Some 11,000 government staff in Beijing's Haidian District will receive two and a half years of English training in five stages starting from July 27, according to a report from the Beijing Daily.

The move aims to create a foreign-language environment to meet the demands of increasing foreign cooperation and exchanges in Zhongguancun in the district, also known as China's Silicon Valley .

The training, co-sponsored by the district government, Beijing Foreign Studies University, and other qualified foreign language training centers, will be available outside work hours, including weeknights and weekends. It includes both public English and professional English, focusing on different fields such as science, law enforcement, medicine, economics, trade, and tourism.

The classes are divided into three levels for students with different English levels. There is an introductory class, an English-improvement class, and an intensive English class. Staff may select a class in accordance with their own English level.

The district government is slated to offer some services for foreign visitors, including interpretation and guidance, in the future.

(Source: Beijing Daily, translated by LI YUZHU)