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Learner Reviews & Feedback for Chinese for HSK 1 by Peking University

4.9
stars
2,393 ratings

About the Course

Nǐ hǎo! 你好!Welcome to Chinese for HSK Level 1 - a Chinese course for beginners. My name is YU Bin. I am very happy to meet you here! HSK stands for Hànyǔ (Chinese) Shuǐpíng (level) Kǎoshì (test), which is the most important Chinese proficiency test in use today. It assesses non-native Chinese speakers’ abilities in using Chinese in their daily, academic and professional lives. Chinese for HSK Level 1 is the first part of the 6 levels and assesses test takers’ abilities in the application of everyday Chinese. It is the counterpart of Level 1 of the Chinese Language Proficiency Scales for Speakers of Other Languages and the A1 Level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. You will learn:  30 video lectures with dialogue role plays by PKU students;  More than 150 commonly used words;  Around 50 key grammar points;  New words and texts via audio;  Quizzes for each lesson and HSK test papers;  Videos for 70 basic Chinese characters (optional);  Supplementary materials about China (optional). In short, the course covers the four skills although only listening and reading are tested in HSK. At the end of the course, you will be able to understand and use simple Chinese phrases, meet basic needs for communication and possess the ability to further your Chinese language studies. Have a fantastic journey of Chinese learning. For more information about HSK please visit: http://english.hanban.org/node_7581.htm....

Top reviews

AG

Jan 4, 2019

finally an online course that delivers, great way to kickstart or reboot your chinese. the formula of the lesson is simple and easy to follow, a fantastic way to start, definitely moving on to HSK2

TR

May 22, 2019

Excellent course, Yu Bin explains the material very well and the content is well organised. I would have liked further explanations on the grammar and additional practice exercises beyond the quiz

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26 - 50 of 720 Reviews for Chinese for HSK 1

By Christian S

Nov 12, 2017

O curso abrange de forma muito inteligente o principal vocabulário do HSK I. Muito bom. Simples, rápido e eficiente.

By Frank D

Jun 27, 2020

its a bit fast and not many explainations so you have to study a lot by your own. I Have done additional work with Hello Chinese App

By Barry O

Feb 9, 2019

I liked the course overall, the instructor was very consistent, pleasant and easy to follow. This course was very well balanced, lots of quizzes so students can monitor their progress. Also optional elements of writing Chinese characters and learning tidbits about Chinese culture were a nice addition. I'm happy to give the course 5 stars.Minor suggestions would be to make the final test more readable (too much scrolling involved between questions). Also could have been a bit more careful with the English, as someone who lives and works in China - I suggest English should always be proofread by a qualified native speaker, but this rarely happens, however it didn't affect the quality of the course, just as an English teacher I notice these things.

By Caroline B

Dec 25, 2022

Thanks to the teacher for everything she's done for me. I really enjoyed the past 7 weeks. I think for learners of Chinese this course must be very helpful for a better understanding of Chinese.

By Idiomas E

Jun 7, 2022

I can't believe this courses are free, and that they even take you up to HSK 6! Thanks a lot, my skills in Mandarin improved drastically after taking these courses!

By Emmi

Jun 13, 2021

This course has helped me so much to build my Chinese language skills in ways it would've been impossible if I did everything alone. Four stars out of five, because sometimes (most of the time) words only stuck to my short-term memory. I'll probably have to review a lot of stuff before the last test, but that's okay, Rome wasn't build in a day. This was (and still will be for the last week) a really good start for me on my Mandarin learning. Thank you💖

By Jennifer S

Dec 4, 2017

This course moves very fast. It is nice to have the online option to go back and review, but would love to have built in practice/repetition more frequently and at a slower pace. So thankful for this course and the opportunity to begin to learn some basic Chinese. It would be great to have flashcards attached or downloadable and more tone practice. Thanks!

By Thomas M

Feb 23, 2017

Some good material overall, but the notes are not correctly formatted, tests are not formatted that well, lessons are not that clearly structured

By Andres L

Mar 1, 2022

Not very new come friendly.

By NATASHAH B

Mar 4, 2024

I cannot recommend the "Chinese for HSK 1" course on Coursera highly enough! As someone completely new to the Chinese language, I was initially apprehensive about diving into a new script and vocabulary. However, this course exceeded all my expectations. The structure of the course is brilliant. It starts with the basics, gradually building up vocabulary, grammar, and listening skills in a logical and systematic way. Each lesson is well-paced and thoughtfully designed to reinforce previously learned material while introducing new concepts. One of the highlights of the course is the interactive nature of the lessons. The combination of video lectures, quizzes, and exercises keeps the learning experience engaging and dynamic. Furthermore, the inclusion of cultural insights adds depth to the lessons, providing context and enriching my understanding of the language. The instructors are exceptional. Their clear explanations, enthusiasm, and passion for teaching shine through in every lesson. They make learning Chinese enjoyable and accessible, even for beginners like myself. Another aspect worth mentioning is the flexibility of the course. I appreciate being able to study at my own pace and revisit challenging concepts as needed. The supplementary materials, including downloadable resources and practice exercises, are invaluable for reinforcing learning outside of the online platform. Moreover, the community aspect of the course is fantastic. The discussion forums provide a supportive environment where learners can interact, ask questions, and share their experiences. This sense of community fosters motivation and keeps me accountable throughout my learning journey. In conclusion, "Chinese for HSK 1" on Coursera is an outstanding course that delivers results. Whether you're learning Chinese for personal or professional reasons, this course equips you with the essential skills needed to succeed in the HSK 1 exam and beyond. I'm incredibly grateful for this opportunity to learn from such dedicated instructors and would wholeheartedly recommend this course to anyone interested in mastering the basics of Chinese.

By Shylene N

Oct 27, 2021

I've given this course 5 stars because it exceeded all my expectations. From teacher YU Bin's teaching which was amazing, to the additional resources. I like that there are resources to learn to write the characters though I wish the manual for the characters included all the words learnt in the module as some characters are more complex and a little guidance in writing would be helpful. The tests are effective enough to gauge your understanding and identifying your pitfalls to improve. Also because English is my 3rd language it's really useful that Chinese uses PInyin makes it easier to learn. I recommend this course to anyone who's truly committed to learning Chinese. Can't wait to become fluent from the rest of the modules!

By Jesús A M M

Dec 3, 2016

This course was worth every minute I spent on it. My Chinese vocabulary increased a lot along with my ability to communicate in the language. The course is well structured so that it is always interesting to follow, you grab most of the 150 HSK 1 words in a way that does not feel awkward (Peking University did a great job grouping them) and the basic grammar without actually studying it (i.e. without memorizing structures). The professor and the staff are excellent, and the material is not less than first-rate.

I learned more in this 6-week course (7, but the last week is just the final test) than in 3 months attending to (Chinese) classroom class.

By Bhavik A M

Dec 28, 2017

This is a great course for anyone who wants to start learning Mandarin Chinese. It does exactly what it says; prepares you for Chinese for HSK Level 1. It is a great course for anyone who wants to pick up the language. Be sure to have the time to do this course because it does require you to spend 6 hours a week (for complete beginners). The additional Writing Chinese Characters sections were also very helpful.

I will be continuing onto the Level 2 course in the New Year once I've gone through the material in this course one more time. Language learning is not easy so make sure you dive in when you've got the right amount of time!

By Julie

Feb 20, 2020

I have really enjoyed this course. It is well structured with a manageable amount of words/phrases to learn in each lesson. I also liked that there was a balance between reading, listening, speaking and writing. The course instructor was fantastic and it has been wonderful watching and learning with her everyday. I have been learning Chinese before I move to Shanghai later this year and after doing this course, I have been confident enough to sign up for my HSK 1 exam next month! Thank you so much for all of your help and putting me on the path to successfully learning Chinese! Looking forward to moving on to HSK 2 with you! : )

By Candy L

Dec 28, 2020

Tai hao le!! I learned so much in this course, it's really structured so well and if you follow the modules the repetition of speaking, reading and listening helps. Print out the worksheets and study the hanzi on your own, be sure to memorize them for reading. Memorize your vocabulary and sentences as well as grammar. I really appreciate this course and excited to move on to the next level! I can speak Chinese and hear it now, after just a few weeks. (I took this course in 2.5 weeks)

Instuctor: Please include self study worksheets and a final study sheet with vocabulary before the final test to help self study! Thank you!

By Enid C

Jun 18, 2017

The course was very good. I learned to say phrases that are more idiomatic than I epected they would be.

For instance, "learn to drive" turns out to be, "xue che" rather than xuehui che.. I learned another use of ne when asking questions. And very importantly I learned the Han zi for 4 Great classical works., as swell as some facts about China.I recommend the course to those who are beginning the study of Chinese, i have studied for a long time and would like an intermediate level course. Thank you for helping me with some important and daily use phrases and for important info about China.

By Michael Z

Aug 20, 2017

This course offers a great introduction to Chinese! I started this course with no background in Chinese, and I know have a great grasp of basic concepts. You probably won't end the course with the ability to write, or even recognize, Chinese characters, but you will be able to listen to and speak about some elementary concepts. It is taught with both pinyin and Chinese characters, so you can focus on writing with pinyin and recognizing (not necessarily practicing the ability to write all of) the characters. The weekly quizzes are very useful for testing your grasp of the concepts, too.

By Hossein Z

Apr 25, 2022

It is a perfect course! I highly recommend students to learners who wants to learn Chinese with a good pace and in a systematic way, the content of each week is suitable and adequate you can learn constantly the basic knowledge for your daily life in China! it is a perfect course to start with.

personally, I prefer there more focus was devoted to writing Hanzi (Chinese characters), there was more space to include more videos about writing Chinese characters in this course. I wish Peking university propose more courses about writing and learning Hanzi for Chinese learners.

By TAN S C P

Apr 23, 2017

Have completed HSK Level 1 and have benefited much from this Course. I am now able to converse basic Mandarin to food vendors and friends, Wish to provide a few feedbacks for improvement. Certain Videos are slightly faulty, and the certain audio of two of the Weekly Test are not available. Also, the Chinese writing strokes be given stroke by stroke and at the end to mention the words and the meaning. Wish to say Thank You to my Teacher Yu Bin for teaching me. I wish to proceed t o HSK Level 2. Could I continue with the Lesson 2, again with financial assistance.

By Mujahid A

Dec 7, 2017

The course is perfectly designed for the beginners. It has made learning Chinese very easy and fun. I could not imagine how easy it is to learn Chinese via the course. I recommend you take this course if you want to learn mandarin in no time. I am really thankful to teacher Yu Bin and the team. My first step towards learning Chinese inspired me and was very easy. Now, I think I can learn the whole Chinese language. I will keep taking steps and pray for you. May you also keep going.

Thank you once again Miss Yu Bin and the team.

Regards: Mujahid Ali

By Ashley G

Sep 29, 2018

I thoroughly enjoyed this course! Short lectures, lots of practice with listening and reading as well as with character recognition. I also really liked that the questions we practiced with in the lectures and quizzes were the same types that we would see in the final exam. My favorite part, though, may have actually been the peer assessment and submission. I liked that I had to speak and put it out there for my peers to listen to and review. It certainly helped! I would definitely recommend this course to beginner chinese language learners.

By Isabella A

Mar 5, 2022

I think this course helped me incredibly with gaining a solid footing in Chinese. I wish we focused a little more on characters so that memorization and recognition of Chinese characters were a little easier. I also would have preferred if the quizzes and tests were longer and more difficult. I often found it hard to formulate full sentences in my head as well. I wish we had more assignments where we could practice using the material. Overall though, I still think the course was great and well done. So glad to have experienced using it!

By Melanie R

Oct 30, 2017

I really enjoyed taking this class. Professor Yu's explanations are very clear and the pace is progressive enough for complete beginners to complete the course. All the vocabulary and grammar you need to pass the HSK1 test is also covered. Resources such as a textbook can help you revise afterwards. I'd tested a couple of other Chinese language MOOCs before and this is the best I found. Effective and very enjoyable to watch. Thank you to all the team of Peking University that provided us with such quality contents.

By Harry A

Aug 20, 2017

I had some vocabulary with almost no grammar coming into this course and this helped me organize my basics to a level where I'm more confident listening to and talking to Chinese friends.

Highly recommended for beginners and people with some Chinese who have not yet done HSK1. Reading Chinese characters isn't required, but you'll pick up some of them automatically. There are optional materials that show how you write Chinese characters. The quizzes/tests are all listening and reading.

By Domenic B

Nov 19, 2016

This is a great course to prepare for the HSK 1. I really think I could not have completed the course successfully without having prior knowledge of Chinese though. While there are no prerequisites for the course, I recommend that a person have some background with the language; otherwise you will be overwhelmed by the third week and perhaps lose interest. There are a number of free resources on the internet, and particularly You Tube videos, to become familiar with the language.