I started listening to your podcast when you first started, maybe a week or two behind. I just returned from China. Your lessons helped a lot. I gave listened to a lot of Chinese lessons and I really like yours. I like the way you describe each individual words with literal translations. I did not realize you just started learning 3 years ago until today when I heard the lesson. What I like about your lessons is your precise, deliberate pronunciation of each word.

I have a close Chinese friend who listened to some of the recordings on my IPod - she said go with CLO. She constantly remarks on my great accent which she says is always the biggest problem.
I travel a great deal and knowing Chinese, even a little, can only be helpful when 1/4 to 1/3 of the worlds' population speaks Mandarin Chinese. You are doing a great job - I seem to be going very slowly; however, my friend says I am not but rather she is impressed with where I am and again is most concerned about the correct accent.