mark1888 Posted August 9, 2004 at 06:18 PM Report Share Posted August 9, 2004 at 06:18 PM Hi I'm looking for some information and guidance about the HSK. I have been living in China (teaching english) now for 6 months now and studying chinese for 3. I plan to stay here until june 05 and have set myself a goal of sitting a HSK exam of some level. I have completed Yong Ho's Beginners Chinese book and am slowly progressing through 'Easy way to learn chinese characters'. I have also completed pimsleurs madarin chinese I and am about to move onto II. I would be extremely grateful if someone could recommend a HSK level to aim for and the materials needed. Also if anyone has any information on taking the HSK in the PRC (Dates, Locations, Cost etc.) that would be great. I understand this information is already out there but any websites I find have the annoying habit of going from english to full chinese characters when I find any useful links, oh well thanks in advance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geraldc Posted August 9, 2004 at 07:24 PM Report Share Posted August 9, 2004 at 07:24 PM HSK info thread I think you'll probably be better off sitting the foundation level. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geek_frappa Posted August 9, 2004 at 08:03 PM Report Share Posted August 9, 2004 at 08:03 PM http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&q=hsk+test+site%3Awww.chinese-forums.com welcome to the forum!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark1888 Posted August 10, 2004 at 06:19 AM Author Report Share Posted August 10, 2004 at 06:19 AM Ok so Foundation level it is. Cheers for the links ive had a good look but can't seem to find any mention of HSK Foundation Level Materials. If anyone has any recommendations that would be great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beijingbooty Posted August 10, 2004 at 09:06 PM Report Share Posted August 10, 2004 at 09:06 PM all bookshops that sell learnng chinese stuff have heaps of hsk prep materials. If you live outside of China, then there are many websites selling the stuff also. However, my suggestion is to buy an HSK dictionary. make it your goal to master 90% of the contents, including the examples given with each word. That is what I did with my hsk and I got an a grade. All you need is a good dictionary, dont waste money on the other stuff. The other stuff may sound more fun, but in the end, all you need to pass hsk is some damn hard work. A dictionary will provide you with that. As far as listening comp, watch chinese tv, listen to chinese radio. Personally I do not find specialised tapes helpful. You pay all that cash for them, and then after you have listened once, you know the conversation, so they are uselss after the first time you listen. As far as writing goes, just practice writing out all the characters in the hsk dicitionary. HSK dictionasry has all the commonly used characters used in the exam, also most hsk dictionaries have a character list at the back, master this list and you will pass hsk. The above methods got me an a grade, i am sure they will for you too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geek_frappa Posted August 10, 2004 at 10:23 PM Report Share Posted August 10, 2004 at 10:23 PM ... yes... and practice everyday. EVERYDAY. even if you forget to eat, remember to practice. everyday u lapse in practice will haunt you on test day ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roddy Posted August 10, 2004 at 11:07 PM Report Share Posted August 10, 2004 at 11:07 PM There aren't that many materials produced for the HSK Foundation - it's a relatively new exam. However, a decent beginner's textbook and a practice exam paper (downloadable from hsk.org.cn, when it works) should do the trick. Roddy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geek_frappa Posted August 11, 2004 at 12:48 AM Report Share Posted August 11, 2004 at 12:48 AM roddy, should we just take the beginner level just to get it out of the way? or should the test be taken in succession? what do you recommend? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roddy Posted August 11, 2004 at 11:15 AM Report Share Posted August 11, 2004 at 11:15 AM I don't know - if you aren't a confident language learner and will get discouraged by exposure to the intermediate level stuff you come across in the elem/int exam, stick with foundation. However, if seeing all that intermediate stuff will just motivate you, go for it . . . Do we have anyone who's taken both? I've only taken the elem/int exam (twice) Roddy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark1888 Posted September 2, 2004 at 08:01 PM Author Report Share Posted September 2, 2004 at 08:01 PM Cheers for the advice guys. I will invest in a HSK dictionary during my next trip to Beijing. I guess really I would just like to get a good grasp of basic chinese including characters during my time here. Taking the HSK is just to give me something to aim towards and to add to my resume. After alot of searching I think I will go for the Integrated Chinese series and/or Practical Chinese Reader. I guess I will decide which one when I get to the bookshop and have a look. They seem to be the most popular and have a lot of supplementary material available (which I need!) Does anyone have any advice on these series? ie Which is better? Which supplementary materials are worth buying? Also are these books easily available in Beijing and does anyone have any idea of the prices? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beijingbooty Posted September 5, 2004 at 09:01 PM Report Share Posted September 5, 2004 at 09:01 PM Go to the Beijing Wangfujing foreign language bookstore on the main Wangfujing shopping street plaza area. They have a massive amount of chinese learning stuff. It is all cheap if you buy in China. If you buy in the west then the prices are at least 4 times as much. You can also easiily order all this stuff on the web. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark1888 Posted September 25, 2004 at 05:25 PM Author Report Share Posted September 25, 2004 at 05:25 PM Can anyone recommend a HSK dictionary? Is there a paticular one thats best for beginners? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harvey Posted April 5, 2005 at 04:09 PM Report Share Posted April 5, 2005 at 04:09 PM Can anyone recommend a HSK dictionary? Is there a paticular one thats best for beginners? I'm wondering the same. Also does anyone happen to have recommendations for HSK materials available in Japan? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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