Language B SL
The school offers Language B SL in French, Spanish and German. Where the number of students enrolled exceeds 7, the school will offer a regular class. If fewer than 7 students enroll, the school may offer the subject at extra cost. In the past few years, regular classes have been formed for French B SL.
Course Description
LANGUAGE B SL (French, Spanish, German)
Language B Standard level is designed to meet (at the end of the 2-year course) the criteria for CEFR level B2 in the four domains of reading, writing, listening and speaking. During the two-year course, exposure to a wide variety of audio and written material provides students with the opportunity to exercise and develop the four skills mentioned above, and to learn to use the language confidently and competently in various contexts. Students should also have acquired a good understanding of the cultural background of the language they will be studying, as well as the way in which it affects their use of it.
The Language B-SL syllabus approaches the learning of language through meaning. Through the study of the core and the options, students build the necessary skills to reach the assessment objectives of the course through the expansion of their receptive, productive and interactive skills.
The core is divided into five areas and is a required area of study:
- identities
- experiences
- human ingenuity
- social organization
- sharing the planet.
Difference between Language B at Standard Level and Higher Level:
SL and HL are differentiated by the recommended number of teaching hours, the depth of syllabus coverage, the study of literature at HL only, and the level of difficulty and demands of assessment and assessment criteria.
Course Assessment
External Assessment 75%
Three Written Exams:
Paper 1: Written productive skills (1 hours 15 minutes) 25%
One writing task of 250–400 words from a choice of three, each from a different theme, choosing a text type from among those listed in the examination instructions.
Paper 2: Receptive skills (1 hour and 45 minutes) 50%
Listening comprehension (45 minutes) (25 marks) 25%
Reading comprehension (1 hour) (40 marks) 25%
Comprehension exercises on three audio passages and three written texts, drawn from all five themes.
Internal Assessment 25%
Internally assessed by the teacher and externally moderated by the IB.
Individual oral assessment A conversation with the teacher, based on a visual stimulus, followed by discussion based on an additional theme. (30 marks)
All final decisions on the appropriateness of the language course (Language A, Language B or Ab initio) for which students are entered are taken by coordinators in liaison with teachers, using their experience and professional judgment to guide them. The most important consideration is that the language course selected should be a challenging educational experience for the student.
