Choose an IB Chinese tutor who teaches your child’s exact course, Chinese A, Chinese B or Mandarin ab initio, and who prepares them for its papers and oral with regular writing and speaking practice. The three courses are very different, so the first step is confirming which one your child takes and at what level. This guide explains the courses, the changes coming in 2027 and how to choose a tutor.

Written by Tutopiya, an online tutoring company that teaches Chinese one-to-one at IGCSE, IB and A Level.

Key takeaways

• Chinese A, Chinese B and ab initio need different tutoring.
• New Language B and ab initio courses start teaching in August 2027, first assessed in 2029.
• Writing text types and the oral are where tutoring helps most.
• Character accuracy and vocabulary range lift every paper.

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Which IB Chinese course does my child take?

IB Chinese A is a literature or language and literature course for proficient speakers, Chinese B is a language acquisition course for students with prior learning, and Mandarin ab initio is a beginners’ course offered at SL. Your school places students according to their background.

	Chinese A	Chinese B	Mandarin ab initio
Group	Studies in language and literature	Language acquisition	Language acquisition
Who it’s for	Proficient speakers	Students with some prior learning	Beginners
Levels	SL and HL	SL and HL	SL only
Focus	Texts and analysis	Communication on themes	Basic communication

What changes are coming?

The IB’s new Language B and ab initio courses launch for first teaching in August 2027, with first assessment in May 2029. Students sitting exams in 2027 and 2028 continue with the current courses. See the IB’s Language B updates and confirm your child’s cohort with the DP coordinator.

Where do students lose marks?

For Chinese B and ab initio:

• limited vocabulary on themes;
• wrong conventions for text types in writing;
• character errors;
• short or rehearsed-sounding oral answers.

For Chinese A:

• retelling texts instead of analysing them;
• weak structure in essays;
• generic global issues in the oral.

Signs your child needs a tutor

• struggles with characters or reading speed;
• writing marked down for text-type conventions;
• anxiety about the individual oral;
• heritage speaker finding formal writing harder than expected.

How to choose an IB Chinese tutor: step by step

1. Confirm the course and level.
2. Share recent writing and oral feedback.
3. Book a trial lesson with writing and speaking.
4. Check the tutor knows the current assessment and the coming changes.
5. Ask about text-type and oral practice.
6. Agree a plan linked to school deadlines.

Browse our IB Diploma tutors; we can match a Chinese specialist.

What should a good IB Chinese tutor offer?

What to check	Why it matters
Course knowledge	A, B and ab initio differ
Text-type teaching	Paper 1 writing marks
Oral practice	Internal assessment
Character accuracy	Affects every paper
Theme vocabulary	Supports all skills

What does a good lesson look like?

1. A short conversation on a course theme.
2. New vocabulary and characters.
3. A text-type writing task.
4. Corrections and a rewrite.
5. Oral practice with follow-up questions.

Preparing the individual oral

For Chinese B, the oral is based on a visual stimulus linked to a course theme followed by discussion, and at HL on a literary extract. Practise describing, linking to the theme, giving opinions and answering follow-up questions naturally. A tutor can play the examiner and build confidence.

When should students start?

Start in DP1 if writing or speaking is weak, because vocabulary and characters build over time.

How to tell tutoring is working

• fewer character errors;
• writing that follows text-type conventions;
• longer, more natural oral answers;
• better marks in school assessments.

How parents can help

• encourage Chinese media and reading;
• speak Chinese at home if you can;
• check vocabulary is reviewed regularly.

Questions to ask a tutor

1. Which IB Chinese courses have you taught?
2. How do you prepare students for the oral?
3. Are you familiar with the 2027 course changes?

How Tutopiya tutoring works

Tutopiya offers one-to-one online IB Chinese tutoring.

• A tutor matched to your child’s course.
• A free first trial lesson, with no card needed.
• From 4 hours a month per subject. Each tutor sets their own rate, shown before booking.
• AI lesson analysis gives a summary, flashcards and quiz questions after each lesson.

See our IB tuition page.

Common mistakes

• Wrong course materials → confirm A, B or ab initio.
• Ignoring text types → learn conventions.
• Rehearsed orals → practise spontaneous discussion.
• Character slips → keep an error list.

Talk to us

For related guides, see an IB Language B tutor and an A Level Chinese tutor. Contact our team to be matched. If you already study with Tutopiya, log in and raise a ticket from your portal dashboard by clicking the + icon in the bottom-right corner.

Summary: confirm whether your child takes Chinese A, B or ab initio, then choose a tutor who knows that course and practises writing, characters and the oral regularly.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between IB Chinese A, B and ab initio? +

Chinese A is a studies in language and literature course for students with strong Chinese. Chinese B is a language acquisition course for students with some prior learning. Mandarin ab initio is for beginners, available at SL only.

Are IB language acquisition courses changing? +

Yes. The IB has announced new Language B and ab initio courses for first teaching in August 2027, with first assessment in May 2029. Students examined in 2027 and 2028 follow the current courses.

How can a tutor help with Chinese B? +

By building vocabulary and characters on the course themes, practising writing text types for Paper 1, reading and listening skills for Paper 2, and the individual oral.

Can heritage speakers take Chinese B? +

Schools and the IB have rules on course placement based on a student's language background. Ask your DP coordinator which course is appropriate.

Does Tutopiya offer IB Chinese tutors? +

Yes. Tutopiya offers one-to-one online IB Chinese tutoring for Chinese A, Chinese B and ab initio. The first trial lesson is free with no card required.

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