Linguistic diversity at CIS

At the Canadian International School, we celebrate linguistic diversity and are committed to nurturing multilingualism. With students representing more than 70 nationalities, our language programmes are designed to build proficiency in additional languages, cultivate intercultural understanding and respect, and equip students for success in an increasingly globalised world.

Language pathways

CIS students have two formal pathways to choose from:

1. English Programme – Includes daily language acquisition lessons in Chinese or French.
2. Bilingual Programme – Offers either Chinese-English or French-English tracks for students to develop fluency in two languages.

We also provide English Language Learner (ELL) support for students whose first language is not English, and encourage the development of mother tongue languages through extra-curricular opportunities.

Daily language acquisition classes

• Primary Years (Pre-K to Grade 6): All students receive daily Chinese or French lessons, taught by highly experienced language specialists. Students are grouped by proficiency level to ensure personalised learning.
• Secondary Years (Grades 7–12): Language learning continues with five periods per week (often scheduled as double blocks for deeper focus).
  • Grades 7–10: Options include Chinese, French, Spanish, or English.
  • Grades 11–12 (IB Diploma Programme): Options expand to Chinese, French, Spanish, or one of over 53 self-taught languages recognised by the IB.

These experiences help students build confidence, resilience, and communication skills while nurturing a lifelong appreciation for the arts.

Bilingual programmes: Chinese-English & French-English

CIS is a pioneer in bilingual education in Singapore. Our bilingual programmes are designed to nurture bilingual, biliterate, and bicultural students.

• Chinese-English Bilingual Programme (Pre-K to Grade 6)
• French-English Bilingual Programme (Junior Kindergarten to Grade 6)

Each class is co-taught by two teachers – a native English speaker and a native Chinese/French speaker – and fully aligned with the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP).

English Language Learner (ELL) Programme

For students whose first language is not English, CIS provides tailored ELL support from Senior Kindergarten to Grade 10. This ensures that students build the language skills needed to thrive academically while also developing confidence in English communication.

Full details of English, Chinese, and French bilingual entry requirements are available on our entry requirements page.