Changes to syllabus for all languages
from August 2011
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communicate clearly and effectively in a range of situations,
demonstrating linguistic competence and intercultural understanding
use language appropriate to a range of interpersonal and/or cultural
contexts
understand and use language to express and respond to a range of
ideas with accuracy and fluency
organize ideas on a range of topics, in a clear, coherent and convincing
manner
understand, analyse and respond to a range of written and spoken texts
understand and use works of literature written in the target language of
study (HL only).
 SL=
core + 2 options (5 topics
in total)
 HL core + 2 options + 2 literary
works.
Core =Social Relationships;communication and
media;global issues.
Options = any
2 from health; customs and
traditions;leisure; cultural diversity;science
and technology
 Written
assignment, interactive
oral, Paper 1 from core,
 Individual oral,Paper 2 from
options
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Written assigment, interactive oral, paper 1,
paper 2B from core
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Indivdual oral, Paper 2A from options
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Written Assigmnent from literature texts.
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External assessment
70%
Paper 1 (1 hour 30 minutes): Receptive skills
25%
Text-handling exercises on four written texts, based on the core.
Paper 2 (1 hour 30 minutes): Written productive skills
25%
One writing exercise of 250–400 words from a choice of five, based
on the options.
Written assignment: Receptive and written productive skills
20%
Intertextual reading followed by a written exercise of 300–400
words plus a 100-word rationale, based on the core.
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Internal assessment
30%
Internally assessed by the teacher and externally moderated by the IB.
Individual oral (8–10 minutes)
20%
Based on the options: 15 minutes’ preparation time and a 10-minute
(maximum)
presentation and discussion with the teacher.
Interactive oral activity
10%
Based on the core: Three classroom activities assessed by the teacher.
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External assessment
70%
Paper 1 (1 hour 30 minutes): Receptive skills
25%
Text-handling exercises on five written texts, based on the core.
Paper 2 (1 hour 30 minutes): Written productive skills
25%
Two compulsory writing exercises.
Section A: One task of 250–400 words, based on the options, to be selected
from a choice of five.
Section B: Response of 150–250 words to a stimulus text, based on the
core.
Written assignment: Receptive and written productive skills
20%
Creative writing of 500–600 words plus a 150-word rationale, based on one
of the literary texts studied
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Internal assessment
30%
Internally assessed by the teacher and externally moderated by the IB.
Individual oral (8–10 minutes)
20%
Based on the options: 15 minutes’ preparation time and a 10-minute
(maximum)
presentation and discussion with the teacher.
Interactive oral activity
10%
Based on the core: Three classroom activities assessed by the teacher.
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SL – 100 word rationale
HL – 150 word rationale
Externally assessed
Language 5 marks
Format 4 marks
20% of total grade
Content 10 marks
Rationale 3 marks
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produced in class under test conditions
– can run over several lessons (guideline 3 – 6
hours)
students must take nothing home with them.
Students provided with 3 sources on one of the
optional topics ( a topic already researched and
taught (in some depth) in class)
write a response.
Student choice of task (guided by Teacher)eg Journal
Intime/Discours/Lettre etc,
each student must have a different title.
No help/correcting/use of computers.
Up to 12 students may use the same texts, thereafter
teacher must produce a second set of 3 texts.
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similar to SL but based on one of the works
studied in class
Journal intime etc – choice by student.
Students allowed dictionary/copy of text (not
annotated), can’t take it home.
Literature: teacher’s choice, based on student
interest, level of languages.
It does NOT have to be a ‘classical’ piece of
literature.
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Must be handwritten.
Students may have access to a copy of
syllabus (marking criteria/type of task etc.)
No online dictionaries
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Article
Blog/diary entry
Brochure/leaflet
Advertisement
Interview
News report
Official report
Proposal
Review
Correspondence
Set of instructions
Each text
300 – 400
words
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Option topics: Health; traditions; leisure;
cultural diversity; science and technology
Visual stimulus – choice of 2 previously
unseen
15 min prep time
10 minute exam
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Photo needs to be good:
Students need to be able to describe the
scene; link it to the target culture; give a
personal opinion; broaden the conversation
(within the topic)
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Photograph with title/caption (provided by
teacher)
Same photo can be used 5 times
Each student must have a different title/caption
Student has 15 minutes to prepare, may take
notes (up to 10 bullet points (30/40 words) no
whole phrases
Student speaks for 3 minutes, then must answer
questions about the issues in the picture,
followed by questions on a wider range of issues
from the same topic.
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If student really struggling, may go onto the
other topic studied.
If student speaks for less than 3 minutes,
start the second part of the test, but do give
the student sufficient thinking time in order
to respond to questions.. 8 – 10 minutes in
total.
Only marked for language/message
Must be a photo- no cartoons/drawings etc.
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Both SL and HL
Criterion A Productive skills:
10
Criterion B Interactive and receptive skills: 10
 20%
 2A from core
– 400 words
 Paper 2B from Options 150 – 200
 250
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words
student must choose own writing task eg
genre/audience etc from a written stimulus
No choice of question
90mins for both questions (v. tight for time)
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pretty much the same
Core
no written task
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Must do
3
one from a listening stimulus
students’ best mark put forward.
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10%
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There are changes to the mark scheme – not
huge but significant.
Look at the Language B spec.
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When designing the course, teachers are
expected to keep in mind the IB learner
profile and make links between TOK and the
Group 2 courses.
There are 14 suggested TOK questions on
page 7 of the Language B Guide.
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Guidance for language provision in groups 1 and 2
http://occ.ibo.org/ibis/documents/dp/gr2/language_b/d_
2_ablan_gui_0908_1_e.pdf
Subject outline (first exams 2013)
http://occ.ibo.org/ibis/documents/dp/gr2/language_b/d_
2_ablan_gui-out_1102_1_e.pdf
Guide (first exams 2013)
http://occ.ibo.org/ibis/documents/dp/gr2/language_b/d_
2_ablan_gui_1102_1_e.pdf
List of kanji characters for Japanese B (first exams 2013)
http://occ.ibo.org/ibis/documents/dp/gr2/language_b_ja
panese/d_2_abjap_csp_1102_1_e.pdf
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It is essential that teachers are allowed the
prescribed minimum number of teaching
hours necessary to meet the requirements of
the language B course. At SL the minimum
prescribed number of hours is 150 and at HL
it is 240 hours.