The teaching of languages plays an important part at HIBS, where learning at least one language is compulsory until the end of Year 10. Students in Year 7 receive ½ a year each of French and Japanese; in Year 8, they may choose to continue with both or take just one; in Year 9, Spanish is introduced, so students may choose to start this new language and/or continue with their original choice.

In Year 10, they must continue with a language although there is a one-year Maori for beginners course, run by the Correspondence School, which they may choose to take. Please note that a language cannot be dropped and picked up again at a later stage of that particular language development (except in rare circumstances).