Chinese Proficiency Improvement Statement - National Taiwan University

To get into National Taiwan University, I need to pass a certain benchmark in Chinese proficiency which is the TOCFL A2. However, I have never taken the test and only took the HSK 2.0 level 3, which is under the minimum benchmark. Therefore, I need to write a statement explaining how I plan to improve my chinese proficiency if admitted. This is a type of statement I am not familiar with, thus I am not sure on what to write about. Currently it is around 270 words, well below the maximum of 500 words. Any kind of criticism is appreciated.

I am currently at the initial stage of my Chinese learning journey, having recently passed the HSK 2.0 level 3, which shows a basic grasp of vocabulary, listening, reading, and speaking. While I have not yet fulfilled the TOCFL/HSK benchmark for full comprehension, I am committed to narrowing this language gap in my academic studies. This year I am planning to take the HSK level 4 test in early November.

Before May 2027, my main goal is to fulfill the minimum language proficiency requirement of TOCFL A2. After taking the HSK level 4 exam, I intend to continue my Chinese language studies by studying for the TOCFL test, learning new vocabulary, listening to daily podcasts, and reading comics or news in traditional Chinese.

To bridge the gap, I will use the previous skills I have acquired to transition from simplified Chinese to traditional Chinese, so that I can take the earliest TOCFL test in my area in the year 2027. However, if there is no TOCFL exam in my area for the better part of the year, I will either travel to the nearest TOCFL exam center, or take the next level of HSK as a backup.

Once enrolled in my undergraduate program, I will continue pursuing Chinese fluency. I intend to achieve this by speaking Chinese in my daily life, socializing with peers and other students in my class, joining organizations, and participating in various other activities.

Ultimately, my goal is to achieve TOCFL level 3 (B1) in my first semester and work toward level 4 (B2) or above during my undergraduate studies, so that I can participate in more activities, both academic and social, around campus.

You are on the right track with this response. However, your pre-arrival learning plan needs some additional information. How do you plan to become more proficient in spoken Chinese prior to your arrival? You need to show evidence of planned language practice in that sense. Would you go to your local Chinatown and speak to the Chinese there in simple and basic Chinese to help improve your spoken skills and increase you vocabulary naturally? Perhaps join a Chinese language learners forum online to help you practice your written Chinese and reading skills? You might also engage some of them in verbal exercises to help with language spoken proficiency.


The reviewer does not care about your plans for taking the test. He only cares that you are going to participate in activities that will help you pass it. You can remove this reference due to irrelevance to the discussion.


This is a given. You will be in China where only Chinese is spoken. Do not state the obvious. Maybe you can replace this with some sort of language learning exchange program instead where you will start a group that will study your language while they help you learn Chinese at an advanced level? That could be a start.