I think your course is well organised and is great for beginners as well as more advanced. I've only listened to about 30 lessons so far. I like that at any time I can review lessons. It's also great to be listening to native speakers. Unfortunately there is no short cut to learning a new language especially when it comes to tonal Asian languages. Conversation context is great.

Seeing the pinyin makes a big difference. I like to picture it in my head when composing sentences and having the tones works helps a lot. Your product is great! Especially now I can visualise the tones.

Thorough explanation of each new word as it arrives in each lesson. Emphasis on, 'see and hear' , motivation tips, hints, cultural backround. Lesson notes etc. Emphasis on tones, which aids listening and pronunciation. Literal translation of dialogue, which helps with grasping grammar and aids memory. Creative combinations of new words and phrases (for a beginner), which reinforces lessons. What has pleasantly surprised me is the ability to use of your site for each lesson. You are well postioned to become a real choice for learning Chinese...