HSK Standard Course

[Larry Language Lover]

HSK Standard Course Textbooks and Workbooks

 

What is your evaluation of using these materials for learning Chinese?  Anything you would recommend a whole lot more?

If they are considered one of the best resources,  what's the cheapest place I can buy them at?

 

[Larry Language Lover]

No opinions or experience with these materials?   Isn't this the standard course out of China for exam preparation?

[mungouk]

I've used HSK 3 (10 chapters), HSK 4上 and am half-way through HSK 4下 (20 chapters in total across 2 volumes).

 

I find they're OK... I like the way they introduce the vocab in manageable chunks, about 15-20 words per chapter for HSK3 and about 30 words per chapter for HSK4. I've created StickyStudy decks that break down HSK 4 according to how the vocab is presented in the textbook, and that's working for me.

 

There are short dialogues/texts in each chapter (4 at HSK 3, 5 at HSK 4) plus gap-fill exercises etc.

 

I also like that both the textbook and the workbook come with MP3 audio — although I read somewhere recently that the newer editions require you to access it on an APP, which sounds like it could be inconvenient. Having the MP3s means you can move them around devices, chop them up for shadowing or whatever. 

 

I've also been working through the workbooks with my teacher in class, on the reading and "writing" exercises.  For HSK 3 I did all the workbook audio questions as well before launching into doing the sample exams, which aren't particularly numerous. The workbook exercises are like cut-down, shorter versions of the exam, one set for each chapter, and they only use the vocab you'll have studied so far up to that chapter, which is helpful. 

 

What I don't like is the sometimes-obtuse way they introduce grammar points, usually using baroque terminology and often without actually saying what the equivalent might be in English. I'm studying with a teacher so it's not a deal-breaker, and I do use Chinese Grammar Wiki a lot when I want a different explanation.  All the grammar is explained in Chinese as well as English, which seems pretty pointless at this level.

 

Also, I don't think they're available as e-books which seems like an oversight.

 

If you're in China then they're pretty cheap — I paid ¥40 each for the workbooks on JD.com.  Before I came to China I got the textbooks from https://www.purpleculture.net/ in HK and those are around USD 13-14. You can get them on Amazon as well. 

 

 

 

[jannesan]

I have used HSK 2-4 and currently studying HSK 5 one chapter per week.

I can't really compare to many other textbooks, I have only been reading through one of the new practical chinese reader books.

The texts are pretty good in my opinion, some even interesting.

They go through most of the important vocabulary and grammar structures, but the explanations are not that great.

Exercises are mostly building sentences with the key vocabulary and then a few more discussion exercises that I never do.

I think these books are suitable if you want to take the HSK exams and if you work on them together with a teacher (at least getting feedback on the exercises).

In any case you should read and listen to other resources on the side and try to get as much conversation practice in as possible.

 

Hope that helps

 

[mungouk]

Maybe I should add that I started off, at my teacher's suggestion, with the Integrated Chinese textbooks. This was with zero knowledge of Chinese (apart from a sketchy familiarity with some Hanzi due to learning some Kanji when studying basic Japanese). 

 

On the plus side, these are much better designed from a graphic design point of view, with every page in full colour. What I didn't like about them is that all the characters and dialogues seem like they're really intended for high school kids. These books also don't map out HSK vocabulary by level — the books I used had a mix of HSK 1, 2 and 3 vocab.

 

I went through all of Level 1 Part 1 and some of Level 1 Part 2, and then sat the HSK 2 exam.  After that we switched to the Standard Course books.

 

 

15 minutes ago, jannesan said:

if you want to take the HSK exams and if you work on them together with a teacher

 

Agreed — I wouldn't want to be working with these books without a teacher. 

[Larry Language Lover]

Are there any books you guys would strongly recommend for self-study without a teacher?

 

 

 

 

[道艺]

I used Hsk 4 上&下, and found most of the content pretty practical and general for most situations where you would use Chinese. Of course, no book will ever be as good as going out and talking to people ?

[DavyJonesLocker]

I am using them, on HSK 6 at the moment (previously used HSK5) . I think they are pretty good books, concise, stories well written, accurate, reasonably interesting  and thoughtout. 

There are so many sloppy  Chinese text books around that these are a very safe bet. NPCR series is excellent too. I suppose the only downside is that they are very narrative in nature, no dialogues (HSK5 & 6) and somewhat formal language  and naturally orientated towards the HSK word syllabus. Mind you at 5 and 6 they include a heck of a lot more words than the HSK syllabus and the word list at the start of the chapter (e.g. reading Ch15 HSK6 now,  47 new words but chapter has an extra 42 new words that i have marked)

 

However realistically you need a range of books to study chinese, espcially grammar books. No idea why this has lost favour now 

 

Suitability for self study? I think they are no better nor worse that other books around. The answers to the exercise (both work book and practice book) are available on the BLCUP website. Of course if you get stuck on something, it can be a problem

[mungouk]

On 11/30/2019 at 8:44 AM, Larry Language Lover said:

self-study without a teacher?

 

Assuming you've already studied plenty before with a teacher, so you can be accurate in your pronunciation?

 

(Since the HSK exam doesn't test pronunciation — or even speaking — at all.)

 

[Larry Language Lover]

12 hours ago, DavyJonesLocker said:

The answers to the exercise (both work book and practice book) are available on the BLCUP website. 

 

 

Do you have a link to the answer section?  I couldn't find it.

[Larry Language Lover]

9 hours ago, mungouk said:

 

Assuming you've already studied plenty before with a teacher, so you can be accurate in your pronunciation?

 

(Since the HSK exam doesn't test pronunciation — or even speaking — at all.)

 

I don't have a teacher,  but I do have a native Chinese conversation partner who is going over a set of textbooks for Chinese children overseas with me and corrects me when I read.

[DavyJonesLocker]

6 hours ago, Larry Language Lover said:

Do you have a link to the answer section?  I couldn't find it.

 

As an example, here is for HSK3

Textbook Answers: https://www.blcup.com/EnRes/ResInfo?rid=43620#001

Practice Book Answers and Audio: https://www.blcup.com/enRes/ResInfo?rid=10384#001

 

the website is not easy to navigate 

 

All textbook resources can be found here https://www.blcup.com/EnRes/ResList/index/15?pid=1&lx=1#001

 

[Larry Language Lover]

On 12/2/2019 at 6:39 AM, DavyJonesLocker said:

As an example, here is for HSK3

Textbook Answers: https://www.blcup.com/EnRes/ResInfo?rid=43620#001

Practice Book Answers and Audio: https://www.blcup.com/enRes/ResInfo?rid=10384#001

 

 

 

Thanks!  Are there links for HSK 4 and 5 answers?  I couldnt find them.

[DavyJonesLocker]

9 hours ago, Larry Language Lover said:

Thanks!  Are there links for HSK 4 and 5 answers?  I couldnt find them.

 

 

Here ya go ... seems like you have to register to download but its free 

 

TextBook Answers

HSK4 上 https://www.blcup.com/EnRes/ResInfo?rid=43621

HSK4 下  https://www.blcup.com/EnRes/ResInfo?rid=43622

 

HSK5 上 https://www.blcup.com/EnRes/ResInfo?rid=43623

HSK5 下 https://www.blcup.com/EnRes/ResInfo?rid=43624

 

HSK6 上 https://www.blcup.com/EnRes/ResInfo?rid=43625

HSK6 下 https://www.blcup.com/EnRes/ResInfo?rid=50295

 

TextBook Recording Script and Answers

HSK4 上 https://www.blcup.com/EnRes/ResInfo?rid=11444

HSK4 下 https://www.blcup.com/EnRes/ResInfo?rid=11552

 

HSK5 上 https://www.blcup.com/EnRes/ResInfo?rid=58148#001

HSK5 下 https://www.blcup.com/EnRes/ResInfo?rid=58148

 

HSK6 上 https://www.blcup.com/EnRes/ResInfo?rid=58149

HSK6 下 https://www.blcup.com/EnRes/ResInfo?rid=58150

 

 

[mungouk]

I only just realised that you can "look inside" the books on the online bookstore on that site.

 

Hit the "try read" button... very useful!

 

 

[Larry Language Lover]

On 12/4/2019 at 8:03 AM, DavyJonesLocker said:

 

Here ya go ... seems like you have to register to download but its free

 

 

Thanks, I appreciate that.

[mungouk]

@Larry Language Lover why don't you let us know your current level (you can put it in your profile), and what you're aiming to do?

It would make it much easier to understand what your needs are. 

 

 

[Larry Language Lover]

I've been told I'm around HSK 3 I guess but I've never taken any tests-