How an IB Chinese Tutor Helps International School Students Excel

If you’re at an international school in Hong Kong studying IBDP Chinese, you’re probably one of two types of students:

Type 1: Chinese B

“My first language is English (or another language). Chinese is a foreign language to me. I can understand the textbook, but when I have to write a formal email or describe a picture for my oral… my mind goes blank.”

Type 2: Chinese A

“I speak Chinese at home. But IB Chinese analysis is NOT conversation. On Paper 1, they give me an unseen essay and 90 minutes to write literary analysis – suddenly I feel illiterate.”

Two completely different paths.

But a good IB Chinese tutor can help both of you – just in very different ways.

One tutor, two different approaches

1. First, understand the marking criteria – A and B are totally different worlds

Many students start off on the wrong foot:

• Chinese A students try to memorise phrases like they’re learning a foreign language.
• Chinese B students try to force literary analysis when all they need is clear communication.

A good tutor will first break down your subject’s assessment criteria:

• Chinese A (Literature / Lang\&Lit) Chinese B (Language acquisition)
• What’s tested Analysis, interpretation, evaluation Practical communication, comprehension, expression
• What’s NOT tested Whether you’re a native speaker Whether you can analyse literary devices
• Key to high scores Deep arguments, strong structure, precise language Correct format, appropriate tone, few errors
• 👉 For A students: tutor explains Criterion A (interpretation), B (analysis)
• 👉 For B students: tutor explains Criterion A (language), B (message), C (interactive communication)
• The same essay would be marked completely differently.

1. Writing: A does “analysis”, B does “practical writing”

Paper 1 means something totally different in each course:

Chinese A Paper 1:

• You get one or two unseen texts – write a literary analysis.
• A tutor will teach you: how to quickly identify devices (metaphor, irony, parallelism – 修辞手法), build an argument, avoid plot summary.

Chinese B Paper 1:

• You get a scenario – write a 实用文本 (practical text): email, blog post, speech, debate script (辩论稿).
• A tutor will teach you: format templates, tone control, covering all task requirements.

Why debate scripts? Many Chinese B students struggle with structuring arguments AND counter-arguments, plus shifting between formal and persuasive tone. A good tutor will give you sentence stems like:

“我方的立场是……” (Our position is…), “对方可能认为……，但事实上……” (The other side might argue…, but in fact…)

A good tutor will ask: “Are you A or B? If you’re A – put down that debate script. If you’re B – don’t talk to me about metaphor.”

1. Oral: A talks about “global issues”, B describes pictures

Individual Oral (IO) is even more different:

Chinese A IO:

• Choose a global issue (全球性问题) (e.g. “How does consumerism reshape memories of space”), connect two works you’ve studied. 10-minute presentation + 5-minute Q\&A.
• A tutor helps you: choose a non-vague issue, find real tension points between works, practice the Q\&A.

Chinese B IO:

• Look at a picture (related to an IB theme, e.g. “customs & traditions”, “technology & daily life”). Describe it + connect to your own culture + answer follow-up questions.
• A tutor helps you: fixed sentence patterns for quick description, high-frequency vocabulary lists, emergency phrases like “不好意思，可以再说慢一点吗？” (Sorry, could you speak slower?)
• 👉 Same tutor, one ear hears an A student discussing feminism in Red Sorghum, the other ear hears a B student saying “左边有一个人正在喝茶” (There’s a person drinking tea on the left).

1. Language problems: A fights “translationese”, B fights basic errors

Chinese A students (especially native speakers raised in international schools):

• The problem isn’t that you don’t know Chinese – it’s that your sentences sound like English translated word-for-word. Too many 的 (de), overly long subjects, misuse of passive voice.
• A tutor will rewrite your sentences until they sound like real Chinese.

Chinese B students:

• More basic issues: wrong measure words (一个人 vs 一条人), incorrect aspect markers (了/过/着), limited vocabulary.
• A tutor gives you sentence frameworks, synonym lists, and a clear error checklist.

1. Confidence: two different kinds of fear

A students fear: “Am I just bad at analysis? Why am I writing so much but scoring so low?”

B students fear: “I’m scared to speak – afraid of being laughed at. What if I don’t understand the teacher’s follow-up questions?”

A good tutor doesn’t comfort everyone the same way.

They tell A students: “You’re not incapable – you just don’t know what IB wants yet.”

They tell B students: “You don’t need to be perfect – you need to be understood.”

Learning the All Round Way

Discover how expert IB Chinese tutors ignite rapid progress, master intricate language skills, conquer challenging exams, and propel international school students to academic excellence and global confidence.. If you find yourself needing more guidance, we invite you to connect with us at All Round Education Academy. Our dedicated team is here to support you in achieving your academic goals. For more information, please contact us at [email protected] or +852 6348 8744.