Skype

[jeff]

My lady and i are both on "Skype" are any of you guys on skype having a problem understanding your conversations on the phone like i am?

She rarley if ever undestands what i'm saying and the same with me, i have a hard time with her conversation. Maybe every fourth word or so i might understand..The same with instant messageing, very hard to understand...

I was wondering if anybody else is having this problem..

[Martin]

Maybe your internet connection is lagging.  I have that problem on web cam when I am in a hotel.  Are you on a wireless connection, or are you connected directly?

[Willy The Londoner]

Firstly how long have you been talking to the lady for?  I mean actually word for word.  When I first started talking on the telephone I found that the ladies needed a long time to hear and understand everything clearly.

You are not saying if you are having difficulty because of Skype or because of accents etc.   I use it all the time calling the UK and they can call me obn Skype at a local call rate even if they do not have Skype themselves.

I love Skype - best thing I ever invested in.  the sound is as clear as when I am speaking to the Ambassador in GZ as Scottish Rob in UK.  

Even some of my girlfriends since have difficulty until they eventually understand your accent, tonese etc.  Even now my wife will  have will have to listen to me very carefully.  

Just remember to speak  veerryy  sslllooooowwlyy  and use the shortest phrases possible.   Talk to her like you are talking to a child.  

The major problem is that we tend to say a sentence and immediately say another sentence at the same time she is thinking about finding the translation for what you said the first time.  

You need patience and with Skype you have the time for that.  Even when I was talking to a Doctor in Zhuhai who had good English had a good deal of problems understand everything I said in the first few months of talking on the phone.   I knew when she had not undertood as she would say 'Hmm' after i had spoken.

But even face to face I find that I under estimate a person ability to understand the way I talk.  

Willy

[ttwjr32]

i use skype also and dont have any problems hearing the other end
clearly nor do they have a problem with hearing me. like Martin said
maybe it is the connection on one end or the others end, if thats the
problem i would tend to think it is how she is connected in China to
the net Jeff find out what she is using there? just a thought

[jeff]

thanks for the responce guys

The problem is not that i can't here her, i hear her fine...The problem is understanding what she is saying...I really don't think she understands what i'm saying..When she speaks to me it sounds more like chonese than english..

What about instant messageing? Shouldn't we understand each other then?

I have wireless if that makes a differense..

We were getting along great on china love, but with Skype she thinks i'm trying to blow her off because of the lack of proper communication...I try to explain it to her with instant messaging,but that seems to make it worse...Then i have to send her a china love responce to make it all better..

I try to tell her i'm getting a web cam but she has no idea what i'm talking about...I have to explain it with a china love responce...

[mustfocus]

Jeff, I think the confusion we're having is what you're asking about.  That she's having problems hearing you?  Or that her accent is interfering with her english to the point where she doesn't make any sense.  You do realise that one is not related to the other and wireless has absolutely nothing to do with your problem if it's her english.

Remember why you had a translator from chnlove in the first place.  There's no such thing as a universal translator... Skype, Live Messenger, Yahoo Messenger and AIM and ICQ do not know how to translate anything (QQ is supposed to have something, but I don't know how to access that part of QQ)...that's up to you.

The point is that we're not sure what you're talking about because you're sending mixed messages to us.

[Willy The Londoner]

I think I am clear on what you are saying.  The problem is understanding each others spoken words.

I know that the so called lack of communications has ended a number of relationships.  But it needn't be a problem.  I keep saying it needs patience - do not expect a chicken before the egg has been laid!

You both must not expect too much from each other.  Maybe she is getting concerned because you do not understand her English yet. It takes time to listen  and to begin to understand what each other is saying.   Like others I speak to British people and depending on which part they are from I have to listen very carefully and even then I do not always get all the worrds.  

You need chnlove EMF to sort out problems.  Because at the moment there is no alternative but it would be nice if you was having a problem that you could ring someone in China - speak to them in English and they would contact your lady and maybe solve the problem within a short space of time to everyones satisfaction.

Ok her Englsis is nit that good but sheis using it and the more she is able the less she will sound like a clone.  She has learned her English from listening to words and she is probably repeating them just as they came to her.  My wife could not speak a word of English when we met in 2009 but now she even suprises me with what she does know.  It is only using the language on a daily basis that has given her the confidence to use it more and more.  She has now spoken a few words to my family and friends in the UK.

Language is only a problem if you make it so.  

When I use Chinese at home I get words arse about face and I pronounce then wrong - but she knows what I mean because she is used to me saying words that way.

One further question - how good is your Chinese?  are you learning the right dialect for your lady.  Can you say things to her in Chinese or have you NOT got the confidence to use Chinese when you speak with her!   This does cut both ways!!

Our home is full of labels.  Every item has a label which has on it in Chinese - the phonetic sounds of English words.  It is a good learning process and it is effective.  I can wander around this place and point ans she can come back with the English item for item.  Even if she says it wrong I will correct her once and if she does not get it right that time we move on to another as I do not want to destroy her confidence.  She does not have to speak like a real English person for me to understand what she is saying.  Get is close and I know exactly what she means.

Willy

[jeff]

wow, i was under the impression that "Skype" automaticly translated my english into chinese and vice versa...Boy do i feel stupid, know wonder things have been so tough!!!

That must mean she knows a little english, and all along i thought it was Skype...

I guess it's back to using china love again...

Thanks guys

[mustfocus]

Jeff,

Before you give up on that idea, I would suggest that you combine skype with something like google translate... that might work...

[Neil]

better yet: http://www.mdbg.net/chindict/chindict.php?page=translate

copy and paste into that page and hit translate.  it uses google's translation, but lists the individual characters and all their possible meanings so when you're unsure about a translation, you can double check.  

I'd also recommend an apology to the lady for the misunderstandings.  I'm sure she'll be forgiving.  It's all a learning experience.

[ttwjr32]

thanks for that Neil i will try and use what you attached

[brett]

It's also worth trying MSN webcam and QQ webcam alongside Skype - I found that one of them gave much better audio quality than the other, but it varied from day to day :dodgy:.

[Willy The Londoner]

It's also worth trying MSN webcam and QQ webcam alongside Skype - I found that one of them gave much better audio quality than the other, but it varied from day to day :dodgy:.

Yes Brett but not much point if one is speaking in English and the other in Chinese!

This has been their problem.   He thought that what he said was being translated!!

Willy

[Scottish_Rob]

Myself and Sophie used Yahoo MSN..

She had 3 translation programes while we were typing...Me I never once needed to translate anything, it came to me in English...