By Nick Yates, ISB Communications
Published on Friday, May 15, 2026
Ten years ago, ISB made a deliberate, long-term commitment to dual language education. Today, while many schools are just beginning to explore bilingual pathways, ISB’s program stands on a decade of refinement, research, and measurable results.
As ISB marks the 10-year anniversary of its Dual Language Program, it does so not as a newcomer to bilingual learning, but as a school with deep experience, specialist faculty, and a well-established pathway in English and Chinese. This milestone, alongside ISB’s 45-year anniversary as Beijing’s first international school, reflects sustained investment and practice built over time, not a response to a trend.
Families choose bilingual education because they want more than language skills alone. They want academic strength, future-ready pathways, and opportunities that extend beyond borders.
“There are three pillars to a quality dual language education,” explains Ying Chu, ISB’s Director of Chinese and Dual Language Learning.
“First of all, it needs to attain a high level of bilingualism and biliteracy. We’re not about learning a little bit of the language – the long-term goal for our students over the course of Elementary School is to become highly bilingual and biliterate.
“Secondly, students in the program achieve high academic standards. They learn content through both languages; they are not just learning the language itself.
“Thirdly, and most importantly, the students must achieve high levels of intercultural competence. They have the skills to shift their perspectives and shift between different cultures freely.”
At ISB, the Dual Language Program is offered from Early Years 3 to Grade 5. Students who complete the Dual Language Program in Elementary School progress confidently into the Middle School and beyond. A high proportion will go on to graduate with the International Baccalaureate Dual Language Diploma, one of the most respected bilingual academic qualifications worldwide. ISB consistently contributes a significant share of these diplomas globally, a reflection of the strength and consistency of its bilingual learning pathway.
Beyond academic credentials, graduates develop intercultural literacy, communication confidence, and adaptability, qualities essential for university study abroad and future international careers.
For globally mobile families, this means children are not just bilingual, they are prepared to thrive in international environments.
Parents are increasingly seeking education that reflects the realities of internationalism today. ISB’s Dual Language Program offers families a rare combination: strong English academic development alongside sustained Chinese language growth, all within a world-class international school environment.
Students in the program benefit from:
This approach allows children to grow academically without sacrificing language, culture, or future mobility.
ISB’s Dual Language Program is not the result of experimentation, it is the outcome of years of intentional design, research-informed practice, and continuous refinement.
The program follows a 50/50 bilingual model, ensuring equal instructional time and academic emphasis in both languages. Students learn the same curriculum in English and Chinese, strengthening understanding while building high-level bilingual proficiency.
A distinctive feature of ISB’s approach is its co-teaching homeroom model, where native English-speaking and native Chinese-speaking teachers jointly support each class. Students alternate instructional days in English and Chinese, with teachers working in close partnership to maintain curricular alignment and provide individualized language support.
Unlike less coordinated bilingual models, ISB’s program is fully integrated – the English and Chinese content follows a single, unified curriculum. It is academically rigorous, culturally responsive, and carefully structured to support long-term success.
Over the past decade, ISB has become more than a school offering bilingual education. It has evolved into a regional center of excellence for dual language learning.
ISB works closely with leading research organizations such as the Multilingual Learning Research Center, helping ensure teaching practices remain aligned with the latest research and best practice. Where research gaps exist, ISB actively contributes to the field through commissioned studies and internal program research.
The school regularly hosts professional conferences, shares expertise at international education events, and contributes to global conversations around multilingual education. ISB educators regularly present at major international conferences and publish professional research – reflecting the school’s depth of expertise and influence in bilingual learning.
Within ISB’s Elementary School, families can choose between two equally resourced programs: English Language Plus (EL+) and the Dual Language Program. Both are grounded in ISB’s educational philosophy and designed to support diverse learners.
This dual-pathway structure reflects ISB’s belief that students arrive with different language backgrounds, cultural identities, and educational needs, and that excellence means offering choice, flexibility, and equity.
Regardless of pathway, all ISB students benefit from inquiry-based learning, strong academic expectations, and a supportive international community.
“The Dual Language Program is strongly interwoven into the fabric of the Elementary School,” summarizes ISB’s Elementary School Principal, Dr. Dustin Collins. “We’re a leader in China and the region, a status built on 10 years of work by our teachers. These professionals are resilient, passionate, and focused on outcomes and evidence. That’s why we’re tremendously proud of our Dual Language Program.”
As ISB reflects on 10 years of dual language education, the focus remains firmly on continued growth and improvement. The program continues to evolve through ongoing refinement of curriculum design, expanded professional development for educators, and thoughtful development of learning pathways that support the next generation of globally minded students.
For families seeking an education that combines academic excellence, bilingual fluency, and international opportunity, ISB’s Dual Language Program offers not just a place to learn but a pathway to thrive.