HSK Vocabulary amount, additive or cummulative?

[deathtrap]

Hi,

The amount of vocabulary for the new HSK levels are:

HSK 6 -> 5000+

HSK 5 -> 2500

HSK 4 -> 1200

HSK 3 -> 600

HSK 2 -> 300

HSK 1 -> 150

My question is: Are those amounts the total for each level including the previous levels, or is it for each level separately? For example, for HSK 4 is it 1200 words total or 1200+600+300+150 which is 2250 words total?

So for HSK 6 is the total only 5000 words or 9750 words?

[gato]

It's cumulative, i.e., HSK 6 requires a total of 5000 words.

See these earlier discussions about the vocabulary needed for the New HSK vs. the Old HSK. The old HSK vocabulary list had almost 9000 words total in its four levels.

http://www.chinese-forums.com/index.php?/topic/23431-new-hsk-advanced/

New HSK Advanced

http://www.chinese-forums.com/index.php?/topic/20933-taking-the-hsk-already-taken-it-report-in-here-2009/page__view__findpost__p__212266

Taking the HSK? Already taken it? Report in here! (2009)

It is estimated that one needs a vocabulary of about 10,000 word families to read a general college-level text:

http://books.google.com.hk/books?id=ugT6ImoQO-8C&pg=PA143&lpg=PA143&dq=Schmitt+15000+words&source=bl&ots=DwKDixqKi1&sig=spSb-2PEZ_7B4QWB1yxf55lWfk4&hl=en&ei=rtZLTIPfAsmwcffwrasM&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CBcQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q&f=false

Vocabulary in language teaching By Norbert Schmitt

[deathtrap]

Thanks for clearing that up, I feel much better

What exactly does "College level text" mean? Is that just college level Chinese literature, or does it include individual subjects like Chemistry which includes such topics as High Pressure Gas Fracturing? or Computer science and topics like artificial intelligence? Philosophy?

[gato]

Take a look at the Norbert Schmitt book on vocabulary linked above. 10,000 word families is for general text (like a history book). For books in a technical area, you'll obviously need to know words in that specialty. Some specialties have a higher level of jargon than others.