Passive vs Active Vocabulary

From Embarrassed to Encouraged

During a job interview, I had the chance to discuss my background with the CEO. While describing my technical experience, I also mentioned my ongoing Mandarin studies and my goal to complete HSK 5 exam within the year. Unfortunately, he did not know what HSK was or what level 5 represents, so he asked me to speak in Mandarin to get a better grasp of my level.

Oh crap...I hadn't prepared material at the HSK 5 level. In a frantic attempt, I racked my brain for some complicated 成语’s to impress him, but the pressure caught off guard. I ended up resorting to the first thing on my mind: my rehearsed self-introduction.

大家好，我叫Eric。我来中国之前不会普通话，但是我很努力学习所以现在我能和别人交流。我们通常聊。。。

The CEO stopped me and said, "Hmm, I think you need a few more years to reach actual fluency since your vocabulary still sounds quite basic. I suggest conversing with your wife in Mandarin every day and dedicating more time to practice."

Following this experience, I started to feel disheartened and found myself retreating with excuses. "What do you mean 'practice more'? I practically practice every day! Flashcards, reading news articles, doing HSK textbook exercises. This guy doesn't understand the challenges of learning Chinese as an ABC! Before moving to China, I hardly knew a word of Mandarin. Now, I completed HSK 4 and am about 40% done with HSK 5, so my vocabulary is around 1800 words!"

Chart from goeastmandarin

Redoing the X’s and O’s

Upon further reflection, the experience reminded me that speaking was always the weakest part of my Mandarin. The reality is, I can recognize 1800 words i.e. passive vocabulary, but my active vocabulary is significantly smaller. This discrepancy arises because much of my focus has been on learning new words through flashcards, reading HSK texts, and listening to Chinese social media. Most of my past articles have had a heavy emphasis on reading too - HSK, graded readers, etc. I have not dedicated as much time to practice the newly acquired vocab. Thus, my passive vocabulary is likely double or triple in size of my active vocabulary.

An even bigger question is: do I even know how to use my so-called 1800 words properly? When I think about English, my passive vocabulary is likely much higher than my active one as well. However, the difference is I'm likely able to use and apply any word from my passive English vocabulary, whereas I may apply the wrong verb or adjective in Chinese. As mentioned in my previous article, certain words can only be used for certain scenarios, and I often get confused because I have not practiced speaking and applying the words simultaneously.

To tackle this challenge effectively, I need to revise my objectives when it comes to speaking proficiency. Previously, I primarily focused on mastering tone and pinyin pronunciation, which is ideal for a new Mandarin learner. However as I progress to the intermediate level, the next essential step is to transition my passive vocabulary into active usage in conversation. After all, true understanding of a word means correctly applying in speech. Here are some of the ways I've brainstormed to practice my speaking:

• Create original sentences that demonstrate correct usage of the target word

• Mimic the flow of native speakers in Chinese dramas or social media

• Record myself

Got any dramas to recommend? Let me know in the comments!

The interview was embarrassing and the end result was not great (I didn't get the job lol). However, it served as a valuable lesson, showing that I need to go back to the drawing board and change the approach of my speaking practice. Whether it is repeating lines from a drama or mimicking native speakers on 小红书, I feel encouraged to reduce the gap between my passive and active vocabulary. In this way, I can be more prepared the next time someone asks me to demonstrate my Mandarin proficiency.

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Looking Ahead

1. Surprise!

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Best,

Eric