The Beijing Foreign Languages Institute is one of about 60 colleges and universities in the People's Republic of China that is directly under the Ministry of Education. Attached to the Institute are a high school and an elementary school where students start learning foreign languages in third grade. Classroom teaching is supplemented by extra-curricular activities and interaction between teachers and students outside class time. Courses are designed so that students will become professionally competent and knowledgeable about the historical, cultural, social, political, and economic situation of the country whose language they are studying. Courses are required in intensive and extensive reading, writing, written and oral translation, listening, speaking, world history, world geography, and a second foreign language. In addition, a number of electives are offered. Courses are conducted in English and, as much as possible, authentic documents are chosen for study. Linguistic and stylistic points are explained in detail, as well as structures and usages peculiar to the English language. There is extensive practice through oral and written exercises, especially paraphrasing, to enable students to learn to think in English. During the last two years the emphasis has been on written translation and oral interpretation. (AMH)