Other Listening Strategy Books for the HSK?

[bluetortilla]

I just bought

HSK 听力题型分析与训练 (BLCUP) from Amazon.cn

Looks like a great book if I had the audio.

I wasn't expecting any audio at all as there is no mention of it on Amazon and sure enough it didn't come with any. Well, OK, what good is a listening book with no audio (?), plus that although I personally don't have a tape player (checking BLCUP's web site that seems to be the only format that audio is available in) but could probably find one to borrow and audio-in to my computer to make aiff's or mp3's, I still feel a bit stymied as Listening is definitely the hardest part of HSK for me.

I imagine that's true for lots of folks, so I wonder why there aren't more listening books available (with CD!). Or else there are and I'm just missing them. Any help/suggestions would be appreciated.

[Ruben von Zwack]

That's odd. Which level of HSK are you at? My Hanban book came with audios (an mp3 CD). I think you already know you can find a hand ful of test audios on chinesetesting. In my opinion, when you've heard those, you've heard them all At least I feel confident enough to say that about the "lower" levels. No idea how 4+ are.

[bluetortilla]

Yes thanks. I do have the audio with Hanban practice tests. But the 听力题型分析与训练 is a strategy text for the listening section of the HSK. It analyzes questions by type, frequency, etc. and gives tips on what to listen for. Well, if there are no other books, there are no others. Even without the audio, checking it out today it's still seems quite useful.

I need to pass 5 by June 2014 or so (really 6 for my program but I can at enroll in grad school with 5). Right now I'm not passing 3 listening- but almost- and I'm just passing 4 reading and writing (well reading anyway! overall I'm passing). Taking 4 listening I might as well be randomly guessing. lol

[Ruben von Zwack]

I see! Sounds like a useful investment. Is it for all levels? I can't even imagine taking 4, and for me, too, listening is the most difficult part. But you have 9 months to go so that is good.

[bluetortilla]

I give up. The publisher doesn't seem interested. I'm just going to get my students to record the quiz transcripts for me! : D

[edelweis]

It looks like this book was published for the old HSK, perhaps that's why BLCUP does not see the need to make CDs available.

But I'm sure it is still useful anyway...

[bluetortilla]

Here's the email I got:

 

您好，非常抱歉，《HSK汉语水平考试听力题型分析与训练 
》没有CD或者MP3，并且此书已无货，不再重印了。

 

They shouldn't be selling this book without audio, and yet they are. Doesn't seem ethical to me. OK, if it's old HSK and they're discontinuing fine, but they should discontinue the book as well instead of selling an incomplete set. 

 

​And that's all I have to say about it, obviously- save one thing. I am going to get my students to make the audio (mp3) and will email it to anyone who wants it.

[Guest realmayo]

It makes complete sense to sell 听力 books without audio. If you have one teacher and a class of 20 students you'd need 21 copies of the book and just one set of tapes/cds/mp3s -- bit unreasonable to force the students to buy the audio, especially in the days when this meant a set of cassettes rather than one (presumably much cheaper-to-produce) CD.

 

As mentioned on another thread, the tapes are available to buy, e.g. http://www.studychineseculture.com/book.asp?id=3509

 

I've had no problem turning tapes into mp3s -- the most complicated thing was finding a walkman.

[bluetortilla]

Thanks realmayo, I did indeed find the tapes through studychineseculture.com. 

 

I would like to say though that I could not find them anywhere in Guangzhou or through Amazon, et. al., and the BLCU response (see above) says that the book is out of print with no reprint planned and there are no longer any tapes (or mp3s) available. So I don't think I can recommend this book, though it is well-written. Hopefully someone will make a new listening book soon.

 

Two books (both BLCU) I can recommend for HSK listening study are handbooks with (caution- a lot of drives can't play these) mini-cd's (mp3 format). They are:

HSK口语固定表达式 and

HSK口语习惯用语

 

The names might make you think they are for the speaking tests, but they are actually for 新HSK四级 and up. Basically they are a collection of widely used idiomatic or colloquial phrases with tons of great examples. No direct help with strategies though.

 

Without thinking I stuck one of the cd's into my mac laptop and couldn't get it out. Finally I was able to get it with a name card and a double-sided tape strip. Just a word to the wise if you buy it.