Mandarin

Brighton College redefined language learning in secondary education when it made Mandarin compulsory in 2006. With our state-of-the-art Confucius Classroom funded by the Confucius Institute, we are well-placed to deliver our vision: We believe that by learning the most widely spoken language, our pupils are equipped with a valuable tool for engaging with a nation that is re-shaping the world as we know it. Yet China's role in the past is equally important, and being a pupil here also means developing an awareness of this land's immense cultural legacy.

Lower Third (Year 7)

With three periods per week devoted to Mandarin, it is not long before Lower Third pupils are confidently applying basic Chinese greetings and getting to grips with the linguistic peculiarities of the language that make it so exciting to learn. These include the structure of Chinese characters, the phonetic alphabet pinyin, and the four tones of Mandarin. By the end of the year, they can write a range of characters and hold simple conversations.

Upper Third (Year 8)

In the Upper Third, pupils continue to receive three periods a week, which allows them to deepen their character reading and writing skills. Through the introduction of new vocabulary, they also gain greater confidence in their speaking ability and broaden the range of topics they can talk about. A rich variety of activities and resources ensures that different learning styles are catered for. By the time pupils move up into Fourth Form, they will also have built up their knowledge about Chinese culture through focussed projects that punctuate the first two years of learning.

Trips/extracurricular

Chinese events and activities have become part of the cultural fabric of Brighton College. There are Lunar New Year festivities, China-related assemblies and opportunities to take part in the Chinese Culture Club and Mandarin competitions.