I’ve checked Caves and Eslite (the one near Dunhua and the one near Taipei 101). They have a lot of audio CDs, but no interactive CD-ROMs (other than one specifically for learning characters).
Yes, I know there are a lot of other options for learning (courses, etc). I’ll be doing these too, but in my experience the interactive drilling you get with the cd-rom is really great for picking up the basics of a new language.
I found the free course at the M.I.T. University site very useful. They have downloadable lessons that you can burn to CD. There are several levels of Mandarin available. BTW, all their courses are free (no degree) and some of the Chinese history stuff also looks very interesting.
Just search for MIT and it will link you to the free software site.
Edit: sorry, didn’t see you need it for Mac. I run Mac myself, and never found anything good.
The above CDRom is PC only. Can you believe it, I actually had to use a PC!
Rosetta Stone, available for MAC/PC, is worthwhile for a beginner. It is used by many government agencies, schools, universities and international businesses.
The two levels cover approximately the same ground as the first year at a university; however, I feel it would still be helpful even if you were intermediate level because it’s not focused on grammar, but on comprehension. You can enroll on a monthly basis (Internet based teaching) or buy a CD-ROM. If you want to finish all the material, it will take a long time - each disk covers about 250 or so hours.
I bought a 2 CD ROM set from ebay made by a company called EUROTALK. Its basic stuff, and quite fun actually
The lessons are presented in a game style format, with a quiz show etc…
Learn to speak Mandarin Chinese through complete immersion. The Euro Method is an easy and simple way to learn to speak a second language. Based on the same techniques that allow a 4-year-old child to speak a language long before that same child can read or write, the Instant Immersion Mandarin Chinese CDs teach users to speak Mandarin Chinese quickly. The software provides interactive lessons that truly immerse users in the language. The two CD-ROMs enclosed are from EuroTalk, a European publisher of language-learning software. Talk Now! and World Talk will take users from beginning to intermediate levels using fun and easy-to-follow methods.
Talk Now! Mandarin Chinese is designed for beginners who want to start learning a new language as soon as possible. Whether on a business or vacation trip, or even when meeting a foreign visitor, Talk Now! is the CD to use. By hearing and practicing authentic everyday speech, the user’s natural ability for language will develop. The EuroTalk CDs are designed to be fun. The program uses quizzes, games, and stories to help reinforce the lessons learned.
The second CD-ROM, World Talk Mandarin Chinese, is the next level up from Talk Now!, and goes on to the next stage with new activities, added dictation, and a new recording section. Topics covered include the calendar, building sentences, asking directions, and using numbers. With the recording feature, users can hear and compare their voices with those of a variety of native speakers.
Product Description
Instant Immersion Chinese is people who need to learn Chinese as quickly as possible. If you need to hold a basic conversation in Chinese right away, this is the software for you!
