Hi there! Just wanted to share an OpenCourseWare in Learning Mandarin. If you are going to China or already in China, you might be able to save the 'bucks' in your studies from this resource, here's the link: http://www.south-china-travel-guide.com ... guage.html Read the info on the basics first, before actually going to the DAY1 link below that page. And let me know if you have a problem with it. Have fun learning the OpenCourseWare-way and hope you and your friends benefit from that free courseware - and please don't forget to respect the copyrights of the OCW. Good day to all! Almario