HSK2 – 2026 Winter: Curriculum Overview
This curriculum focuses on elementary communication at HSK2 level. Each week of this 13 week program introduces a new topic with 7 related stories in Mandarin Chinese.
.week-table th:nth-child(1), .week-table td:nth-child(1) { width: 5%; font-size: 0.85em; text-align: center; } .week-table th:nth-child(2), .week-table td:nth-child(2) { width: 45%; } .week-table th:nth-child(3), .week-table td:nth-child(3) { width: 50%; } .week-table { width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; } .week-table th, .week-table td { padding: 8px; border: 1px solid #ddd; } .week-table th { background-color: #f2f2f2; }| Week | Topic | What is Covered |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | Arrival in Shanghai | Eduardo arrives at the university dorm and Sabina meets her host family. Grammar: Use of 是…的 to emphasize time/place Vocab: Airport, welcome, luggage, dormitory |
| 02 | First Meal Together | Eduardo and Sabina meet at a local restaurant to discuss their first impressions. Grammar: Expressing “together” with 一起 Vocab: Restaurant, menu, spicy, flavor |
| 03 | Classmate Introductions | Eduardo meets his dorm mates while Sabina learns about the host family’s children. Grammar: Comparative 比 for heights/ages Vocab: Tall, short, young, classmate |
| 04 | Navigating the Metro | A weekend trip to the Bund requires learning the Shanghai metro system. Grammar: Indicating distance with 离 Vocab: Station, line, far, near, transfer |
| 05 | The Rainy Season | Shanghai weather changes; Eduardo and Sabina need to buy umbrellas. Grammar: The auxiliary verb 要 for future plans/intent Vocab: Rain, umbrella, cloudy, weather forecast |
| 06 | Living with a Host Family | Sabina describes her morning routine and helping with chores. Grammar: Continuation with 还 Vocab: Get up, breakfast, help, kitchen |
| 07 | Dorm Life Challenges | Eduardo deals with a noisy neighbor and laundry day. Grammar: Expressing “stop doing” with 别…了 Vocab: Loud, quiet, wash, clothes |
| 08 | Exploring Local Markets | Buying fruit and snacks at the wet market near the university. Grammar: Number + 多 for approximate amounts Vocab: Fruit, weight, fresh, cheap |
| 09 | A Visit to the Hospital | Eduardo catches a cold and Sabina helps him see a doctor. Grammar: Expressing “for” with 给 Vocab: Sick, medicine, rest, hospital |
| 10 | Planning a Short Trip | The students plan a weekend visit to Suzhou. Grammar: Cause and effect with 因为…所以… Vocab: Ticket, train, travel, map |
| 11 | Spring Festival Preparations | Helping the host family decorate for the Lunar New Year. Grammar: Aspect particle 着 for state Vocab: Red, paper-cutting, tradition, prepare |
| 12 | The Big Reunion Dinner | Sabina joins her host family for a traditional dinner. Grammar: Result complements (e.g., 做完, 吃完) Vocab: Dumplings, fish, celebration, family |
| 13 | Winter Review | Reflecting on the first three months in Shanghai. Grammar: Superlative 最 Vocab: Review, memory, progress, start |
HSK2 – 2026 Spring: Curriculum Overview
This curriculum focuses on elementary communication at HSK2 level. Each week of this 13 week program introduces a new topic with 7 related stories in Mandarin Chinese.
| Week | Topic | What is Covered |
|---|---|---|
| 14 | New Semester Hobbies | Eduardo joins a soccer club and Sabina starts a dance class. Grammar: Expressing ability with 会 Vocab: Soccer, dance, hobby, join |
| 15 | Ordering Delivery | Eduardo and Sabina try out Chinese food delivery apps. Grammar: Expressing “when” with …的时候 Vocab: Delivery, phone, fast, address |
| 16 | Library Study Sessions | Preparing for the mid-term Chinese exam together. Grammar: Reduplication of measure words (e.g., 个个) Vocab: Library, exam, quiet, review |
| 17 | A Birthday Party | Celebrating Eduardo’s birthday at a KTV. Grammar: Expressing “already” with 了 Vocab: Birthday, cake, song, sing |
| 18 | Spring Park Outing | Walking through Fuxing Park to see the blossoms. Grammar: Modifier 的 with phrases Vocab: Flowers, park, spring, walk |
| 19 | Bargaining for Souvenirs | Sabina visits a market to buy gifts for her family in Belgium. Grammar: Moderating adjectives with 还 Vocab: Gift, price, expensive, discount |
| 20 | Daily Exercise Routine | Eduardo joins the elderly locals for morning Tai Chi. Grammar: Every time with 每次…都… Vocab: Exercise, body, healthy, morning |
| 21 | Language Exchange Partner | Meeting local students to practice Mandarin. Grammar: Expressing “really” with 真 Vocab: Partner, practice, language, help |
| 22 | Shanghai Coffee Culture | Exploring the many cafes in the French Concession. Grammar: Comparison with 比 + 多了 Vocab: Coffee, milk, sugar, cafe |
| 23 | Using Mobile Payments | Learning to use WeChat Pay and Alipay everywhere. Grammar: Verb + 得 + Adj for degree Vocab: Pay, scan, convenient, money |
| 24 | Lost and Found | Sabina loses her keys and has to talk to the compound security. Grammar: Indicating “about to happen” with 快…了 Vocab: Keys, lose, find, security |
| 25 | A Visit to the Zoo | Seeing pandas for the first time. Grammar: Sequential actions (Verb 1 + Verb 2) Vocab: Panda, animal, zoo, cute |
| 26 | Spring Review | Summarizing the semester’s progress and social life. Grammar: Ordinal numbers with 第 Vocab: Progress, friend, semester, story |
HSK2 – 2026 Summer: Curriculum Overview
This curriculum focuses on elementary communication at HSK2 level. Each week of this 13 week program introduces a new topic with 7 related stories in Mandarin Chinese.
| Week | Topic | What is Covered |
|---|---|---|
| 27 | Summer Heat Begins | Dealing with the intense Shanghai humidity. Grammar: Even more with 更 Vocab: Hot, air conditioning, sweat, summer |
| 28 | Ice Cream and Cold Noodles | Searching for the best cold treats in the city. Grammar: Affirmative-negative questions Vocab: Ice cream, cold, noodles, thirsty |
| 29 | A Trip to the Cinema | Watching a Chinese movie to test listening skills. Grammar: Expressing “everything” with 什么都 Vocab: Movie, ticket, actor, understand |
| 30 | The Bookstore Day | Looking for easy Chinese readers and comics. Grammar: Potential with result complements Vocab: Book, picture, read, find |
| 31 | Dragon Boat Festival | Sabina learns to make Zongzi with the host family. Grammar: Conceding with 吧 Vocab: Boat, race, sticky rice, festival |
| 32 | Summer Internship Search | Eduardo looks for a part-time job at a tech company. Grammar: Asking why with 怎么 Vocab: Work, interview, company, office |
| 33 | Commuting in Summer | The struggle of taking the bus during rush hour. Grammar: Emphasis with 就是 Vocab: Bus, crowded, wait, time |
| 34 | A Weekend in Hangzhou | Taking the high-speed rail to the West Lake. Grammar: Expressing “every” with 每 Vocab: Lake, boat, tea, nature |
| 35 | Cooking Class | Sabina learns how to cook Kung Pao Chicken. Grammar: Adverbial 就 for earliness/immediacy Vocab: Chicken, cook, sugar, salt |
| 36 | At the Post Office | Eduardo sends a package of tea back to Brazil. Grammar: Directional complements (e.g., 寄回) Vocab: Package, post office, international, mail |
| 37 | New Haircut | Eduardo explains his haircut to a barber. Grammar: Using the filler “neige” Vocab: Hair, cut, short, mirror |
| 38 | Volunteering | Helping at a local community center for seniors. Grammar: Verbs of feeling + 得 Vocab: Help, old people, community, happy |
| 39 | Summer Review | Looking back at the hottest months of the year. Grammar: Comparison summaries Vocab: Hot, travel, experience, review |
HSK2 – 2026 Autumn: Curriculum Overview
This curriculum focuses on elementary communication at HSK2 level. Each week of this 13 week program introduces a new topic with 7 related stories in Mandarin Chinese.
| Week | Topic | What is Covered |
|---|---|---|
| 40 | Mid-Autumn Festival | Gazing at the moon and eating mooncakes. Grammar: Expressing “to/towards” with 往 Vocab: Moon, mooncake, round, family |
| 41 | Golden Week Travel | Eduardo and Sabina stay in Shanghai during the busy holiday. Grammar: Negative comparisons with 没有 Vocab: Holiday, crowd, stay, rest |
| 42 | Museum Visit | Exploring the history of Shanghai at the museum. Grammar: Expressing “past” with 过 Vocab: History, museum, art, ancient |
| 43 | Shopping for Winter | Buying new coats as the temperature drops. Grammar: Measure words for clothing (件, 条) Vocab: Coat, pants, winter, shop |
| 44 | A Night at the Theater | Watching a Peking Opera performance. Grammar: Expressing “it seems” with 好像 Vocab: Opera, music, face, stage |
| 45 | The Big Marathon | Eduardo prepares for the Shanghai International Marathon. Grammar: Expressing “starting from” with 从…开始 Vocab: Run, training, kilometers, finish |
| 46 | Learning to Calligraphy | Sabina takes a weekend workshop on Chinese characters. Grammar: Expressing “first… then…” with 先…再… Vocab: Brush, ink, paper, write |
| 47 | Tech Exhibition | A visit to a tech expo at the Pudong New Area. Grammar: Expressing “only” with 只 Vocab: Robot, future, screen, technology |
| 48 | Sharing Recipes | Teaching Chinese friends how to cook home food. Grammar: Adverbs of frequency (常常, 总是) Vocab: Recipe, cheese, beans, taste |
| 49 | End of Year Exams | Final preparations for the level 2 proficiency test. Grammar: Expressing “must” with 必须 Vocab: Result, hard, library, pen |
| 50 | Christmas in Shanghai | Observing how the city celebrates international holidays. Grammar: Comparison with 一样 Vocab: Tree, light, dinner, gift |
| 51 | Farewell Party | Hosting a dinner for everyone they met during the year. Grammar: Expressing “almost” with 几乎 Vocab: Goodbye, friend, invite, memory |
| 52 | Packing Up | Reflecting on the year while packing suitcases for the flight home. Grammar: Expressing “finally” with 终于 Vocab: Suitcase, return, year, airport |