Challenge! Your! Chinese!

[Gleaves]

I was shooting for getting a challenge out there every 2 weeks or so. Have fallen far short of that, but I will for sure have more time after the holidays. I haven't even been able to keep up with trying the challenges, but the ones I have tried lately have been excellent and plan to get to all of them.

[feihong]

I've been thinking about what jkhsu said, and I've decided to start some threads on 中文挑战 meta-challenges (i.e. the challenge is to make a challenge). Each meta-challenge will revolve around a different theme, medium, type of challenge, or whatever weird rule I think up.

Example 1: Find a funny photo for a caption challenge. There must be a cow, bridge, or astronaut in the photo.

Example 2: Find a comic and (1) blank out the speech bubbles for an out-of-order dialogue challenge; (2) make a comic quiz; or (3) translate the dialogue for a broken translation challenge.

Example 3: Pick a public figure. Use Chinese to write some obscure facts about that person for a "who is this?" challenge.

I'm not sure when I'll start doing this. Maybe in the next month or so? Suggestions for meta-challenges are welcome. Also, if you think you might be interested in doing a meta-challenge, PM me or post a reply in this thread (it would also be helpful to know what kind of meta-challenge you would be receptive to).

[jkhsu]

I found a flaw with the "who is this person" and "what is this movie" type challenges. The answers are easily found using any search engine. I was able to answer these questions within minutes using a single search. However, if you don't use a search engine, you either know the answer or not. It's not really a Chinese language challenge anymore. If anyone has a better idea for making this more of a challenge please post.

[feihong]

For a given type of challenge, I usually start out with the easiest ones. I don't think they'll be quite as easy in future iterations. Although maybe you're right, those two were too easy. Another motivation for those two challenges is that they're easy to write, so I can point at them and say, "See? You could do that."

[feihong]

I think I'll stop posting interactive challenges to 中文挑战 (like 21 questions or situation puzzles). Those should just go in the Chinese Corner forum, where it's easier to hold a discussion. I might link to them on the blog, but from now on I think I'll just limit blog posts to challenges that are possible to solve using only the hints provided.

[Gleaves]

I think its a good call that some of the challenges might work better in a regular thread. For something like 21 quesitons, the winner could take a turn, probably just keep it going in the same thread. The story challenge soudns fun, as well.

[jkhsu]

@feihong: Great call on using the Chinese Corner for the interactive challenges. That was probably the most successful challenge to date in terms of participation and interest. After this experience, I'm almost thinking all challenges should be interactive.

[feihong]

@jkhsu: Since you won the first Twenty Questions game, do you want to start another? I think I would prefer doing a separate thread, though. It's possible (although unlikely) that even when the answer has been given, others may keep asking questions, assuming they didn't look at the answer and want to get it on their own.

I wouldn't want to put it in Chinese Corner, though. I would prefer to keep the instructions in English. You could put it in "Reading and Writing Skills", I guess.

[jkhsu]

Since you won the first Twenty Questions game, do you want to start another?

You read my mind. I've got a situation puzzle coming out tonight. Good suggestion on the "Reading and Writing Skills" section. For the longest time, I was trying to figure out how to do the instructions in Chinese and English. Hopefully people will continue to follow the use Chinese rule in the thread. Different posts for each puzzle is definitely better and keeps it less confusing. I'm planning to name it in the form of: "Situation Puzzle: [name of the specific puzzle that I'm calling it]." The question I have is how do we keep track of the links to all these puzzles in one place so that people can find them? Does it make sense to make a single blog post that has links to all of these?

[feihong]

Since these are all forum threads it might be better to make it an index thread instead of a blog post. I would wait until we have a few of these before making the index thread, though.

[jkhsu]

By the way, these interactive challenges (20 questions and situation puzzles) have really forced me to read and write Chinese without making me feel like it's a chore. I also don't feel as intimidated if I make a few mistakes in writing because I know the purpose is to get people to write more, and many of us are learners anyways.

Finding something that I do for fun without realizing that I'm learning is the holy grail that look for when learning anything. This is definitely one of them for learning Chinese. I just hope more people realize the benefits. I'm looking forward to the story type challenges as well.

[jkhsu]

Alright, so I tried and sort of failed at situation puzzle. Who's doing the next one?

[feihong]

I have a situation puzzle ready but it's very difficult. I'll look for another one. Until then, I'll post another Twenty Questions thread in the next few days.

[jkhsu]

I have a comment on the answers for the last two 20 questions puzzles. It seems to me that solving these puzzles requires the extensive use of search engines. Most people would never figure out these answers just by asking questions alone.

The first 20 questions puzzle was more in line with what I was expecting; the answer (chopsticks) was something that almost everyone knows.

I am not sure if it was intentional or not but it changes this puzzle into a "Guess this obscure, esoteric thing I am thinking of. Use search engines wisely" type of puzzle instead of a puzzle that someone can play offline with friends.

[feihong]

Yes, requiring the use of search engines is a little more interesting to me, personally. But I believe you only need a search engine at the last step, and by then it's a simple search. For example, once you guessed coffee, you only needed to type "expensive coffee" and the answer is the first search result. I guess #3 might've been harder, but I'm not sure.

[jkhsu]

It looks like my 挑战 #43 http://www.chinese-forums.com/index.php?/blog/73/entry-476-挑战43：music-comprehension-爱的供养/ is another "impossible" one for mortal learners. Any native or near native speakers care to give it a try? I promise my next one will be solvable. I am going to name these insane ones "wonton puzzles". This one is wonton puzzle #2.

[jkhsu]

Haven't updated this thread in a while. In case there are new members, we have a 中文挑战 blog that is open to everyone. Yes, native speakers feel free to try as well. I've posted a listening comprehension 挑战 from the show 锵锵三人行. Check it out.

[feihong]

I've been meaning to post my thoughts on the Twenty Questions and Situation Puzzle threads. I think they are pretty fun in real life, but I didn't like doing them over the internet very much. Does anyone think there was a way we could've made it work better?