Languages Taught

At The British School of Beijing, Shunyi, your child will be taught Mandarin from the Early Years programme onward through the rest of their schooling, including native and second language options. BSB students work to develop a good command of all four language skills in Mandarin: reading, writing, speaking and listening. 

Native German students have the option to study German First Language lessons from Early Years all the way to IB Diploma. Korean students can also choose Korean First Language from Year 7 to IB Diploma . 

French and Spanish Second Language are available from Year 7 onwards through to IGCSE and IB Diploma. Where possible, we support other languages through our after-school activities programme.

Learning English with EAL

Does your child need support learning English as an Additional Language (EAL)? Our structured courses based around the Cambridge English programme ensure rapid progress for students learning English. Students study for and gain a set of world-recognised qualifications, ensuring their English is strong enough to allow them to access the Key Stage Four (Year 10 - 11) and The IB Diploma (Year 12 - 13) when they get there.

We assess the English levels of all non-native speakers as soon as they arrive. Where possible, we make preliminary assessments before arrival, so that we can discuss programmes with students and parents. Students are then placed into the appropriate English and language groups so they can have additional support for learning English, as necessary.

Students are assessed regularly from Year 1 onwards. In primary we use CEFR-alingned tests four times per year to track student progress so we can adjust their learning accordingly. In secondary, in KS3 and KS4 students follow the Cambridge Main Suite examinations – PET, FCE and CAE.  

The structured programme makes it clear to parents and students that they can expect to make visible, regular progress. It sets out a path to success, and students who study English as an additional language at our Shunyi school know that they will achieve the twin goals of English proficiency and the qualifications to prove it.