which I learn the most, and the culture class opens my eyes to a very different world. However, the intermediate lesson is the least useful of the lessons as I often find myself lost just 5 minutes into those. As for the news, I only chime in if I miss the voices of the jpod crew that much.

Ultimately, the target audience for Jpod101 are the beginners with little or no experience with the Japanese language; hence, the site-name: JPod101.com.

Your suggestion would make a ratio of 3:2 for beginning (and survival)-to-intermediate lessons. That would make jpod101.com ambiguous as to who their target audience is. It could end up having the beginners tuning in half the week and the intermediate listeners the other half. Both groups would feel like they're getting only half the benefits and would probably leave for other sites that can give them a fuller experience. That would make one *bad* business model.

In fact, I would prefer to have *less* of the intermediate lessons, like every *other* week instead.

[Satsujin]

I agree that there should be more intermediate lessons if not now then in the future.

As the beginner lessons introduce more and more new vocab and grammar structure even they become closer to intermediate. There is already a huge difference in the level of the beginner lessons from the start and the new ones coming out and eventually the beginner lessons (to stay beginner lessons) will have to start reviewing material.

At this point if you want to keep your listening audience you will need to start doing more intermediate lessons.

In terms of learning you are better off only understanding 70-80% (or less) of the dialogue and then learning the new stuff in the explanation than you are understanding 90%+ of the dialogue. There is probably some optimal level of understanding for learning but I don't know what that would be and the level is probably different for everyone. If you don't understand enough you just tune out the dialogue as the new information is too much to absorb. On the other hand, if you understand too much then you don't pick-up anything new. Somewhere in the middle is where learning takes place.

My point being is that even as a "beginner" you are better off being a little lost listening to the intermediate lesson than always understanding 100% of the beginner lessons. And even if right now twice a week for the intermediate Japanese lesson is too much at some point in the future they really should move to twice a week intermediate lessons.

[The Frankensteiner]

Maybe in the future when they run out of beginner material but for now I like it how it is.

[Janis]

I am a beginner (since January) and find it difficult to master all the material in the 3 beginner and 1 survival lesson as it is. I would be okay with two intermediate classes and two beginner a week. Besides, I like the challenge of listening to the intermediate lessons and realizing how much I'm learning.

[metablue]

I'm a beginner too - I started in March - and I find the beginner lessons challenging enough. They're more than 20-30% new material. As the beginner lessons get more and more complex they'll naturally evolve into intermediate lessons, I suppose, but there's a way to go yet. I'd be happiest with mostly beginner and the occasional intermediate.