IB Mandarin Chinese HL is a continuation of IB Mandarin Chinese SL and prepares students for sitting for the Higher Level exam in May. The course places an emphasis on extended conversation, discussion, and literary texts. Students will gain fluency through researching, reading, writing essays, and discussing various themes and current topics. Within this thematic approach, critical thinking skills will be emphasized in a variety of written and oral assessments. It is expected that students will be able to utilize conversational Mandarin Chinese to function in the class without the use of English.