Job Discussion Forums

Chris Smith · Joined: 01 Dec 2004 Posts: 86

For some time now listening cds have become the media of choice, over tapes, for publishing companies everywhere. The advantages are obvious in terms of sound quality and locating the beginning of each listening, but most portable cd players don't have good search functions to allow teachers to repeat difficult portions of a given listening. Has anyone had good/bad experiences using cds in the classroom, and can anyone recommend good portable machines here in Taiwan?

Thanks in advance,

Chris

DirtGuy · Joined: 28 Dec 2004 Posts: 529

Hi.

Both systems have their advantages and disadvantages. I like tapes as you can always make a back-up copy. Haven't figured out how to do that with a CD. Does anyone know? You may be surprised to find tapes are still available in many instances. Check the publisher's website as many texts still offer a choice.

Having said the above about tapes, CDs have the great advantage of, with the right machine, being able to slow it down without distorting the voice. I have an Eiki machine I broke down and bought for my own use in the classroom. It has both cassette tape and CD players plus you can set it up as a PA system and as a listening post for multiple students using headphones. There is a pitch control which allows me to slow down a CD without distorting the speaker's voice. Wonderful tool for listening exercises. Check out the company website for more info.

Hope this helps.

puiwaihin · Joined: 16 Mar 2005 Posts: 91

Taylor · Joined: 24 Oct 2003 Posts: 384 Location: Texas/Taiwan

Most portable stereo systems (boom-boxes) still have cassette recorders...so you could use a blank tape to record the contents of the CD. Then take both (the CD and the recorded tape) to class and use whichever one suits your need better.

Best wishes.

Taylor

matchstick_man · Joined: 21 May 2003 Posts: 244 Location: Taiwan

I pefer tapes to CDs as when you knock a playing tape it doesn't jump. And it easier to find placement of what you want the students to listen to or they want to listen to. However it is easier to move a CD into the right place but most CD players I've found need the rewind button as they go back to the start of the passage.

Chris Smith · Joined: 01 Dec 2004 Posts: 86

Thanks for the Feedback, DirtGuy.

It seems most people use domestic machines in their schools. I wonder what machines OUP or Cambridge intended their cds to be played in. I find the average boombox pretty crude for what I need in class.

Did you buy your Eiki in Taiwan? If so I'd appreciate it if you could let me know where from.

Chris

DirtGuy · Joined: 28 Dec 2004 Posts: 529

Chris,

I bought the Eiki in the States but you can probably order them from someone in Taiwan. They are used everywhere as they are built like tanks. I have seen them dropped on the floor while playing and literally never miss a beat.

Boomboxes in the classroom? Tell me about it. I used to use one but got so fed up with how poorly they worked that I bought the Eiki. Heavy and not cheap but worth it.

Try the website for a distributor. That's how I got mine.

Good luck.

Chris Smith · Joined: 01 Dec 2004 Posts: 86

Hi DirtGuy,

I did a pretty detailed search for their website and found they are a German company, so I requested information on their German website. I noticed there are several US online stores that offer their product, but couldn't find anything for Taiwan. Thanks for the lead all the same.

During the search I found some similar products. There's a Japanese company called Superscope that also sells in the US as well as Europe and Japan. Califone is a US manufacturer. I mailed them and got a reply saying they would look into it, but I guess they just don't have a distributer here.

Well, I'm going to ask some publishers directly to see what they recommend, but if anyone else can suggest makes or models here I'd appreciate it.

Chris

Chris Smith · Joined: 01 Dec 2004 Posts: 86

So finally I found a supplier of Eiki cd/tape players in Taiwan. They can be found at Feng Chi Trading and are located near the Presidential building in Taipei City. Their web address:

http://www.fengchi.com.tw

These portable machines are expensive ( $15,000NT each ) and the minimum order is four. However, they are especially for the teaching market and the features are pretty cool. Oh, and they are a Japanese brand, not German.

If anyone is interested in buying these machines you should contact Juliana Ho, whose spoken English is great. Her email address is:

[email protected]

Of course the company has its own service center for these machines.

Chris

DirtGuy · Joined: 28 Dec 2004 Posts: 529

Chris,

Glad to hear you found a source and thank you for the info. Now I can get mine fixed if needed when I get there. These things are built so tough I doubt they require much service.

Perhaps you can piggy-back your order onto someone else's and get up to the dealer's minimum.

Go for the most expensive one. I think the model is something like 7070A. It is worth the price.

Rolf