Learn about Chinese proficiency tests
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Intro |
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| Michael: What are some common Chinese proficiency tests? |
| Dehua: And how do I choose the right one for me? |
| Michael: At ChineseClass101.com, we hear these questions often. Consider the following situation. Emma is talking to Jack about her attempts to motivate herself to study Italian harder. She says, |
| "I have to take the HSK." |
| 刘 艾玛: 我需要考HSK。 (Wǒ xūyào kǎo HSK.) |
| Dialogue |
| 刘 艾玛: 我需要考HSK。 (Wǒ xūyào kǎo HSK.) |
| 琼斯 杰克: 汉语水平考试？ (Hànyǔ shuǐpíng kǎoshì?) |
| Michael: Once more with the English translation. |
| 刘 艾玛: 我需要考HSK。 (Wǒ xūyào kǎo HSK.) |
| Michael: "I have to take the HSK." |
| 琼斯 杰克: 汉语水平考试？ (Hànyǔ shuǐpíng kǎoshì?) |
| Michael: "The Chinese Proficiency Test?" |
Lesson focus |
| Michael: The Chinese Proficiency Test is the standardized test for non-native Chinese speakers to assess their language abilities in daily, academic, and professional life. The test has six levels, with HSK Level I being the most basic and HSK VI being the most advanced. |
| Dehua: The test is in Mandarin Chinese and all the characters are written in Simplified Chinese characters. In HSK 1 and HSK 2, Pinyin is also provided next to the characters. |
| Michael: Let's have a brief look at what each level requires and we'll show you some of the sample sentences for each level. As you listen along, you can test yourself to have a rough idea of which level is the right one for you. |
| For HSK 1, you are expected to master 150 common words and basic grammar. In this level, you might hear or see words such as |
| Dehua: 朋友 (péngyou), |
| Michael: meaning "friend," and sentences such as |
| Dehua: 他在医院工作，是个医生。(Tā zài yīyuàn gōngzuò, shìgè yīshēng) |
| Michael: This means "He works at a hospital. He is a doctor." |
| Michael: HSK 2 requires 300 common words and related grammar patterns. You are expected to be able to communicate in simple and routine tasks. In this level, you may see expressions like |
| Dehua: 病好了 (bìng hǎole). |
| Michael: Do you know what it means? It means "recovered from illness." The sentences are also longer than the ones in Level 1. For example, |
| Dehua: 别走路的时候看报纸，对眼睛不好。(Bié zǒulù de shíhou kàn bàozhǐ, duì yǎnjīng bù hǎo.) |
| Michael: This sentence means "Don't read newspapers while walking. It's bad for your eyes." |
| Michael: HSK 3 requires 600 common words and related grammar patterns. The duration of the test is longer than the previous two. It takes about 90 minutes. You may see phrases like |
| Dehua: 明天是晴天 (míngtiān shì qíngtiān), |
| Michael: meaning "Tomorrow is a sunny day." and sentences like |
| Dehua: 我准备给你妹妹介绍个男朋友。(Wǒ zhǔnbèi gěi nǐ mèimei jièshào gè nán péngyou.) |
| Michael: It means "I'm planning to introduce a boyfriend to your younger sister." |
| Michael: HSK 4 doubles the vocabulary requirement again and the test takers are expected to know 1200 commonly used words and related grammar patterns. At this level, you are able to talk about a wide range of topics in Chinese. An example expression in this level is |
| Dehua: 工作压力大 (gōngzuò yālì dà), |
| Michael: meaning "a lot of pressure at work." An example sentence is |
| Dehua: 我看上了一双挺漂亮的鞋，还打折。(Wǒ kàn shàng le yīshuāng tǐng piàoliang de xié, hái dǎzhé.) |
| Michael: It means "I am interested in a pair of pretty shoes, and they are on discount." |
| Michael: Level 5 asks for 2500 common words and related grammar patterns. At this level, you are expected to be able to read Chinese newspapers and watch Chinese films. An example expression in this level is |
| Dehua: 对海鲜过敏 (duì hǎixiān guòmǐn) |
| Michael: meaning "allergic to seafood." Here is an example sentence: |
| Dehua: 地方戏对京剧的形成产生过影响。(Dìfāngxì duì Jīngjù de xíngchéng chǎnshēngguo yǐngxiǎng.) |
| Michael: This sentence means "The local traditional Chinese opera has influenced the development of Peking Opera." |
| Michael: Lastly, HSK 6 aims at five thousand or more words. At this level, you are expected to be able to comprehend information in Chinese easily and express yourself effectively. An example expression in this level is |
| Dehua: 没有什么抱负 (méiyǒu shénme bàofu) |
| Michael: meaning "not have much ambition." Here is an example sentence: |
| Dehua: 现代社会要求人们思想敏锐，探索精神和创新能力，对自然、社会和人生具有更深刻的思考和认识。(Xiàndài shèhuì yāoqiú rénmen sīxiǎng mǐnruì, tànsuǒ jīngshén hé chuàngxīn nénglì, duì zìrán, shèhuì hé rénshēng jùyǒu gēng shēnkè de sīkǎo hé rènshi.) |
| Michael: This long sentence means "The modern society requires people to have a sharp mind, spirit to explore and ability to innovate, as well as deeper thoughts and understanding about nature, society, and life." |
| Michael: Have you been able to follow along? Which HSK level do you think is the one for you? |
| Practice Section |
| Michael: Let's review the sentences we've heard in this lesson. I'll say the sentence in English, and then I want you to try and reply in Chinese. Dehua will then model the correct answer—listen to her carefully and repeat, with emphasis on your pronunciation. |
| Do you remember how to say "I have to take the HSK?" |
| [Beep. Pause 5 seconds.] |
| Dehua: 我需要考HSK。 (Wǒ xūyào kǎo HSK.) |
| Michael: Did you get it right? Listen again and repeat. |
| Dehua: 我需要考HSK。 (Wǒ xūyào kǎo HSK.) |
| [Beep. Pause 5 seconds.] |
| Dehua: 我需要考HSK。 (Wǒ xūyào kǎo HSK.) |
| Michael: Now, for our next sentence. Do you remember how to say "The Chinese Proficiency Test?" |
| [Beep. Pause 5 seconds.] |
| Dehua: 汉语水平考试？ (Hànyǔ shuǐpíng kǎoshì?) |
| Michael: Listen again and repeat. |
| Dehua: 汉语水平考试？ (Hànyǔ shuǐpíng kǎoshì?) |
| [Beep. Pause 5 seconds.] |
| Dehua: 汉语水平考试？ (Hànyǔ shuǐpíng kǎoshì?) |
| Cultural Expansion |
| Michael: HSK does not have a speaking section. If you want to assess your Chinese speaking skills, there is a separate test for it called HSKK, and the extra K stands for |
| Dehua: 口语 (kǒuyǔ), |
| Michael: which means "spoken language." |
Outro |
| Michael: Do you have any more questions? We're here to answer them! |
| Dehua: 再见！ (zàijiàn!) |
| Michael: See you soon! |
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