Language Programs

The languages we speak are as diverse as our multicultural community. The Western Academy of Beijing provides an integrated approach to language learning that helps our students become engaged international thinkers and communicators within a global society.

WAB offers IB curriculum-integrated language courses for a number of languages during the regular school day.

For other languages not offered as part of our IB curriculum, WAB’s Mother Tongue Programs are provided at our international school in partnership with the parent community to native speakers outside of regular school hours. Other specialized language programs are also available.

Our Language Programs

Curricular Languages

Mother Tongue

Swiss School Beijing

After-School

WAB has contributed to our child's development through reading, both in English and in Chinese. Judy reads a lot of books. Independence, freedom and respect - these ideas come from WAB and have really helped Judy to develop herself.

Curricular Languages

English

English is the language of instruction and primary language of communication at WAB, as well as part of the IB programs in all our schools.

We provide English as an Additional Language (EAL) support for all grade levels. Our EAL students receive help in every area of language acquisition in order to reach a high level of English language proficiency and achieve full participation in the WAB curriculum.

Chinese

Chinese-learning-language
WAB is committed to providing opportunities for students to engage with their host country, China, in an authentic and meaningful way.

Interactions with members of the Chinese community within WAB, and in Beijing, form an integral part of the curriculum and provide genuine opportunities for students to develop and use Chinese language for real purposes. IBPYP, IBMYP and IBDP Chinese are offered at WAB. Complimentary Chinese Mother Tongue courses are offered during school hours to native speakers.

Other Curricular Languages

IBMYP and IBDP Spanish and French are offered at WAB. Curriculum-integrated language courses for native German (IB PYP) speakers are also available - additional fees may apply.

With the support of the Dutch Ministry of Education, WAB offers a Dutch language program leading up to the CNaVT certificate and/or IBDP Dutch (self-taught). This opens up opportunities for students who would like to study at an institution of higher education in The Netherlands or Belgium.

With the approval of the Danish Ministry of Education, WAB is the first and only school in Beijing to have permission to offer the Danish national examinations, which mark the end of Danish schooling, Folkeskolen. The certificate Danish students earn from passing the test opens up opportunities for further education in Denmark, where Danish is often required for university admissions.

Mother Tongue Programs

Our Mother Tongue Programs are a series of language courses for native-speakers of other languages.

There are two ways students can access mother tongue classes at WAB:

Studying a WAB mother tongue provided in the curriculum – Chinese.
Studying a mother tongue not provided by the school through a Community Languages Program – Dutch, Danish, Finnish, French, and Japanese (Japanese classes will resume soon).

If you have any questions about our mother tongue programs please feel free to contact our coordinator Hershey He at: hershey_he@wab.edu.

If you would like to start a new mother tongue program at WAB, please register your interest through this form.

Danish | Den danske skole i Beijing

At the Danish school in Beijing our main goal is to teach Danish to our students, for them to be able to return to Denmark and join the Danish school system at the grade level that suits their age and/or pass the Danish 9th grade exams – it's the four exams in ‘mundtlig dansk, skriftlig fremstilling, retskrivning og læsning’. Students can sit their exams in Beijing in May/June each year.

With the approval of the Danish Ministry of Education, WAB is the first and only school in Beijing to have permission to offer the Danish national examinations, which mark the end of Danish schooling, Folkeskolen. The certificate Danish students earn from passing the test opens up opportunities for further education in Denmark, where Danish is often required for university admissions.

To offer the best quality of Danish language learning, we have hired a Danish teacher to run the Danish language program. All Danish lessons follows the Danish Curriculum “fællesmål” and we use official Danish teaching materials in our classes.

The Danish program is an after-school program that runs from Monday through Thursday for Elementary, Middle, and High School students. Our youngest Danish learners (KG to Grade 1) have classes on Saturday mornings (subject to change depending on number of students).

The Danish program is also open to students who do not attend WAB, and students who don’t have Danish as their mother tongue.

Independent fees apply per student:

Danish EY4 (Pre-k) 10,000 rmb
Danish Junior Grade 1-8: 17,600 rmb
Danish Grade 9-12: 21,700 rmb

Cost covers teacher salary as well as all books and supplies needed.

For additional information and to sign up, contact:

Board member Belinda Persson at belindapersson@hotmail.dk
Board member Charlotte Duelund at charlotteduelund@hotmail.com
Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dendanskeskolebeijing

På den danske skole i Beijing er det vores primære mål at undervise vores elever i dansk, så de kan vende tilbage til Danmark og optages direkte på en almindelig folkeskole i Danmark og starte i en klasse, der svarer til elevens alder, samt at de skal kunne bestå Folkeskolens 9. klasse afgangseksamen. Herunder de fire eksaminationer i hhv. mundtlig dansk, skriftlig fremstilling, retskrivning og læsning. Eleverne kan tage deres eksamener i Beijing i maj/juni hvert år.

Med godkendelse fra det danske undervisningsministerium har WAB som den første og eneste skole i Beijing tilladelse til at udbyde 9. klasses afgangseksamen, som markerer afslutningen på dansk skolegang, Folkeskolen. Det bevis som de danske studerende opnår ved at bestå testen, åbner muligheder for videreuddannelse i Danmark, hvor der ofte kræves dansk for at blive optaget på universitetet.

For at tilbyde den bedste kvalitet i undervisningen har vi ansat en dansk lærer til at drive dansk undervisningen. Alle undervisningstimerne følger den danske læseplan "fællesmål", og vi bruger officielle danske undervisningsmaterialer. Dansk undervisningen foregår efter skole fra mandag til torsdag for børnene i 2. -9. klasse. Vores yngste elever (KG til 1. klasse) har undervisning lørdag formiddag (med forbehold for ændringer afhængigt af antal elever).

Dansk undervisningen er også åben for elever, som ikke går på WAB, og elever som ikke har dansk som modersmål.

Børnehaveklasse: 10,000 RMB
1. – 8. klasse : 17,600 RMB
9. klasse – DP1-2: 21,700 RMB

Gebyr dækker omkostninger til løn, bøger osv.

For yderligere information kontakt venligst:

Board member Belinda Persson at belindapersson@hotmail.dk
Board member Charlotte Duelund at charlotteduelund@hotmail.com
Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dendanskeskolebeijing

Dutch | De Rode Leeuw

Dutch language classes have been a part of WAB since the school was founded in 1994. To offer the best quality of Dutch language learning, WAB works with a qualified Dutch teacher, specifically hired to run the Dutch language program organized by De Rode Leeuw (The Red Lion). De Rode Leeuw is a recognized NTC-location connected to the Dutch Education Abroad network (Stichting NOB).

The program uses official Dutch teaching materials and the Dutch national Cito and Dia testing. Belgian and Dutch cultural aspects are also included in the program, giving students a true sense of cultural identity. Every 2 to 4 years we receive a visit from the Dutch Inspectorate of Education (Nederlandse Onderwijsinspectie) to ensure that the best quality of our program is maintained.

The Dutch program is an after school program that runs from Monday through Thursday for Elementary, Middle, and High School students. The classes are also open to other Dutch speaking students in Beijing, that do not attend WAB. Our youngest Dutch learners (KG to Grade 1) have class on Saturday mornings.

Independent fees apply for each student per full year:

• Fees for 2021-2022 are still to be determined.
• The Grade 11 and 12 IB Diploma program self-taught Dutch has a separate tutor fee based on group size and needs of the students.

For additional information and to sign up:

Please visit the website of The Red Lion www.derodeleeuw.org (in Dutch) for more information.

Please feel free to contact the Dutch language program coordinator : Ingeli Manschot at ingeli_manschot@wab.edu for more information or to plan an on-site school visit.

Nederlands moedertaalprogramma op WAB

Het Nederlandse moedertaalprogramma maakt al sinds de oprichting in 1994 onderdeel uit van WAB. Om de best mogelijke kwaliteit te bieden werkt WAB met een gekwalificeerde Nederlandse leerkracht, die speciaal geworven is om schoolbreed het Nederlandse moedertaalprogramma te organiseren en doceren. De lessen worden georganiseerd door De Rode Leeuw. De Rode Leeuw is een erkende NTC-locatie aangesloten bij het wereldwijde netwerk van Stichting NOB.

Het programma gebruikt officiële Nederlandse lesmethodes en er worden Cito en Dia toetsen afgenomen. Daarnaast wordt er aandacht besteed aan Belgische en Nederlandse culturele aspecten, wat leerlingen een gevoel van culturele identiteit geeft. Iedere 2 tot 4 jaar ontvangen wij een inspecteur van de Nederlandse Onderwijsinspectie om de beste kwaliteit van ons programma te waarborgen.

Het Nederlandse moedertaalprogramma is een naschools programma dat van maandag tot en met donderdag plaatsvindt op WAB, voor kinderen vanaf het primair onderwijs tot en met het voorgezet onderwijs. De lessen zijn ook toegankelijk voor andere Nederlandstalige kinderen in Beijing, die niet op WAB zitten. Voor onze jongste leerlingen (groep 1 t/m 3) vinden de lessen op zaterdachtochtend plaats.

Voor het taalprogramma bestaat een jaarlijkse eigen bijdrage:
• Het lesgeld voor schooljaar 2021-2022 moet nog worden vastgesteld.
• Het IB Diploma Programma Nederlands voor grade 11 & 12 kent een aparte bijdrage gebaseerd op de groepsgrootte en behoeften van de leerlingen.

Wilt u meer weten? Op de website www.derodeleeuw.org vindt u meer informatie.

Ook kunt u contact opnemen met de coördinator van het Nederlands dagprogramma en directeur van De Rode Leeuw, Frank Aarts (frank_aarts@wab.edu).

Natuurlijk bent u ook van harte welkom om een keer een kijkje te komen in de Nederlandse klas.

French | Français

The French speaking community offers a French Mother Tongue language program at WAB, ran by a certified French teacher.

Only French speaking students can join the after-school lessons. The program is based on French national program and teaching materials that are used at national schools in France and focuses on speaking, reading and writing skills in order to keep the students in contact with their mother tongue.

Classes are provided every Monday and Tuesday in MS / Wednesday in ES from 3:30 pm to 5:30 pm.

Classes in HS, preparing to the French exam option for the IB, are individual and by appointment.

The cost of the program is not included in the school fee and depends on the amount of lessons per semester. The program follows the WAB calendar.

Cost for a class (minimum 5 students): 80 RMB / hour / student in ES and MS / Additional fee for materials: 100 RMB / semester.

For additional information and to sign up, please contact:

Catherine Laurent at catherine_laurent@wab.edu.

La communauté francophone de la WAB offre un programme de Français langue maternelle. Les cours sont donnés par une professeur certifiée.

Seuls les élèves parlant déjà couramment le Français peuvent participer à cette activité extra-scolaire. Le programme est basé sur celui de l’Education Nationale française, et le matériel pédagogique utilisé est celui utilisé dans les écoles françaises. Le programme se concentre sur l’expression orale, la lecture et l’expression écrite afin de maintenir les élèves en contact avec leur langue maternelle et d’entretenir et de développer au mieux leur maîtrise de la langue.

Les cours se déroulent les Lundi et Mardi pour le secondaire (MS) et le Mercredi pour le primaire (ES) de 15 h 30 à 17 h 30.

Les cours en HS, pour la préparation à l'épreuve de Français de l'IB, sont individuels et sur rendez-vous.

Coûts:

Coût des cours collectifs (minimum 5 étudiants): 80 RMB / hour / élève pour ES et MS / Pour le matériel: 100 RMB / semestre.

Pour de plus amples informations et pour s’ inscrire, veuillez contacter:

Catherine Laurent: catherine_laurent@wab.edu.

Finnish | Pekingin Suomi-koulu

The Finnish School in Beijing offers Finnish language teaching for children living abroad (ages 0 -18). The groups meet on Saturdays, twice per month (excluding public holidays) for three hours per session and after school at WAB. As of Autumn 2023, Finnish school has started teaching Finnish also from the basics.
One of the main goals of the school is to educate students in Finnish culture. Teaching methods for the younger groups mainly involve fairy tales, games, and activities. Arts, crafts, dancing, musical activities, and conversational exercises are also integrated. Students and families who choose to enroll for the online course (Kulkurikoulu) which follows Finland's national Finnish language teaching guidelines, can be supported by weekly afterschool studies.
From Junior Grade one on, children can take part in Kulkuri Online Course. Studies follow the Finnish National Curriculum in Finnish, and at the end of Grade 9, it is possible to take a final exam and to get an official grade and diploma in the Finnish language.
A well-managed and updated library supports language studies as well as all cultural events we arrange together with Finnish School staff and parent volunteers.
Classes are provided twice per month on Saturdays from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm at the WAB Elementary School. Additionally, there are weekly after-school activities for small groups.

Independent fees apply for each student per full year:

2,000 RMB

For additional information or to sign up, please visit www.pekinginsuomikoulu.fi.

Or contact:

Chairman Julia Jalo, julia.jalo@hotmail.com, +8615601294081

Pekingin Suomi-koulun tavoitteena on ylläpitää ja lisätä Pekingissä asuvien suomalaisten lasten ja -nuorten kielitaitoa ja kulttuurintuntemusta. Toivotamme tervetulleeksi toimintaamme myös kiinalaiset perheet, joissa on kiinnostusta kielitaidon ylläpitämiseen tai kartuttamiseen.

Ryhmämme alkavat vauvamuskareista ja yritämme mahdollisuuksien mukaan järjestää mielekästä toimintaa kaikenikäisille. Kokoonnumme pari kertaa kuukaudessa lauantaina Suomi-koulussa. Mukavassa toiminnassa oppiminen tapahtuu kuin itsestään, sillä teemme mukavia projekteja, luemme, leikimme ja laulamme sekä vietämme suomalaisia juhlia.

Lisää tietoa koulustamme löydät sivuiltamme www.pekinginsuomikoulu.fi tai ottamalla yhteyttä puheenjohtaja Julia Jaloon julia.jalo@hotmail.com puh. +86 15601294081

Japanese | 小学部生徒対象日本語補習クラス

The Japanese home language program is currently on hold.

If you have any questions about the program or would like to express interest in enrolling, please contact Satomi Mueller at satomi_mueller@wab.edu.

現在、日本語の補習校クラスは休講となっております。補習校についてご質問がある保護者様はこちらのEメールまでご連絡ください。satomi_mueller@wab.edu

Swedish | Svenska | Svenska i Beijing (SiB)

Svenska i Beijing (SiB) offers Swedish at Western Academy of Beijing.

After a few years hiatus, SiB once again offers Swedish lessons to children who use Swedish as an active language at home.

The lessons offered aim to make the children curious about the Swedish language, maintain their level and use the language in contexts other than the family. We offer our students to speak Swedish in a playful way, about Sweden and the Swedish culture.

During the academic year 22/23 we have two groups at WAB (Room 2206, ES building):

Tuesdays, 4 p.m to 5:45 p.m. for children up to 10 years old
Wednesdays, 4 p.m to 5:45 p.m. for children 11 years and up

We begin the class (for both groups) October 11 with an information/annual meeting, where both parents and kids are welcome to meet the board and our teacher.

Price: 500 rmb

If you have any questions or want to sign up, please contact Anna Centerman anna@centerman.se

Svenska i Beijing (SiB) ger återigen lektioner i svenska på Western Academy of Beijing.

Efter några års uppehåll kan SiB återigen erbjuda svensklektioner till barn som har svenska som levande språk i hemmet.

De lektioner som erbjuds syftar till att göra barnen nyfikna på det svenska språket, bibehålla sin nivå och använda språket i andra kontexter än familjen. Vi erbjuder våra elever att på ett lekfullt sätt prata svenska om Sverige och den svenska kulturen.

Vi har under läsåret 22/23 två grupper i WABs lokaler (Room 2206, ES building):

tisdagar, kl 16.00-17.45 för barn tom. 10 år
onsdagar, kl 16.00-17.45 för barn från 11 år

Höstterminen börjar den 11 oktober med ett informations/årsmöte där både vårdnadshavare och barn är välkomna att träffa styrelsen och vår lärare.

Pris: 500 rmb

Vid frågor och anmälan kontakta Anna Centerman anna@centerman.se

After-School Language Programs

WAB’s After-School Language Program (ALP) is designed to allow students to study an additional language at lunchtime and after school. These courses are offered based on teacher availability and sufficient enrollment, and are taught by qualified WAB teachers.

ALP represents a ninth course for students, one more than the regular course load. These courses run for a minimum of 150 minutes per week and cover similar course content as the language courses timetabled within the regular school day. ALP allows students who are enrolled in other language courses, EAL or the Learning Support Program, the opportunity to study the host country’s language.

Students may select one ALP course: Chinese Language and Literature (for native speakers) or Chinese, French or Spanish Language Acquisition (for non-native speakers). Students are expected to attend two sessions per week for the entire school year and follow full WAB program requirements. Students may not enroll in two of the same ALP classes.

WAB is really contributing to creating well rounded, mature, open minded, confident and unprejudiced young people.

Elementary School

Structured inquiry is the main vehicle for learning. Grow. Discover. Experience.

Middle School

Filled with individual and collective potential. Transition. Challenge. Innovate.

High School

Higher learning within the classroom and outside it. Opportunity. Passion. Achievement.

Student Support

Extensive, individualized support services are available to help each student reach his or her potential.