HSK 1 Lesson Plans and Classroom Activities: Teacher Guide to the HSK 1 Course Book

By the end you can

• Map a term of 28 classes. Two course map pages list Sounds, the 12 lessons in two classes each and Reviews A to C, with the book pages and a key line for the board.
• Start the course with the tones. Lesson S covers the four tones and the neutral tone with hand movements, tone tennis and a tone line-up, then 不 and 一 with their tone changes.
  不是 · bú shì · is not
• Teach each book lesson as two 45-minute classes. Part A takes the dialogue and the two word pages. Part B takes the two grammar pages, the reading and the Practice page. Every plan says what to drop for 30 minutes.
  你是学生吗？ · Nǐ shì xuéshēng ma? · Are you a student?
• Run pair games with things in the room. Whose phone with items borrowed from the class, a market stall with price tags, hide the phone for position words, and back-to-back phone calls with 喂.
  这是谁的手机？ · Zhè shì shéi de shǒujī? · Whose phone is this?
• Teach the three reviews. Reviews A, B and C get one class each: the book's roleplay, its test-style page done alone and in silence as a short practice test, and the can-do checklist.
  你好！我是张老师。你叫什么名字？ · Nǐ hǎo! Wǒ shì Zhāng lǎoshī. Nǐ jiào shénme míngzi? · Hello! I'm Teacher Zhang. What's your name?
• Hold the mid-course and end-of-course speaking checks. A three-minute chat at Review B with questions from Lessons 1 to 8. At Review C, pairs act out the roleplay with one detail changed and answer two questions.
  你住在哪儿？ · Nǐ zhù zài nǎr? · Where do you live?
• Set a written check every four lessons. Give each review's test-style page in silence and let students mark it with the key. Between reviews, say ten words in English for students to write, or dictate three characters from the copy lines.
• Listen for the usual HSK 1 slips. The guide lists them by lesson: 吗 added to a 什么 question, 二 instead of 两, 不有 for 没有, the place after the verb and 不在 for 没在.
• Adapt for mixed levels and mark with the key. Support and stretch ideas for every class, a section on heritage speakers, and the full answer key set out by lesson plan, including the dialogue and review exercises.

Use it with

The student book: HSK 1 Course Book: 12 Lessons for the New HSK 1. Your class downloads it free with a SayMei account.

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  HSK 1 Course Book: 12 Lessons for the New HSK 1

  HSK 1 (HSK 3.0) · 109 pages

What’s inside

• Course map: Course map · Course map
• Lesson S: Pinyin and the Four Tones
• Lesson 1A: Hello! What's Your Name?
• Lesson 1B: Saying Who You Are: 是, 吗 and 呢
• Lesson 2A: Nice to Meet You
• Lesson 2B: Numbers to 99, Ages and Phone Numbers
• Lesson 3A: Who Is This?
• Lesson 3B: Measure Words, 的 and 喜欢
• Lesson 4A: What Work Do You Do?
• Lesson 4B: 在, 会, 也 and 都
• Lesson RA: All About Me: A New Neighbour
• Lesson 5A: What Would You Like to Eat?
• Lesson 5B: 喜欢吃, 想 and 要
• Lesson 6A: Are You Free Tomorrow?
• Lesson 6B: When and How Long
• Lesson 7A: How Much Is This One?
• Lesson 7B: Prices and Measure Words
• Lesson 8A: Where Is My Phone?
• Lesson 8B: 在, 有 and Where You Live
• Lesson RB: Out and About
• Lesson 9A: Finding the Bookshop
• Lesson 9B: How and Why You Go
• Lesson 10A: A Busy Day
• Lesson 10B: 正在, 第 and 了
• Lesson 11A: After the Film
• Lesson 11B: 觉得, 有点儿 and 还
• Lesson 12A: Calling in Sick
• Lesson 12B: Asking Permission, Giving Advice
• Lesson RC: The Last Class
• Assessment: An exit line every class, the mid-course chat, the end-of-course roleplay, a speaking scale, written checks and the mistakes to listen for. Check speaking and writing
• Mixed levels: Ideas for students who need support and students ready for more, plus heritage speakers and students who missed a class. Teach a mixed-level class
• Answer key: Seven pages of the student book's answers, set out by lesson plan from Sounds to Review C. Answer key · Answer key · Answer key · Answer key · Answer key · Answer key · Answer key

How to use this book

Each lesson of the student book becomes two classes: A for the dialogue and words, B for the grammar, reading and Practice page. Sounds and each review take one class.

1. Before term: Set the pace. Twice a week, the 28 classes fill about 14 weeks, a term or a semester. Three times a week, about ten weeks. Check that every student has the student book.
2. First class: Sounds. The four tones and the neutral tone. If you have a screen, open the pinyin chart on saymei.app that the book points to.
3. Each class: Keep the same rhythm. Warm-up, present, book practice, pair work, group work, the book's Say it task and homework. Students do each Practice page without looking back, then check it with the key.
4. Every four lessons: A review class. The roleplay, the test-style page and the can-do list. Students go back to any lesson with a line not ticked.
5. Review B: Mid-course chat. Talk with each student or pair while the class acts out the roleplay, using questions from Lessons 1 to 8.
6. Review C: End of the course. Pairs act out the end-of-term roleplay with one detail changed. Then ask each student two questions from Lessons 9 to 12.

Who it’s for

Teachers of beginners working toward the new HSK 1 (HSK 3.0): school, university and adult classes that meet two or three times a week, and tutors working with a small group.

Before you start: Your class needs the student book, HSK 1 Course Book: 12 Lessons for the New HSK 1, free with a SayMei account. Students download their own copy, or you hand out printed pages. The book has no audio, so you model every line.

Frequently asked questions

How many classes does the course take?

Twenty-eight lesson plans of 45 minutes: Sounds, two classes for each of the 12 lessons and one for each review. Twice a week, that is about 14 weeks. Each plan says what to drop for a 30-minute class.

Does it follow the new HSK 1 (HSK 3.0)?

Yes. The student book teaches the 300 words of HSK 1 in the new HSK 3.0, and each of its three reviews has a page of test-style questions.

Is there audio?

The student book has no audio, so you are the model for every line. Its page 4 points students to the pinyin chart on saymei.app to hear the tones.

How do I share the guide with a colleague?

Send them this page. They can download their own copy, free with a SayMei account.

Is this teacher guide free?

Yes. The whole 41-page PDF is free, and you can look through its pages here before you download. There's no card and nothing to pay.

Do I need a SayMei account?

Yes, to download the PDF, and the account is free: sign up with Google, Apple or your email address. With it we email you a copy of the workbook, keep every workbook you download on your account on all your devices, save your place in the free online practice, and you can practise speaking with Mei Lin, SayMei's AI tutor.

How do I print it?

The PDF is US Letter size. On A4 paper, choose "Fit to page" (or "Scale to fit") in the print dialog so nothing is cut off. Print the whole workbook or only the pages you need; colour looks best, and black and white works too.

Can I copy it for my class?

Yes. Print and copy as many pages as you like for your own classes. Your students can download the student book from its page, free with a SayMei account.

Keep going

HSK 1 Reading Practice: Signs, Messages & Micro-Stories · HSK 1 Vocabulary Recall & Speaking Workbook · HSK 1 Guided Writing Workbook: Characters to Sentences · HSK 1 Mock Test: Practice Test in the New HSK Format · Browse all 294 workbooks