I’m taking the STAMP 4S test for Mandarin (trad.) in April and I don’t really know how to prepare. The program doesn’t seem to offer any vocab lists or study materials and I’ve never taken this kind of test, so any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
For more context, I am a heritage speaker, so my speaking and listening skills are better than my reading and writing abilities. I’m not sure what a realistic goal would be in terms of word count, but my plan is to memorize as much vocab as possible to prepare for the read and writing section specifically.
Since I plan on taking the TOCFL in the future, would it be better to take a TOCFL prep vocab list and work off of that?
Thanks in advance!
#any suggestions for studying for a proficiency test?
paper pebble
pine flume
Since I plan on taking the TOCFL in the future, would it be better to take a TOCFL prep vocab list and work off of that?
That could probably help. It looks like the STAMP 4S test is similar to other open-ended language proficiency tests in that they don't prescribe a syllabus, but just assess you based on how well you can work with the language.
I’m not sure what a realistic goal would be in terms of word count, but my plan is to memorize as much vocab as possible to prepare for the read and writing section specifically.
I found a page with writing samples that show how each proficiency level would look like: https://www.avantassessment.com/writing-examples/mandarin-traditional.
Basically, I'd say write and read as much as possible before the exam. Don't assume that you can just "memorise" your way into this, because this isn't just a vocab test: they are looking to see how well you can express yourself as well. I've written some advice recently for someone who has problems with retaining vocabulary, but some of that should be useful for your situation as well: #1353901167809134663 message.