Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi Research Articles

Chinese Folk Songs Can Facilitate Chinese Language Learning - A Pilot Study.

While previous research has demonstrated the beneficial role of pop music in foreign language learning, there is a lack of studies exploring the potential impact of Chinese folk songs on Mandarin language acquisition. This study aimed to investigate whether a curriculum based on Chinese folk songs enhances the outcomes of Mandarin Chinese learning in foreign speakers. International students in a university in Beijing who were attending regular Mandarin courses were allocated into two groups: the group receiving an additional Chinese folk song-based curriculum (intervention) and the group not (control). Mandarin proficiency after one and two semesters between the two groups was assessed using the Chinese Proficiency Test (i.e., Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi, HSK) by the Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE) analyses. 16 international students were analysed (intervention: 8; control: 8). After adjusting for time, the intervention group showed a significantly higher HSK score in listening section (adjusted β = 7.86, p = 0.015) than that of the control group. In conclusions, Chinese folk song-based curriculum has the potential to enhance Mandarin listening among foreign speakers.

The Study on Sentence Difficulty of the Chinese Components

In recent years, reading comprehension has gradually become a proficiency indicator of interest in lexical and grammar. As sentences are the basic units of discourse structure, sentence difficulty is often applied to the study of text difficulty. Although there have been a number of studies on sentence difficulty, the lack of consistency in the indicators chosen or the discussion of specific grammatical issues have limited the research on sentence difficulty. Therefore, this study adopts a corpus-based approach, using a corpus as an objective and scientific data source. The study utilizes the Digital Platform for Chinese Grammar and the 8000 Chinese Words as important reference sources. Additionally, the CRIE 3.0 is employed to validate the texts and establish sentence difficulty indicators. However, due to the incomplete development of certain indicators in the "Chinese Grammar Digital Platform", the study refers to the Chinese Proficiency Grading Standards for International Chinese Language Education and Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi to establish comprehensive sentence structure and sentence component difficulty indicators. Subsequently, the established difficulty indicators are validated by conducting comparative analyses using corpora as the basis. Native speaker corpora are used as benchmarks, while Mandarin learner corpora are used for comparison, and then validate objectively through the machine learning model. These validation aims to examine the validity and reliability of the selected indicators and establish a calculation method involving " level of grammar * point distribution ratio of grammar " to determine the difficulty indicators for Chinese sentences, Additionally, expert reliability is accessed to ensure the credibility of indicators.

Influencing Factors of Chinese Proficiency Test Learning Application Under the Framework of Seamless Learning

With the development of modern information technology and network society, the era of digital transformation has arrived, many educational resources have been developed and utilized, and the problem of space-time separation of global Chinese learners is gradually being solved. The use of mobile application learning can achieve convenient and fast learning, reduce learning costs, and flexibly adjust learning progress. After experiencing COVID-19, the demand for human-computer interaction in mobile learning is even more necessary. Therefore, to make applications achieve seamless docking with the needs of learners in the design of learning, the research investigates and analyzes the five dimensions of time, space, mode, subject, and object. The research tests the reliability and validity of the questionnaire, removes the relevant items and conducts non-parametric tests, then puts forward corresponding strategies according to the results of the questionnaire. It aims to enhance the efficiency of Chinese learners in HSK (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi, Chinese Proficiency Test) learning and promote Chinese learning and the spread of the Chinese language and culture.

The Usefulness of Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi (2010) Reading Test

The Usefulness of Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi (2010) Reading Test

Proficiency Test Training for Mandarin Learners in Surakarta

Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi (HSK) or the Chinese Language Proficiency Test is an international standardized test in Chinese language proficiency. It is used to assess non-native Chinese speakers’ ability in using the Chinese language in their daily, academic, and professional lives. The purpose of administering training activities for the HSK Mandarin competency test is to help Mandarin language learners know the importance and benefits of the Mandarin language proficiency test (HSK) and where the certificate is used as one of the requirements to continue to a higher education level. It is also used to assess Mandarin language proficiency when applying to better job opportunities. The participants of this research are the teachers and students of SMA Bina Widya Solo where their learning system is at the HSK 4 level. The results showed that the students and the teachers of SMA Bina Widya Solo are more open to perspectives about the benefits of the HSK competency test as an instrument of measuring language skills that are internationally certified.
 Keywords: counseling, training, HSK, Mandarin language

Chinese Proficiency Test-based Teaching Scheme in Xth and XIth Grades of Bina Widya National Trilingual School Solo

The Chinese Proficiency Test or Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi (HSK) is an international standardized tool to measure the Chinese language competence of non-native learners. Bina Widya Trilingual National School Solo is a school that emphasizes foreign language teaching, Chinese language in particular. The school always promotes learners to pursue higher education in China, where one of the requirements to enter a Chinese College is the HSK certificate. Thus, it is important to create a Chinese Proficiency Test-based teaching scheme to provide a general picture of Chinese language teaching that focuses on the outcomes according to the levels of HSK for the teachers. The modified Development Method of Sugiyono was employed in this study. The research included identifying the potential and problem, collecting the data, validating the design, designing the product, revising the design, testing the product, revising the product, and finally producing the final product. Through the Chinese Proficiency Test, the teachers could actively create the Chinese language teaching concept for the best outcomes.
 Keywords: scheme, pedagogy, Chinese language, HSK

Implementation of the Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi and its Home Edition During the Covid-19 Pandemic: A Survey of European Test Centres

The Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi (HSK) test is a standardized Chinese language proficiency test targeting non-native speakers. Compared with other Chinese proficiency tests, the HSK has the largest test population in the world and has attracted the most academic research. This article examines how the HSK was carried out during the Covid-19 pandemic and the issues facing home-based HSK test, the so-called HSK Home Edition. The results of a primary survey showed that the majority of test centres in Europe opted to implement the traditional paper-based format of the HSK during the Covid-19 pandemic, despite the availability of the HSK Home Edition. Concerns related to technical and security issues were among the major factors that hindered successful implementation of the Home Edition. Of the test centres that utilised the Home Edition, they rated their overall experience as satisfactory. This finding suggests that concerns relating to technical and security issues associated with the adoption of the Home Edition may be less daunting than anticipated. Additional training for test centre staff could improve the implementation of the Home Edition.

ANALYSIS OF HANGMAN GAME IMPLEMENTATION FOR HSK TEST PARTICIPANTS USING FLUTTER

Mandarin Chinese, more commonly known as Modern Chinese, is one of the worlds’ many languages. It is the mainofficial language of the People’s Republic of China, and it is also one of the most anticipated languages across the world. In year2020, the Mandarin language is the second most spoken language in the world at 1.12 billion speakers. To facilitate the growinguse of Mandarin in the workplace, more and more private schools are teaching Mandarin as a second language. This leads to a needto assess the expertise of the speakers, which leads to the creation of certain Chinese proficiency tests such as Hanyu ShuipingKaoshi (HSK). To support HSK test takers, the author intends to provide a new kind of media to help the test takers expand theirvocabulary. With the help of Flutter and Firebase Cloud Firestore, the result is an e-learning mobile application, served as ahangman game. Survey results show people are interested in the application and believe that it can help the players expandtheir vocabularies.

A Study of Chinese learners’ Beliefs, Strategy use and Proficiency in Learning Chinese as a Foreign Language

This research is a mixed-methods study that examined Chinese learners' beliefs and strategies used in language learning in the context of their achieved proficiency. To investigate the relationship existing between these variables, two survey questionnaires, a Chinese proficiency test (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi: HSK 4), and an interview item were constructed. In total, one hundred and twenty international students were conveniently sampled for the BALLI and SILL questionnaires, as well as a Proficiency Test, and six out of the one hundred and twenty were selected to respond to the interview. The results revealed that learning beliefs about learning and communication strategies and metacognitive strategies in learning strategies were frequently used among these participants. The study also showed that a strong positive correlation exists between learning beliefs and the strategies used, while a weak positive and statistically significant correlation exists between their Chinese proficiency, learning beliefs about the language, and the strategies used. However, the regression analysis conducted showed that the regression model is statistically significant (F=70.63, p<0.05), indicating that the beliefs and strategies used have the potential to statistically predict their learning proficiency. The study concluded with suggestions on how to address negative learning beliefs and build adequate learning strategies to improve their Chinese proficiency.

Product Evaluation on the Chinese Language Program for International Students in a Chinese University

HanyuShuipingKaoshi (HSK) is an international standardized test, which means Chinese Proficiency Test in English. A minimum of HSK level 4 is needed for an international student to apply for an academic programme taught in Chinese language in the universities of China. Guided by product evaluation of Context, Input, Process, Product (CIPP) model, the test scores of HSK level 4 of the international students in a Chinese university are analyzed using effect size. Feedbacks from the international students who failed in the test of HSK level 4 are collected based on a questionnaire formulated by the researchers. The strengths, weaknesses, causes of failure and improving direction of the one academic year’s Chinese language program in this Chinese university are identified through the evaluation. The research aims to provide references for the improvement of Chinese language teaching in this Chinese university and universities with the same context. The research enriches the literature concerning the evaluation on Chinese language teaching and learning for international students in China.

Investigating the Influence of Different L2 Proficiency Measures on Research Results

Researchers have used different measures to examine participants’ second-language (L2) proficiency, yet it remains unclear how these different measures influence research results on the effect of L2 proficiency on the target variable. The present research explored the modulation effect of four different measures of L2 Chinese proficiency on Chinese phonological awareness (PA). Eighty-four L2 learners of Chinese who spoke English or Arabic as their first language completed four different measures of Chinese proficiency: a self-report measure of years of instruction in Chinese, a simplified Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi (HSK; a standardized Chinese language proficiency test), a reading comprehension test, and a Chinese character recognition test. The overall results of t tests and multiple regression analysis revealed that different measures of L2 proficiency led to various findings on the effect of L2 proficiency on Chinese PA. Compared with the other three measures, the HSK, a comprehensive examination of L2 Chinese proficiency, yielded the most consistent and reliable results with the largest effect size. Our findings contribute to the current understanding of L2 proficiency measures and to future efforts for the improvement of L2 proficiency tests for research purposes.

HSK – JĘZYKOWY PASZPORT DO CHIN. O EGZAMINIE Z PERSPEKTYWY POLAKÓW

HSK (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi – 汉语水平考试) and HSKK (Hanyu Shuiping Kouyu Kaoshi – 汉语水平口语考试) are the official Chinese language proficiency examinations for foreigners developed by Hanban (Office of Chinese Language Council International) and their results are acknowledged by many employers and institutions. They, for example, facilitate admission to universities, open the way to variety of scholarships, etc. But do they genuinely reflect the actual level of students’ proficiency? To answer this question, the authors has analyzed the structure and content of HSK and HSKK as well as their theoretical basis; they also tried to relate the Chinese examinations to the CEFR (2001). On the basis of their research, the authors point to the difficulties that Polish learners encounter when taking these examinations.

A Comparative Study of the History and Level Development of the Test of Chinese as a Foreign Language (TOCFL) in Taiwan and the Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi (New HSK) in Mainland China

In this paper, through the comparison between the development of the Test of Chinese as a Foreign Language (TOCFL) in Taiwan and that of the Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi (New HSK) in mainland China, we can not only comprehend the historical development of mainstream tests on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, but also catch a glimpse of the similarities and differences. Finding the inspiration from it, we hope that the language examination system on both sides of the strait could be improved and developed under knowing ourselves and others, in order to benefit the vast number of Chinese language learners.BR This paper used George Z. F. Berethay(1964)’s four-stage educational comparison method of “description, interpretation, juxtaposition, comparison” to make a careful comparison of historical development and level development between the TOCFL and the New HSK. As a result, from the development of Test Of Proficiency Huayu (TOP) to TOCEL, the level change is relatively stable and the change is not large. Also, due to the late starting, the TOCEL system structure is relatively perfect. However, comparison of the development from the old HSK to the new HSK reveals the great change and fluctuation of levels. Although starting earlier has its advantages, to reverse or revise a system or structure that has been in operation for a long time, it is necessary to reform it with great force. Fortunately, we can see the birth of the new HSK, which is more difficult than the development of TOCFL, and the project is also very large. In particular, under TOCFL’s first introduction of computerization, the new HSK has also moved into computerization and started to offer internet-based examination services in some examination sites to meet the market demand and increase efficiency.

Can Cultural Affinity Promote Trade ? HSK Test Data from the Belt and Road Countries

AbstractAs Chinese culture is “going out,” more and more non‐native Chinese speakers are beginning to study Mandarin and are taking the Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi (HSK) test. Mandarin has become a very important trade language for the Belt and Road countries. This paper uses the difference‐in‐difference model and the Mahalanobis distance and the nearest neighbor distance matching methods to study the internal relationship between culture “going out” and foreign trade. We find that cultural affinity is an important factor in promoting trade, and that the HSK project has expanded China's exports to the Belt and Road countries. Culture's promotion effect in Asia is stronger than that in Europe. Culture's promotion effect shows the characteristics of regional differences, a time‐lag and a fluctuating upward trend. Therefore, further enhancing the international influence of its culture would help China to find a new source of export growth.

Keterkaitan New HSK dan Kurikulum Bahasa Mandarin di Perguruan Tinggi

This research is to find out the correlation between the New HSK (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi)/International Mandarin Proficiency Test and the Mandarin Skill Curriculum in higher education in Indonesia, with case study at Chinese Department of Maranatha Christian University Bandung. Methods used in this research are survey and literature studies, with quantitative and qualitative analytic description. The results show that New HSK could be used as achievement tests for students of Chinese Department at each level of study. Besides, New HSK could also be one of measurement tools for curriculum needs analysis, which means that the change of students’ achievements in New HSK would decide the adjustments of the Mandarin skill curriculum at whole.

Let's tweet in Chinese! Exploring how learners of Chinese as a foreign language self-direct their use of microblogging to learn Chinese

Twitter is becoming increasingly popular as a medium for language learning. This study explores self-directed learning via social interactions that use Twitter as an interactive learning environment. The participants in this study were thirty university students of Chinese as a foreign language at levels 1 and 2 of the Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi (HSK). Prior to the Twitter activity they self-assessed their confidence on content topics and made plans to self-direct their learning for seven weeks. In addition, they all took part in a training session in which they were given written instructions on how to tweet in a group message-board setting. The data that were collected included students' responses to a motivation questionnaire before and after the Twitter activity (pre and post motivation), their tweets, their evaluation of the Twitter activity, and their learning achievement based on their scores in the final exam. The analysis of their tweets is related to the curriculum content and their Twitter (activity) plan. The results showed that the students created an interactive learning environment to practice their Chinese with their peers in active sentence constructions. Students' Twitter behavior and motivation for using Twitter to practice Chinese correlated significantly with their learning achievement. In addition, students became familiar with a range of choices to practice Chinese. However, half of them failed to follow the Twitter plan they had drawn up and only one-fifth of their tweets involved social interactions. Finally, barriers to and suggestions for future research on microblogging in the learning of Chinese are discussed.

Applying the writing scales of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages to the new HSK test of proficiency in Chinese: Realities, problems and some suggestions for Chinese language teachers and learners

This article explores levels of proficiency in Chinese with reference to the new HSK (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) Chinese Proficiency Test and the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). Special attention is given to learning and teaching the writing of Chinese characters and the use of Pinyin, a phonetic Romanization of the Chinese language. First, the feasibility of both language scales is considered as a means of capturing proficiency in Chinese; then descriptions of Chinese courses offered by university language centres are analysed; and finally, semi-structured interviews with teachers of such courses and their learners are reported. This results in a number of suggestions for specifying instructional designs for teaching Chinese writing skills.