In 2026, Eduardo from Brazil and Sabina from Belgium navigate a transformative year in Shanghai. From dorm life and host family traditions to navigating metro lines and local markets, they master HSK2 essentials. Their journey spans seasonal festivals, academic challenges, and lasting friendships, culminating in confident Mandarin communication.
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 | 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 |