Milestone map
Milestone map
3 milestones
Read short Chinese news daily for four weeks
4 weeks
Read one short news item in simplified Chinese most days. Use a dictionary freely at this stage. Log new characters as you go.
Proof required
Submit a four-week log of at least 16 reading sessions with the article link and new characters.
What gets checked
- 16 or more sessions over four weeks
- Real native news, not textbook dialogues
- New characters logged per session
Common mistakes
- Graded textbook texts only
- Sessions crammed together
- No character log
Powstik Guide
A four-week Chinese news reading log.
Steps
- Pick a native news site in simplified Chinese.
- Read one short item most days.
- Look up unknown characters.
- Log each new character with an example.
Template
| Date | Article link | New characters | Gist in one line | |------|--------------|----------------|------------------|
What gets sent back
- Textbook dialogues only.
- Fewer than 16 sessions.
- No character log.
Resources
Foundationstart here
Depthgo deeper
What a verifier looks for
- Check links are native news
- Check dates spread out
- Spot-check the character log
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Summarise ten full native articles
4–8 weeks
Read ten full news articles written for native readers. Summarise each in Chinese. Track how many characters you needed to look up.
Proof required
Submit ten article links, your Chinese summaries, and the count of looked-up characters for each.
What gets checked
- Ten full native articles
- Summaries written in Chinese
- Look-up count falls over time
Common mistakes
- Summaries in English
- Machine-translated summaries
- Very short articles only
Powstik Guide
Ten Chinese summaries of native articles.
Steps
- Pick full articles on varied topics.
- Read once without a dictionary for gist.
- Read again, looking up and counting characters.
- Summarise in Chinese without translation tools.
Template
| # | Article link | Look-ups | Summary (Chinese) | |---|--------------|----------|-------------------|
What gets sent back
- English summaries.
- Machine translation.
- Fewer than ten articles.
Resources
Foundationstart here
Depthgo deeper
What a verifier looks for
- Check summaries are in Chinese
- Check look-up counts
- Ask about one article in Chinese
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Summarise an unseen article, no dictionary
1 day
Ask a native speaker to choose an unseen news article. Read it without a dictionary and summarise it in Chinese. The native speaker checks your summary for accuracy.
Proof required
Submit the article link, your summary written without a dictionary, and the native speaker's accuracy check.
What gets checked
- Article chosen by the native speaker
- No dictionary used
- Accuracy confirmed in writing
Common mistakes
- Choosing an article you've already read
- Using a dictionary
- No accuracy check
Powstik Guide
A dictionary-free summary of an unseen article, checked.
Steps
- Ask a native speaker to pick the article.
- Put all dictionaries away.
- Read and write the summary in Chinese.
- Ask them to mark any errors of meaning.
Template
Article link: Chosen by: Time taken: My summary (Chinese): Native speaker's check:
What gets sent back
- An article you chose.
- Dictionary use.
- No accuracy check.
Resources
Foundationstart here
Depthgo deeper
What a verifier looks for
- Check who chose the article
- Read the accuracy check
- Compare summary to article
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