One of the biggest difficulties I faced, and I think what most people who newly entered the IBDP also faced, was the choosing of our subjects. Subjects are divided into HL (higher level) and SL (standard level), evident from its name one is obviously harder, students are required to choose at least 3 HL subjects. Personally I chose Chinese B as one of my HLs, because I was quite confident in my Chinese proficiency so I decided to just go for it. To start, however, I think something those who are thinking of going Chinese HL should know is that there is quite a big gap in level between SL and HL. This gap is evidently seen as part of the course requirement for HL students who are required to study two literary works written in the target language, in this case written in Chinese. My advice for those who want to take Chinese HL is to make sure that you at least have a certain foundation in Chinese, meaning you can to a certain extent read, write, and speak in the language without needing a dictionary. If not, I would say it would be quite hard to catch up with the lesson and do well in the assessments. Of course, that isn't absolute, if you really want to take Chinese HL but your foundation is weak or you don't have a proper foundation, then work hard, put in double, triple, or even quadruple the efforts others put, and gradually you'll improve, after all learning a language is never easy. Personally, I support any of you who are interested in taking Chinese HL to take it, I would say it's quite interesting, and the most important thing is you really learn, I can't guarantee your grades or anything else, but what I can promise is that your level when you come out will surely be a lot higher than when you went in (excluding those who are already highly proficient in the language, or even have Chinese as their first language). As long as you work hard, you won't find this subject too difficult to ace! Personal advice, if you wish to prepare for the subject beforehand, you can try watching c-dramas and shows (no english subs), listening to Chinese songs and podcasts, and reading Chinese news articles or novels. (Trinnie Chan, Cohort 2)

Our Chinese classes were able to help me expand my vocabulary and enhance my comprehension and quick-thinking skills. You need to read really fast in exams and use your context clues a lot, but outside of written exams, you need to also be able to speak Chinese and use it in a conversational context. I think Chinese is quite hard, but manageable and enjoyable to an extent. It was a memorable experience, to say the least. (Aina Lua, Cohort 1)