Chinese

Introduction

Thank you for choosing our Chinese tests.

To help evaluate the Chinese levels of non-native Chinese speakers across the world, Hanban has developed three exams, HSK (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi), YCT (youth learner test) and BCT (business Chinese test). We will provide outstanding examinees with scholarships and all of you with opportunity of summer/winter camps, intending to attract learners to apply to our Chinese evaluation system.

Up to now, the Chinese testing centers have spread all over domestic and foreign lands. Internationally, there are 180 testing centers in 60 countries. And in 2009, more than 600,000 Chinese learners registered and attended our tests, among which, 436 received scholarships and 333 winter camps.

Our aim and purpose include –

• initiating/perfecting a Chinese evaluation system that is practical, motivational and effective, so as to enhance the qualities of Chinese teaching and learning internationally;

• providing Chinese evaluation services that are the most influential and reliable.

Chinese Proficiency Test (HSK)

The new HSK test was launched by Hanban in an effort to better serve Chinese language learners. The test is the result of coordinated efforts by domestic and foreign experts from different disciplines including Chinese language teaching, linguistics, psychology and educational measurement. The new exam combines the advantages of the original HSK while taking into consideration recent trends in Chinese language training by conducting surveys and making use of the latest findings in international language testing.

The new HSK is an international standardized exam that tests and rates Chinese language proficiency. It assesses non-native Chinese speakers’ abilities in using the Chinese language in their daily, academic and professional lives. HSK consists of six levels, namely the HSK (level I), HSK (level II), HSK (level III), HSK (level IV), HSK (level V), and HSK (level VI).

Details are as follows

Test Structure

Test Levels

The levels of the new HSK correspond to the levels of the Chinese Language Proficiency Scales for Speakers of Other Languages (CLPS) and the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEF) as follows:

New HSK	Vocabulary	CLPS	CEF
HSK (Level VI)	Over 5,000	Level V	C2
HSK (Level V)	2500	Level V	C1
HSK (Level IV)	1200	Level IV	B2
HSK (Level III)	600	Level III	B1
HSK (Level II)	300	Level II	A2
HSK (Level I)	150	Level I	A1

Test takers who are able to pass the HSK (Level I) can understand and use very simple Chinese words and phrases, meet basic needs for communication and possess the ability to further their Chinese language studies.

Test takers who are able to pass the HSK (Level II) have an excellent grasp of basic Chinese and can communicate in simple and routine tasks requiring a simple and direct exchange of information on familiar and routine matters.

Test takers who are able to pass the HSK (Level III) can communicate in Chinese at a basic level in their daily, academic and professional lives. They can manage most communication in Chinese when travelling in China.

Test takers who are able to pass the HSK (Level IV) can converse in Chinese on a wide range of topics and are able to communicate fluently with native Chinese speakers.

Test takers who are able to pass the HSK (Level V) can read Chinese newspapers and magazines, enjoy Chinese films and plays, and give a full-length speech in Chinese.

Test takers who are able to pass the HSK (Level VI) can easily comprehend written and spoken information in Chinese and can effectively express themselves in Chinese, both orally and on paper.

III. Test Principles

The new HSK follows the principle of “test-teaching correlation”, bases the design of the test on the current trends in international Chinese language training, and is closely related to textbooks. The purpose of the test is to “promote training through testing” and “promote learning through testing”.

The new HSK emphasizes the objectivity and accuracy of the evaluation and stresses the learners’ actual Chinese language abilities.

The new HSK sets clear test objectives to allow the test takers to be able to improve their Chinese language abilities in a systematic and efficient way.

Testing Purposes

The new HSK retains the former HSK’s orientation as a general (or universal) Chinese language abilities test for adult learners. The results of the test can serve several purposes:

A reference for an educational institution’s decision-making concerning recruiting students, assigning students to different classes, allowing students to skip certain courses and granting students academic credits.
A reference for employers’ decision-making concerning the recruitment, training and promotion of test takers.
A method for Chinese language learners to assess and improve their proficiency in Chinese.
A method for Chinese language training institutions to evaluate training results.
Results Certificate

Test takers will receive the results for the new HSK issued by Hanban within one month after the test.

5 Reasons Why Chinese is Difficult

Chinese is not the easiest language for an English speaker to learn! In fact, it takes much longer to learn Chinese than many other languages (Spanish, French, German…). The United States State Department estimates it to take almost 88 weeks to be advanced conversational.

So, what’s the deal? Why is Chinese so hard? Is there a way to make it not so hard? Today we’ll give you 5 reasons why Chinese is difficult.

Note: if you’re thinking about learning Chinese, then make sure to take your free 1-on-1 trial class with a The Beevor Academy! Classes can be taken.

Reason #1: Chinese tones are hard (and unfamiliar!)

English is not a tonal language. Adding tones to every word you speak is a very unfamiliar and difficult process for non-native speakers.

First, you need to listen and comprehend the tone, which is difficult at the beginning (more so if you’re tone deaf!). Then you need to be able to make the same tone sound with your mouth. Then you need to apply these tones to every word of every sentence you speak quickly. What a process! It takes a long time to get good enough to understand a fast-talking native Chinese speaker and talk back with them!

Reason #2: Chinese is not a phonetic language

Chinese language learning for kids

Chinese doesn’t use an alphabet. It’s a pictorial language that relies on strokes and radicals to make up individual Chinese characters that then go on to make up Chinese words. This means that you cannot just read the language after you learn the alphabet. You need to learn all these components and memorize each distinct Chinese character in order to read it. Not very efficient, huh?

Reason #3: Chinese requires a lot of memorization

Chinese characters for kids

To learn Chinese, you need to learn Chinese words. For each word, you need to memorize 4 different things. The meaning, the pronunciation, the tone, the character. And really, you need to memorize the radicals that make up the character and practice writing this character by repeatedly writing it on blank sheets of paper! The process of learning to read, write, listen, and just one Chinese word is exhausting! And there are so many of them!

Reason #4: Chinese is a bit ambiguous

Chinese words and characters

Chinese is famous for having tons of homonyms and lack of grammar. This can make it easy to get started… but hard to get good. Especially in spoken conversations where characters aren’t there to clarify things.

There are tons of homonyms in Chinese! The word “he” “she” and “it” all have the same pronunciation and same tone “ta” with a first tone. So when you hear a story about how she gave it to him… it just sounds like “ta” gave “ta” to “ta.” Sometimes when you hear a story in Chinese you’re never quite sure who is doing what to whom with what!

Reason #5: Chinese has many accents and dialects

Just like there are many versions of English (American, British, Australian) there are many dialects of the Chinese language family. While some can be mutually understood (slightly different accent, slightly different localisms) other ones are not the same. There are dialects like Shanghainese and Ningbonese that you still will not be able to understand.

How to overcome the difficulties of Chinese

So far, overall over 1 billion people have learned it! So it’s not impossible to learn Chinese by any stretch of the imagination. You can learn Chinese at any point in your life (kids, teenager, adult) and you can still get close to approaching fluency. See how hard (or easy!) the language is for yourself by trying our free trial class. Cheers!