MUMBAI: Visitors to Chinese web portal, sina.com.cn, can now learn English with the BBC. The site offers its users direct access to the BBC Learning English content specially tailored for Chinese-speakers.

BBC Learning English teaches various points of the English language through human interest stories and topics including UK lifestyle and culture.

Visitors to sina.com.cn now can learn to read, write and speak English through the BBC's four popular Learning English features: Take Away English, Quizzes, Ask About Britain and Off The Pitch.

Take Away English consists of units which learners can literally "take away" as MP3 and PDF text downloads. Topics, which range from the latest Harry Potter book and online gaming to Chinese football players, include listening and reading exercises and an audio glossary.

The Quizzes section offers learners an interactive test of their English vocabulary and grammar and helps them with teacher feedback. Ask About Britain answers users' questions on British life and culture while Off The Pitch helps football enthusiasts to learn new words and phrases on the game.

Commenting on the partnership deal with sina.com.cn, BBC World Service Business Development Manager for China and North Asia, Raymond Li said, "We are delighted to partner with sina.com.cn to provide quality English learning content in China. The Internet has become an increasingly popular and effective learning platform among young people, and to cater for this audience the BBC has been building up successful partnerships with a number of Chinese portals over last few years. This latest partnership with sina.com.cn will help us reach more online learners in China, therefore bringing more benefit to them, too."

sina.com.cn executive VP and chief editor Tong Chen says, "As the world's number one Chinese portal site, sina.com.cn is very pleased to have BBC as our partner. This co-operation will enable us to provide online users in China with the most authoritative, professional, advanced English learning materials in the world, thus helping to improve English teaching and learning all over China."

BBC Learning English offers English language teaching programmes and online content for a global radio and online audience. English learning materials are available online at bbclearningenglish.com and, for Chinese speakers, on bbcchina.com.cn.