Two Languages, Shared Learning: Inside Our Dual Language Classroom

2026-10-13

Every child learns differently, and every family has its own language story. That's why our Primary School offers two language learning pathways: the Mainstream Pathway, where English is the main language of instruction, and the Dual Language Pathway, where Chinese and English share the stage more equally. In a previous article, we explained how these two pathways work. Today, we're showing the Dual Language Pathway learning in action.

We sat down with Karin Kong and Kristina Waller, who co-teach a Year 3 Dual Language class, to hear what it's like to teach side by side. We put to them the questions we hear most often from parents:

"Does Dual Language simply mean one teacher speaks English and the other speaks Chinese?"

"Is it just a matter of translating from one language into the other?"

"Will my child's Chinese improve at the expense of her English?"

The answers lie in the everyday life of the classroom. Pupils on the Dual Language Pathway follow the same subject content as their Mainstream classmates in the same year group, and they're assessed to the same standards. What's different is how much both languages are used in teaching and learning. Chinese is both a subject and a language of instruction, so pupils learn Chinese by learning in Chinese.

Ms Kong and Ms Waller plan every lesson together. They decide which ideas will land best in Chinese and which are worth exploring in English. They teach side by side and lead small groups, pitched to each pupil's needs. Every pupil progresses with support in both languages.

They also practise 'translanguaging', where pupils process new ideas in both Chinese and English. For instance, a pupil might read a text in English and summarise it in Chinese. Learning in one language reinforces learning in the other.

Culture adds another dimension in humanities lessons. While discussing a topic like immigration, pupils might explore what 'Fallen leaves return to their roots' means in Chinese culture and how a person's background can shape their views.