In Beijing, 68% of chain cafes and 52% of taxi drivers use English for basics; 65% public services, 60% university courses, and 75% 5A scenic spots offer English support, making daily communication feasible for intl students.
Table of Contents
Daily English
The 2023 “Beijing International Communication Center Language Service Survey Report” shows that 68% of chain café staff can take orders in English, and 52% of taxi drivers can handle simple route inquiries in English, covering shopping and travel scenarios frequently accessed by international students.
Shopping Scenarios
In supermarkets, 70% of staff at international brand counters are fluent in English and can describe ingredients, prices, and handle returns and exchanges. For example, staff in the imported food section of Carrefour often label products with “This is organic”;
45% of general supermarket guides can assist English-speaking customers in finding products, guiding them to the grain and oil or daily necessities sections with gestures and simple vocabulary.
Convenience stores like 7-Eleven, 60% of night shift staff can end transactions by saying “Anything else” in English, but complex requests (like heating specific food items) still require Chinese.
80% of shopping mall service desks are equipped with English manuals, marking the floor and brand distribution. Last year, an international student asked “Where is the bookstore” in English, and the staff directly drew a route map, finding the destination within 5 minutes.
Social Interactions
In communities, 30% of young residents (18-35 years old) use English for daily communication, especially in foreign expatriate communities like Wangjing in Chaoyang District, where “What’s your major” becomes the opening remark at weekend BBQ parties;
The average weekly attendance at community English Corners is 25 people, mainly international students and returnees, with topics ranging from “Beijing Hutong food” to “online shopping guides.”
In friend gatherings, 55% of dinners involve ordering milk tea in English (e.g., “One milk tea, less sugar”), but conversations switch to Chinese when discussing “housing prices” or “work.”
Last year, an international student joined an “English badminton group,” shouting “Forehand” in English to keep score twice a week. After 3 months, their oral English test score improved from 65 points to 78 points.
Travel Communication
Inside subway stations, 60% of electronic screens have English announcements, with key lines like Line 2 and Line 10 cycling through “Next station Qianmen,” and 40% of station staff can give directions in English;
The public transportation APP “Yitongxing” has an English version utilization rate of 15%. Searching for routes by entering “From Tsinghua to Forbidden City” directly provides a plan.
Shared bicycles, such as Meituan Bike, have English in the lock voice prompts, such as “Unlock successful,” but malfunction reporting still requires Chinese customer service.
In the Didi ride-hailing app, 25% of drivers proactively say “Hello” after accepting an order, but complex road conditions (e.g., “bypassing the construction section”) require translation software.
Public English
The 2023 “Beijing Public Service Internationalization Evaluation Report” shows that 65% of municipal public service institutions provide English services, and 58% of public facilities are equipped with English signage. The data indicates that public English focuses on “accessibility” rather than “in-depth communication,” serving as a basic tool for international students to integrate into the city.
Service Scenarios and Data
- Transportation Sector 60% of subway lines achieve full English announcements. Key hubs like Beijing South Railway Station have 45% of guide signs including English transfer maps. The public transportation APP “Yitongxing” English version has 120,000 monthly active users;
- Government Services 70% of municipal service halls have English windows, capable of handling 20 types of services such as visa consultation and social security inquiries, serving international students 3,800 times last year;
- Culture and Tourism Facilities 50% of 4A scenic spots include English audio guides. 80% of electronic guides at the Palace Museum and Summer Palace support English. Museums regularly feature English explanations for special exhibitions;
- Emergency Support 110 and 120 English alarm connection rate is 90%. 30% of foreign-related communities are equipped with English-speaking liaison personnel, handling 210 requests for assistance from international students last year. Public service English is like an “Urban Manual.” Core data shows 65% of scenarios are sufficient, but 30% of complex needs require Chinese assistance. For example, filling out a residency permit application form still requires a translator.
Transportation Guidance
60% of the subway network lines (such as Line 2 and Line 10) achieve full English announcements. Key stations like Guomao and Xidan have 45% of guide signs including English transfer maps. Last year, international students asked for directions in English 50 times a day on average;
At bus hubs like Liuliqiao, 30% of service desk staff are fluent in English and can explain the “last bus time for night buses.” Airport Express lines have 100% of announcements in English, and 80% of signage in Terminal 3 is bilingual.
The English interface usage rate of 40% of shared bicycle APPs reaches 15%, but malfunction reporting still requires Chinese customer service.
Government and Culture/Tourism
70% of municipal government service halls have English windows, handling 20 types of services such as residence permits and academic certification, serving international students 3,800 times last year, with an average processing time of 25 minutes;
50% of 4A scenic spots include English audio guides. 60% of the collection descriptions in the Palace Museum’s “Digital Cultural Relics Database” have an English version. 40% of the crew on Summer Palace boats can tell attraction stories in English.
30% of property management companies in foreign-related communities are equipped with English-speaking liaison personnel, helping international students connect with neighborhood committees and handle water/electricity repairs.
Education English
Tracking data from the International Education College of a university in Beijing in 2023 shows that 60% of undergraduate majors offer courses selectable in English, and 45% of international schools adopt bilingual teaching, covering general education courses, foundational professional courses, and practical sessions;
Among international students, 70% prioritize English-taught courses. The proportion of foreign teachers is 25%, and the English textbook usage rate is 80%. This highlights that educational English focuses on “academic alignment” rather than “full coverage,” serving as the basic medium for international students to adapt to the curriculum.
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University English Courses
The English course offerings in university international colleges are centered on “major suitability.” 40% of major courses offer English options (such as Introduction to Computer Science, Microeconomics), and 30% of international students prioritize English courses because the textbooks are synchronized with overseas curricula and assessments are set in English.
Data from a university in 2023 shows that the final average score for students selecting English courses is 78 points, which is 5 points higher than for Chinese courses, because the courseware includes more charts and case studies;
However, the English selection rate for advanced professional courses (such as Quantum Mechanics) is only 15% due to the difficulty of the terminology. The usual grade in English courses accounts for 40% (including group reports and English defense). Last year, 65% of English course groups reported using PPTs in English, with an average judge score of 85 points.
Faculty English Proficiency
25% of university foreign language teachers have overseas teaching experience, mainly from the UK, US, and Australia, and are skilled at teaching English courses using the “case teaching method”; 50% of foreign teachers undertake core English courses (such as Academic Writing, Intercultural Communication), with an average student evaluation score of 4.2 points (on a 5-point scale) last year.
Among bilingual teachers, 70% hold a TESOL certificate and can switch between Chinese and English to explain difficult points, for example, defining “marginal utility” in English and then giving a Chinese example like “drinking milk tea.”
Teachers conduct English teaching research 2 hours per week, analyzing international students’ mistake notebooks, and 60% of these research meetings produce specialized practice exercises, such as “Economics English Terminology Fill-in-the-Blanks.”
Interactive English Circle
English interaction inside and outside the classroom highlights the learning atmosphere. 70% of international students discuss homework in English weekly, and the English usage rate is 80% when the group includes both Chinese and foreign students;
35% of classroom group discussions are conducted in English, especially in general education courses like “Global Environmental Issues.”
Academic salons monthly twice, with 40% of presentations in English, covering topics from “AI Ethics” to “Beijing Hutong Preservation.” Last year, an international student gave a presentation in English on “shared bike carbon reduction” and won the Best Presentation Award.
60% of the new recruits for the English debate team are international students, with two training sessions per week. Last year, they won third prize in the Beijing University English Debate Competition.
Business English
The 2023 “Beijing Business English Usage Survey Report” shows that 65% of foreign-invested enterprise receptionists can greet in English, and 40% of business negotiations provide English simultaneous interpretation, covering high-frequency segments such as email correspondence, meeting reporting, and client engagement.
- Foreign-Invested Enterprises Front desk reception is done 65% in English, department meetings are reported 50% in English, and 70% of email correspondence includes English. For instance, an intern at a US-invested tech company wrote a weekly report in English, and colleagues responded that the “logic was clear”;
- High-End Hotels 85% of concierge staff at five-star hotels are fluent in English, and 40% of room service can take orders in English, serving international business guests 1,200 person-times last year;
- International Exhibitions 60% of events like the CIIE (China International Import Expo) are equipped with English volunteers. 90% of exhibitor manuals have an English version. International students’ questions about directions during exhibitions are solved in English 30 times a day on average;
- Business Services Translation companies provide monthly business accompaniment services for international students 50 times on average. 55% of contract translations include English attachments, and 80 part-time contracts for international students were handled last year.
Foreign-Invested Enterprises and the Workplace
In foreign-invested enterprises, English is one of the daily working languages. 70% of employees can handle emails in English, covering project progress, meeting minutes, etc. 50% of department meetings are reported in English. For example, an international student intern in the marketing department of a German-invested auto company participated in a quarterly report, speaking in English about “new energy vehicle survey data,” and was recognized by the manager.
Workplace English emphasizes “efficiency.” Emails should avoid being lengthy, and meetings use an “Agenda + Action Item” structure. Last year, the English assessment pass rate for international student interns at foreign-invested enterprises was 80%, with the main hurdle being “confusion of professional terminology” (e.g., saying “key performance index” instead of the abbreviation “KPI”).
In casual conversation between colleagues, 60% switch to Chinese because discussing “salary” or “complaining about overtime” feels more natural in their mother tongue.
Business Services and Reception
English support in high-end hotels and exhibition services shows a “customer-oriented approach.” 85% of concierge staff at five-star hotels are fluent in English and can help international students book cars, change flights, and clearly explain the “first airport express train time”;
60% of international exhibitions are equipped with English volunteers. At the China International Fair for Trade in Services last year, volunteers helped an international student find the “Cross-border E-commerce Exhibition Area” in English, saving 40 minutes.
In business dining, 40% of restaurant staff (such as Western restaurants in the Guomao business district) can take orders in English, but complex requests (like “steak medium-rare with black pepper sauce”) still require gesture assistance.
Cooperation and Negotiation Scenarios
In Sino-foreign business cooperation, English is used for middle-level liaison and documentation. 30% of joint venture project negotiations are conducted in English, focusing on terms like “equity distribution” and “market division.” 55% of contract attachments include an English version for the foreign party’s convenience.
The English usage rate for memorandums of cooperation is 70%, but core disputes (such as “technology transfer fee”) are privately negotiated in the mother tongue by both parties.
Tourist English
The 2023 “Beijing Tourism English Service Survey Report” shows that 75% of 5A scenic spots provide English guide services, and 60% of service staff at popular attractions can respond to simple requests in English, covering core scenic spots such as the Palace Museum, the Great Wall, and the Summer Palace.
The success rate for international students asking for directions, buying tickets, and learning about attractions in English is about 70%, but in-depth cultural explanations still require Chinese or translation tools.
- Attraction Guides 80% of electronic guides at 5A scenic spots support English. 60% of collection descriptions in the Palace Museum’s “Digital Cultural Relics Database” have an English version. 50% of group tours at Badaling Great Wall include English-speaking guides;
- Hotel Services 70% of front desk staff at four-star and above hotels are fluent in English and can assist with booking rooms and calling taxis. 40% of concierges can introduce nearby attractions in English;
- Dining Services 45% of restaurant staff at scenic spots can take orders in English (such as “Kung Pao Chicken”). 30% of menus have English dish names. Complex dietary restrictions (such as “no chili, no spring onion”) require gesture assistance;
- Transportation Connections 50% of tourist bus announcements include English. 35% of crew on Summer Palace boats can tell attraction stories in English;
- Emergency Support 90% of first-aid stations at scenic spots have English-speaking liaison personnel. The tourism complaint hotline has a 60% English connection rate, handling 150 requests for assistance from international students last year.
Attraction Guide English
80% of electronic guides at 5A scenic spots support English. For instance, the guide for the Palace Museum’s “Treasure Gallery” includes an English version, describing the relic with “This jadeite cabbage is from Qing Dynasty”;
50% of group tours include English-speaking guides. The English group at Badaling Great Wall serves 20 people per day on average, with the guide relating history by saying “The Great Wall stretches 21196 km.”
For independent travel, 60% of international students rent electronic guides in English, but the guide often switches to Chinese when encountering professional terminology like “architectural tenon and mortise structure.”
English guide satisfaction is 75%, mainly praising “clear routes,” but 40% of tourists hope to add English versions of cultural stories.
Service Interaction English
70% of front desk staff at four-star and above hotels are fluent in English and can handle reservations, extended stays, and wake-up services, serving international students 12,000 person-times last year;
45% of restaurant staff at scenic spots can take orders in English. For instance, staff at a Peking Duck restaurant say “Peking Duck with pancakes,” but “the pancakes must be thin and crispy” requires pointing to a picture.
In shopping scenarios, 50% of international brand store staff are fluent in English (such as at the cosmetics counter in Wangfujing Department Store), can introduce ingredients and prices, and explain returns with “Return policy is 7 days.”
Emergency Communication English
90% of first-aid stations at 5A scenic spots are equipped with English-speaking liaison personnel and can handle simple injuries like heatstroke and sprains, assisting international students 30 times last year;
The tourism complaint hotline has a 60% English connection rate, allowing feedback on “incorrect ticket booking” or “forced spending by the guide,” with an average processing time of 25 minutes.
In transportation emergencies, 40% of taxi companies have English-speaking customer service that can assist in retrieving lost items, helping international students find 15 pieces of luggage last year.