User Comments - ElijahW
ElijahW
Posted on: Tips on How To Prepare for the HSK
October 14, 2018 at 12:42 PMIf I could throw in my opinion here...
A good place to start is with Hanban’s own practice tests. They’re available if you create and account and log in at chinesetest.cn. Also, if you’re outside the Mainland, those HSK 6 practice test materials are posted on Google Drive here: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1DSXv6hC_-v9luamLusr57AdRlZeeB7nL
The chinesetest.cn website also has paid online practice tests, but I haven’t tried them. It looks like you need a Chinese bank account in order to pay for them.
In addition, Beijing pumps out a lot of practice material, produced by people close to the actual creation of the HSK. These people really know their stuff. In my opinion, ChinesePod would not be wise to compete with the experts in that field. My observation has been that ChinesePod tends to shine brightest when it stays focused with razor sharp concentration on accomplishing one thing really well: Filling up the gap in the dry, barren landscape of real-life spoken Chinese materials.
The HSK, on the other hand, is loaded with vocabulary that I’ve never encountered in real-life conversation. As Quinn Cash mentions on his website hsktests.com, preparing for the HSK involves studying “thousands of vocabulary words, many of which aren't commonly used in daily life.” The Chinese in the listening section of the HSK is, frankly, a bit weird. People just don’t talk like that. Several of the HSK help sites I’ve visited talk about that reality.
In a comment below I mentioned the 标准教材 (“Standard Course”) for HSK, and it includes CDs for the listening portions. I’d much rather buy dry, stuffy marterial like that for test prep, and see ChinesePod really put its effort back into creating fun and interesting dialogues again.
Posted on: Five ways of seeing: 看、见、看见、看到、看出
October 14, 2018 at 12:42 PMIf I could throw in my opinion here...
A good place to start is with Hanban’s own practice tests. They’re available if you create and account and log in at chinesetest.cn. Also, if you’re outside the Mainland, those HSK 6 practice test materials are posted on Google Drive here: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1DSXv6hC_-v9luamLusr57AdRlZeeB7nL
The chinesetest.cn website also has paid online practice tests, but I haven’t tried them. It looks like you need a Chinese bank account in order to pay for them.
In addition, Beijing pumps out a lot of practice material, produced by people close to the actual creation of the HSK. These people really know their stuff. In my opinion, ChinesePod would not be wise to compete with the experts in that field. My observation has been that ChinesePod tends to shine brightest when it stays focused with razor sharp concentration on accomplishing one thing really well: Filling up the gap in the dry, barren landscape of real-life spoken Chinese materials.
The HSK, on the other hand, is loaded with vocabulary that I’ve never encountered in real-life conversation. As Quinn Cash mentions on his website hsktests.com, preparing for the HSK involves studying “thousands of vocabulary words, many of which aren't commonly used in daily life.” The Chinese in the listening section of the HSK is, frankly, a bit weird. People just don’t talk like that. Several of the HSK help sites I’ve visited talk about that reality.
In a comment below I mentioned the 标准教材 (“Standard Course”) for HSK, and it includes CDs for the listening portions. I’d much rather buy dry, stuffy marterial like that for test prep, and see ChinesePod really put its effort back into creating fun and interesting dialogues again.
Posted on: Tips on How To Prepare for the HSK
October 14, 2018 at 9:33 AMI just purchased the “Standard Course” for HSK 6 (标准教程). This did not exist my first time doing the HSK 6, so I’ve never used it before. Several of my tutors recommended it, and once I am through with it, I am confident I will be recommending it too.
I bought it on Taobao, but a Google search also brought up this website:
https://www.hskstandardcourse.com
Posted on: Five ways of seeing: 看、见、看见、看到、看出
October 14, 2018 at 9:33 AMI just purchased the “Standard Course” for HSK 6 (标准教程). This did not exist my first time doing the HSK 6, so I’ve never used it before. Several of my tutors recommended it, and once I am through with it, I am confident I will be recommending it too.
I bought it on Taobao, but a Google search also brought up this website:
https://www.hskstandardcourse.com
Posted on: Tips on How To Prepare for the HSK
October 13, 2018 at 12:49 PMKlausthul,
That’s a great question. I’m traveling right now, so I’m a bit limited in the looking I can do. I have a couple of friends checking into it though.
My gut reaction is “no,” since the HSK was created and is exclusively administered by a branch of the Mainland’s government. Taiwan has its own Chinese proficiency exam. A quick search turned up some references to one place where it was possible, but no one seemed quite sure.
I’ll try to get a solid answer eventually. And, of course, if there are any poddies studying in Taiwan who know the answer, hopefully they’ll chime in.
Posted on: Five ways of seeing: 看、见、看见、看到、看出
October 13, 2018 at 12:49 PMKlausthul,
That’s a great question. I’m traveling right now, so I’m a bit limited in the looking I can do. I have a couple of friends checking into it though.
My gut reaction is “no,” since the HSK was created and is exclusively administered by a branch of the Mainland’s government. Taiwan has its own Chinese proficiency exam. A quick search turned up some references to one place where it was possible, but no one seemed quite sure.
I’ll try to get a solid answer eventually. And, of course, if there are any poddies studying in Taiwan who know the answer, hopefully they’ll chime in.
Posted on: Tips on How To Prepare for the HSK
October 12, 2018 at 10:56 PMSorry about the confusion over the passing score! It is indeed 180.
I forgot to mention Hanban’s 4th purpose for the HSK: to evaluate their own programs. If they have a group of students who aren’t passing the HSK according to expectations, this alerts Hanban to a problem. They can then check up on the quality of the teachers and search for a solution.
Posted on: Five ways of seeing: 看、见、看见、看到、看出
October 12, 2018 at 10:56 PMSorry about the confusion over the passing score! It is indeed 180.
I forgot to mention Hanban’s 4th purpose for the HSK: to evaluate their own programs. If they have a group of students who aren’t passing the HSK according to expectations, this alerts Hanban to a problem. They can then check up on the quality of the teachers and search for a solution.
Posted on: 同舟共济-中非合作
October 8, 2018 at 4:43 AM我在东北上过四个学期的报刊课，是我一生最痛苦的事情之一，所以我也有看法。我先多想想再说。
Posted on: Five ways of seeing: 看、见、看见、看到、看出
October 17, 2018 at 12:33 AMNot really. Hanban also has the YCT (Youth Chinese Test) and the BCT (Business Chinese Test). Neither of them go as high as the HSK 6.
Hanban recently started an exam for prospective teachers of Chinese as a foreign language (info here). It’s fairly new. I’ll be looking into it more thoroughly in the future.