Study HSK 1 With Me 1 by cuardai

CHINESE: HSK New Requirements

    One of my goals is to go for the HSK, which is an official, standard Chinese proficiency test. I was going to take HSK 2 this winter but then I learned that there will be a new version of the HSK going into effect in July 2021.

     The new version has a more specific classification system and it is considered more rigorous than the previous one. There are now 9 levels instead of the 6 levels in the previous system. The Elementary level (Bands 1-3), the Intermediate Level (Bands 4-6) and the Advanced Level (Bands 7-9). When all is said and done by the end of Band 9 the learner will have learned 11,092 vocabulary words, 572 grammar concepts and how to write Chinese Characters not just recognize them.

    The testing for bands 1-6 will be adjusted over the next 3-5 years but the test for bands 7-9 will be introduced in March 2022. The materials for bands 7-9 will be introduced in December 2021. For more information on the new HSK Testing System please see this website: The New HSK (2021): An Overview and What’s Changed. 

    So what does this mean for me? I don't know yet. I'm gong to talk to my Chinese teacher when I have my next class so that we can develop a plan that is more suited to what is required because I not only want to take the tests but I also want to be sure that when I take the next level tests I am prepared for the changes.

The Following is a table I have assembled from information I could find on the Internet.

 

CHINESE: Free resource online

HSK 1 Resource

YouTube: Free

A Course from Peking University

    One of the best ways for me to supplement my Chinese studies while mainly using my HSK books is to look online for resources that help me explain the concepts in the book and add some interesting facts to it. This is how I ended up finding this channel on YouTube. They have HSK 1-6 level courses. I am currently going through the HSK 1 videos.

    In the HSK 1 playlist there are 6 weeks worth of lessons and each week has 5 lessons. I just finished going through the first week of lessons. Each lesson is a mix of vocabulary words, dialogue, grammar and exercises to cement what you have learned in the lessons. 

    I don't take detailed notes, however I do note down things that I feel are important or that catch my interest. Here is an example these are my notes from all five lessons of week 1:

HSK 1: Week 1 all lessons.

    Two facts that I didn't know before I took these lessons and are not mentioned in the HSK books at least as far as I've gone so far are as follows: 

(1) When you say a phone number you don't use (yī) but instead you use (yāo). The reason is that (yī and qī) can sound the same when spoken and to keep things from getting confusing they use (yāo). For those who don't know (yī and yāo) are the number 1 and (qī) is the number 7. 

(2) When you are making plurals using (men), you can only use this method with people, never objects or animals. Examples are 我们 (We)， 他们 (They for mix of men and women or just men)， 她们 (They for women), 同学们 (Students) and so on. 

 This is my tip for a great resource today.

再见！