Free online Mandarin lessons

I've been working my way through the lessons on this website for my Chinese studies:

It seems that it was set up by Oxford University—not sure how long ago, but some of the video looks pretty old.

Anyway, I thought I'd point it out as I've been enjoying working through the lessons. They're just about the right level for me, and all the dialogues attempt to have some amusing point thrown in at the end. Even if the amusing point isn't funny in itself, just the intention can raise a smile.

Another interesting point is the acting. The women that appear in every video are pretty bad at acting—it's painful in places—but they're supported manfully by a middle-aged bloke who does a good job despite the crick-inducing woodenness going on around him.

But besides the cheesy humour, and bad performances, it's useful material with some good exercises thrown in for practice after you've watched the video. Take a look.