This paper gives details of a procedure for assessing the progress made by non-Chinese students learning to write Chinese in Hong Kong.
Although the steps involved, the rules to be followed and errors made by native speakers of Chinese learning to write Chinese are well documented, little has been reported about the difficulties encountered by non-native Chinese students trying to write in Chinese. The latter have difficulties and make errors that are different from those faced and made by native speakers. Chinese words are non-alphabetic in form and consist of whole characters, components and strokes that constitute words. The paper describes an assessment procedure that focuses on mastery of Chinese characters, components and strokes in isolation, in whole words and in sentences, and the particular problems experienced by the non-Chinese speaking learner.