Asia New Zealand Foundation

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www.asianz.org.nz/

Kia ora, namaste and welcome to the September edition of the Asia New Zealand Foundation media newsletter. There are plenty of upcoming highlights including the Media Women in Asia seminar in Auckland as well as a range of cultural events and publications. In October, look out for news of the spectacular cultural talent that will be visiting from India and performing at the hugely popular Diwali festivals in Wellington and Auckland.

Articles may be reprinted with acknowledgement of Asia New Zealand Foundation Level 7, ABN AMRO House, 36 Customhouse Quay, PO Box 10-144, Wellington, 6143, New ZealandTelephone: [phone], Email: [e-mail] To find out more about Asia New Zealand Foundation please visit ourwebsite: www.asianz.org.nz

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Survival Chinese for travellersWith a three minute video clip of a new phrase emailed to users every day, a New Zealand business offers a learning service that teaches a range of words and phrases in Mandarin to help Western travellers communicate on tourist or business trips to China. Language Bite (<http://www.languagebite.com>) owner and linguistic specialist Joanne Lee says interest in Chinese is being fuelled in part by China's emergence as a popular tourist destination and host of the 2008 Olympic Games. She says an increasing number of Western business people and holiday-makers require "survival skills" to help them communicate and enhance their experience of a different culture. Ms Lee says the on-line language course is a powerful tool to help travellers achieve these skills quickly. Presented by Ming Jin, a lecturer at a Beijing university and former research fellow at Auckland University, the lessons have been praised by users in New Zealand, the US and Australia.