Chinese Language Studies

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Chinese Language Dictionaries

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• Yellow Bridge
  This is a Mandarin-English dictionary and thesaurus. It not only shows the definition, but also thesaurus, animated stroke order, example sentences, etymology, etc. It is a great tool to learn Chinese.
  Level: B1 – C2
• LINE Dictionary
  Providing free dictionary and free translator. Chinese -English Dictionary with pinyin, and translations.
  Level: Beginners
• Zdic汉典.
  This dictionary supports a search of character by pinyin while provides detailed explanation of the specific character from basic information to classic explanation by ShuoWenJieZi and KangXiZiDian. The web also provides thesaurus and ChengYu (set phrases) dictionary as well as Chinese poems and classic literatures.
• Chinese Thesaurus 近义词词典
  Great dictionary for synonyms and associations. Level: B1 – C2
• Idiom Dictionary 成语词典
• A collection of useful phrases in Mandarin Chinese in traditional and simplified characters and pinyin。本词典支持按名称、解释、拼音等，也可以按汉字开头、结尾条件进行搜索。Level: B1 – C2
• iCiba 爱词霸
  One of the best English to Chinese dictionaries Level: Beginners and Advanced Learner
• Chinese-English Dictionary--A Chrome extension
  (On Google Chrome) Simply go to a web page in Chinese and hover over the Chinese characters with your mouse to see a pop-up window open up showing the English translation along with the Pinyin romanization. After installing the extension it can be turned on and off by clicking on the little icon in the upper right-hand corner of the browser. When activated, the word "ON" is displayed in red over the icon of the extension. Otherwise the extension is inactive.
• ViewVoice - Great Tool for Practicing Pin-Yin
  (Available on both ios App Store and Google Play) ViewVoice is a great tool for practicing Chinese pinyin, as it contains all pinyin initials (consonants), finals (vowels) and syllables (combinations) with standardized pronunciation. The four types of rising-falling tones for certain characters and words are all visualized, and the tone in users' responses can also be visualized and compared to the correct pronouncing. Feel free to explore it!
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Placement Tests and Practice Exams

• Find your Language Level
  The following resources will help you determine your language level, practice for exams, or understand the certificates you need to attend Chinese Colleges and Universities.
  
  Chinese Standard Test (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi)

  New HSK	Vocabulary	CLPS	CEF
  New HSK (LEVEL I)	150	LEVEl I	A1
  New HSK (LEVEL II)	300	LEVEL II	A2
  New HSK (LEVEL III)	600	LEVEL III	A3
  New HSK (LEVEL IV)	1200	LEVEL IV	A4
  New HSK (LEVEL V)	2500	LEVEL V	A5
  New HSK (LEVEL VI)	Over 5000	LEVEL V	A6

  
  Test takers who are able to pass the HSK (Level I) can understand and use very simple Chinese phrases, meet basic needs for communication and possess the ability to further their Chinese language studies.
  
  Test takers who are able to pass the HSK (Level II) have an excellent grasp of basic Chinese and can communicate in simple and routine tasks requiring a simple and direct exchange of information on familiar and routine matters.
  
  Test takers who are able to pass the HSK (Level III) can communicate in Chinese at a basic level in their daily, academic and professional lives. They can manage most communication in Chinese when travelling in China.
  
  Test takers who are able to pass the HSK (Level IV) can converse in Chinese on a wide range of topics and are able to communicate fluently with native Chinese speakers.
  
  Test takers who are able to pass the HSK (Level V) can read Chinese newspapers and magazines, enjoy Chinese films and plays, and give a full-length speech in Chinese.
  
  Test takers who are able to pass the HSK (Level VI) can easily comprehend written and spoken information in Chinese and can effectively express themselves in Chinese, both orally and on paper
• Language Proficiency-Quick Test
  
  • HSChinese Language Proficiency Test
    This online Chinese level tests is for you to get a better idea of your approximate Mandarin level. It will takes 15 minutes or more to complete.

  • Test your Pinyin Level (Pinyin Test)
    The proficiency test below is made up of multiple sections, each comprised of 10-15 questions. 90% the questions are Pinyin instead of the actual characters.
• Practice Exams - HSK
  
  • Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi HSK

  The new HSK test was launched by Hanban in an effort to better serve Chinese language learners. The test is the result of coordinated efforts by experts from different disciplines including Chinese language teaching, linguistics, psychology and educational measurement. The new exam combines the advantages of the original HSK while taking into consideration recent trends in Chinese language training by conducting surveys and making use of the latest findings in international language testing.

  • New HSK Level 1 - Sample exam (listening material)
    New HSK Level 2 - Sample exam (listening material)
    New HSK Level 3 - Sample exam (listening material)
    New HSK Level 4 - Sample exam (listening material)
    New HSK Level 5 - Sample exam (listening material)
    New HSK Level 6 - Sample exam (listening material)
  • New HSK Oral Exam - Sample exam (practice material)
  • Hello HSK
    This is an online training system that provides proficiency tests and training courses to help practice with HSK and general Chinese skills.
• Cultural Proficiency
  
  • China Education Center - These websites offer a comprehensive look at the ins and outs of studying abroad in China, such as obtaining a visa, choosing a city, searching for universities, applying for scholarships, and much more.
  • China Culture
    This website provides general introduction about Chinese culture, fun facts and many other information.
  • CCTV English
    The official website of CCTV in English which provides a lot of videos introducing Chinese culture.

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Podcasts

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Speaking and Comprehension

• Growing up With Chinese
  Entertaining, fun and easy to follow. This series teaches 300 of the most commonly spoken Chinese phrases. You can learn how to use these phrases in daily conversation. It is hosted by Charlotte MacInnis, known to the Chinese audiences as Ai Hua.
  Level: A1 – B2
• Text to speech
  Input any amount of Chinese into the box and the website will read it back to you in Mandarin. Good way for non speakers or struggling readers to hear the language
  Level: A1-A2
• Duolingo - Chinese
  The well-know language learning website which has Chinese listening and speaking practice for free.
  Level:A1-A2
• Arch Chinese
  Allows students to practice with tone.

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Reading and Writing

• Modern Chinese Poem Collection近现代诗歌
  The sources contains those most famous Chinese modern poets like Beidao, Luxun, Haizi.
  Level: A2-B2
  
• The Chairman’s Bao app (TCB)
  This a news-based learning app for students with a more advanced level, but also can be a good resource for beginners. -Not free
  
• Chinese TextbooksGrade 7-9 Grade 10-12
  The series of Chinese textbook which is widely used around Beijing. The language level is suitable for Chinese language learners who are already able to read long paragraphs and need to develop their reading comprehension. There are practice questions after each article.
  Level: B1-C2
• Pinyin Typewriting搜狗拼音输入法
  One of the most commonly used Chinese input method in the way of pinyin. Useful tool to help type in Chinese.
  
• Chinese Character Handwriting Learning
  The website allows students to learn to write Chinese Character in correct order.
  Level: A1-B1
  
• HSK Locker
  The app is based on test-type questions from official HSK vocabulary lists and has a good SRS algorithm. The main problem that I see is that the vocabulary is slowly unlocked, starting with HSK1-level words, which means that if you have a higher level, in the beginning, it might be a bit annoying to go over all of the basic vocabulary.
  
• Chinese Writer by trainchinese
  Contains 600 letters from HSK Level 1, suitable for beginners learning Chinese handwriting strokes.

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Film and Video

大头儿子小头爸爸 “Big Head Son and Small Head Dad” (children's cartoon):
Length: 8 min
Level: A1-A2
那年那兔那些事 (animation)
A Chinese cartoon telling the history of modern China in animated character of a rabbit. The series is keep producing.
Length: 8 min
Level: A1-B1
Doraemon-ドラえもん-哆啦A夢 (Anime Series with Chinese soundtrack)
Doraemon is originally a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Fujiko F. Fujio. The story revolves around a robotic cat named Doraemon, who travels back in time from the 22nd century to aid a boy named Nobita Nobi. **In this Chinese version, the dialogues are spoken relatively slowly and clearly compared to most Chinese TV series and films, so it will be very helpful for language learning.**
Length: 10 min
Level: A1-A2
TV Shows (电视剧)
家有儿女 Home With Kids Season 1-4
Home with Kids (家有儿女), is a sitcom/drama from Mainland China. It is considered to be an equivalent to Growing Pains, a US sitcom. Unlike most Chinese multi-camera sitcoms, Home With Kids prominently uses child actors as main roles. As a spiritual successor of China's first multi-camera sitcom, I Love My Family, the series also reunites Song Dandan and Wen Xingyu. (Also one of Wen's final roles before his death)
Length:25 min
Level: A1-B2
痞子英雄 Black & White (modern cop drama):
It was a 2009 Taiwanese Drama starring Vic Chou, Mark Chao, Ivy Chen, and Janine Chang. It was produced by Prajna Works and directed by Cai Yuexun with location filming in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Length:60 min
Level: B2-C2
蜗居 "Dwelling Narrowness" (modern drama):
It is a 2009 television series broadcast in Mainland China, based on a 2007 novel of the same name. It depicts two sisters struggling with life in Jiangzhou, a fictional city that strongly resembles present-day Shanghai. The Chinese name is a figure of speech meaning "humble abode". Because a prominent storyline portrays the difficulties of buying an affordable home in the city, the show has become a symbol of the perceived ongoing real estate bubble in China, generating controversy in the Chinese press and attracting attention from foreign media sources.
Length: 45 min
Level: B1-C2
Movies On Sansspace Server (电影)
洗澡Shower:
Probably my favorite movie for learning Chinese. At the risk of oversimplifying, it’s a moving story about a dad, and his two sons, who operate a bathhouse. The movie manages to capture a family drama inside a bigger community (the bathhouse) amidst bigger societal changes that are happening in China (destruction of the traditional hutongs in Beijing to pave the way for larger real estate development projects). The actors here are also household names in China (Zhu Xu, Pu Cunxin, Jiang Wu).
Length: 47min
Level: A1-B1
天下无贼 A World Without Thieves:
Star-studded cast (Andy Lau, Ge You, Li Bingbing…) in an action drama about expert thieves on a train who compete to steal an idealistic/clueless boy’s life savings.
Length: 180 min
Level: B2-C2

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Art and Art History

Shanghai Review of Books上海书评
A website from Pengpai News (The Paper) collecting book reviews from scholars and intellects which discussed new posted books and ideas.
Level: B1-C2
Duxieren读写人
Duxieren is a website contains reviews and analysis from big newspapers and magazines.
Level: B1-C2
CNKI中国知网
A source for Chinese scholars and students to search for academic papers. It's the bigger platform for academic research nationwide.
Level: C1-C3
NetEase Reading网易云阅读
A general searching engine for published Chinese books. It provides availability for readers to read online with reasonable price.
Level: B2-C3
CAFA中央美术学院
The official website of Central Academy of Fine Arts in China, which is one of the best art education insinuate in China. The web provides news and critiques about art both Chinese and worldwide.
Level: B2-C3

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Culture and Literature

• Classical Chinese Literature
  Seven most important Chinese classical books (道德经 Tao Te Ching, 孙子兵法 The Art of War, 唐诗 Tang Poems, 论语 The Analects, 中庸 Doctrine of the Mean, 大学 The Great Learning, 孝经 Classic of Filial Piety). This web has translation for every signle Chinese character and word association on the side.
  Level: C3
• The Four Great Classical Novels中国四大古典名著
  The four novels commonly regarded by Chinese literary criticism to be the greatest and most influential of pre-modern Chinese fiction.They are Water Margin （水浒传）, Romance of the Three Kingdoms （三国演义）, Journey to the West （西游记）, and Dream of the Red Chamber （红楼梦）.
  Level: C3
• Chinese Notes
  This page list a corpus of Chinese text. Follow the link under each entry title to a page that collects together similar texts. Each text includes notes about the source and vocabulary. You can click on each Chinese word for the English definition and other information about the word. It contains both ancient and modern works, so it is good for students who are interested in Chinese literature.
  Level: C2-C3

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Teaching and Tutoring

• Tourbuilder
  Tour Builder is a tool to tell a story. It is new way to show people the places you've visited (literally, : virtually or in a text) and the experiences you had along the way using Google Earth. It lets you pick the : locations right on the map, add in photos, text, and video, and then share your creation.
  Level: A1 – C2
• Anki: Review your vocabulary
  Anki is the most popular SRS based software to study using flashcards and probably one of the best apps to review your lessons or/and learn new words. With Anki you can create your customized decks or download decks from the public database. At
• Worksheet Builder
  Create your own fill-in-the blank worksheets quickly.
  Level: A1 – B2
• Chinese Worksheet Builder
  A Great collection of class and internet activities, and pdf worksheets and on line exercises. Can also use this website to create Filling the Blank Chinese Worksheet or Fill in the Missing Strokes Chinese Worksheets, etc. It has many Chinese specific worksheet generators.
  Level: A1 – C2
• Chinese Character worksheet
  It is important to write Chinese characters properly from the beginning. Once you get bad habits, it is very hard to correct them later. Arch Chinese offers unique, innovative character worksheet and word worksheet to help you learn how to write them correctly and beautifully. You can generate handwriting worksheets quickly by entering (or copy & paste) Chinese characters into the Chinese character box and press the Generate Worksheets button. You can enter both simplified and traditional characters into the character box. The English definition and Pinyin will be pulled from our built-in Chinese-english dictionary. You can customize them as needed before you press the Generate Worksheets button.
  Level: A1-B2
• Pinyin Learning App
  The app help students to learn the rules of pinyin (both showing strategies and letting student to spell).
• Pronunciation of Pinyin Syllables (in MP3)
• Pinyin Pronunciation Learning Video in English

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Bibliographies and Citations

Chinese Citation Guideline
MLA Bibliography
MLA Reference Guide
APA Reference Guide
Chicago Guide