Reading is one of the most effective and fun ways to learn Mandarin Chinese, but the biggest frustration has been finding the right level of reading materials that are not only appropriate but also engaging to keep reading and improving.

We are here to provide the solution and help language learners like you improve your Chinese through short stories that are not only leveled but also cover a range of topics so that you can enjoy reading and have fun studying Chinese simultaneously!

Research shows that understanding a text without needing the help of a dictionary requires the reader to understand 95% or more of the vocabulary used in the text. To improve one's language skills, the "input" (reading materials) needs to be one level above the learner's level.

With that in mind, the AL Language Cafe team goes through an extensive process to ensure our stories are properly assigned to the appropriate level. There are many factors that our team takes into consideration, one of them being the percentage of known words based on the official HSK vocabulary list. In addition, our team also takes into consideration whether the new words are critical to understanding the main concepts of the story.

Our leveled readers are classified into 5 levels.

Starter Level: The students know about 150 to 300 words (174 to 347 characters) or they have mastered HSK 1 or HSK 2.

Basic Level: The students know about 300 to 600 words (347 to 617 characters) or they have mastered HSK 2 or HSK 3.

Intermediate Level: The students know about 600 to 1200 words (617 to 1064 characters) or they have mastered HSK 3 or HSK 4.

Advanced Level: The students know about 1200 words to 2500 words (1064 to 1685 characters) or they have mastered HSK 4 or HSK 5.

Mastery Level: The students know about 2500 to 5000 words (1685 to 2663 characters) or they have mastered HSK 5 or HSK 6.

• Every short Chinese story in this book is specifically crafted for learners who are at the Advanced Level or have mastered HSK 4 or HSK 5. A learner at the Advanced Level knows about 1200 to 2500 words.
• Every story is presented in two different formats to help you learn effectively.
  • Format 1 - Chinese Characters Only - to fully immerse yourself in Chinese and train your character recognition skills
  • Format 2 - Chinese Characters with Side-by-Side English Translation - ensures that you have understood the text correctly and improving your skills in deducing from context and understanding cultural nuances between the two languages
• Every story comes with a vocabulary list that focuses on new words so you are always expanding your vocabulary.

These stories are not only written specifically for students at the Advanced Level (mastered HSK 4 or HSK 5), but they also cover a range of topics:

• Daily Life
• Family & Relationships
• School Life
• Myth & Legend
• Chinese Idioms
• Chinese Culture (Traditional & Modern)
• Travel
• Horror & Suspense
• Fairy Tales & Fantasy

With appropriately leveled and fun stories, you will improve your Chinese skills, learn new words, expose yourself to natural expressions and grammar structures, and have fun, all at the same time.