Chinese language and culture 3600-7-SI5-JKCH4

HSK Standard Course 6 is suitable for learners who have studied Chinese for more than 360 class hours and have roughly mastered the 2,500 words included in the syllabi of the new HSK levels 1–5. It is designed for learners preparing for the HSK Level 6 exam.

Structure of the Book:
The course is divided into two volumes (upper and lower), with a total of 40 lessons across 10 units. The textbook covers the 2,500 new words included in the HSK Level 6 syllabus, along with some words beyond the syllabus (marked with an asterisk “*”). Each lesson is recommended to take 6–8 class hours.

Design Principles:
This textbook largely inherits the approach and format of the previous HSK Standard Course levels 1–5, but extends the difficulty, depth, and breadth. It is also specifically adapted according to the characteristics of the HSK Level 6 exam.

Lesson Structure:
Each lesson is divided into six main sections: Warm-up, Text (including new words), Annotations, Exercises, Application, and Extension.

Warm-up:
The warm-up aims to engage learners’ interest and prepare them for the new lesson. It consists of two parts:

The first part uses pictures to introduce some of the new words of the lesson, present the topic, spark discussion, and review previously learned words related to the new vocabulary.

The second part expands learners’ vocabulary using morpheme-based word formation. It helps learners become more familiar with Chinese word formation patterns and the comprehensibility of Chinese vocabulary. Principles followed include: (1) choosing morphemes with strong word-forming ability, (2) using morphemes that have been previously learned, and (3) ensuring the meanings of morphemes are relatively focused. The warm-up is designed to be relevant, comprehensive, interesting, and practical. Teachers can assign it as pre-class preparation or spend a short time on it at the beginning of class.

Text:
All lesson texts are based on topics statistically determined from real HSK Level 6 exam materials. Each unit has a common theme, with four lessons per theme. Texts cover a diverse range of topics found in HSK Level 6 exams. The 40 lessons in total cover topics including humanities, society, science and technology, nature, culture, personalities, economy, professions, history, geography, literature, sports, daily life, arts, and military topics. This ensures comprehensive coverage of the syllabus, while also including topics relevant to HSK Level 6 vocabulary but not yet seen in actual exams, such as military topics. Selected texts prioritize practicality, interest, accuracy, authenticity, and educational value. Text length gradually increases from about 700 characters to around 1,500 characters, allowing step-by-step progression. The texts mainly use narrative and argumentative styles, with some descriptive and expository elements, helping learners master multiple writing styles.

Annotations:
The annotation section in the upper volume has two parts:

The first part is “Comprehensive Annotations”, which explains difficult words and structures in the text from semantic and pragmatic perspectives, with examples and exercises, aiming for learning while using the language.

The second part is “Word Analysis”, which compares pairs of easily confused words. In addition to explaining similarities and differences with examples, it includes four immediate practice exercises.
The lower volume includes these two parts plus “Text Rhetoric”, which aims to improve learners’ discourse comprehension and expression abilities.

The pace of learning is flexible according to the students’ abilities; there is no requirement to complete a specific number of lessons, and the main focus is on practical application.