World's second language to play smaller role in national college entrance exams, report Peng Yining, He Na and Wang Shanshan in Beijing.

Yin Zixuan, an 18-year-old high school student in Beijing, started learning English as a child in kindergarten.

"We've always been told that the English language is important for getting into a good college, finding a good job and a lot of other things," he said. "And then, all of sudden, we're told that its role will be reduced in the most important test for Chinese students."