Course Syllabus

LANGUAGE B

The study of language requires careful attention to forms, structures, functions and conceptual understandings of language. Knowledge of vocabulary and grammar—the what of language—is reinforced and extended by understanding the why and how of language: audience, context, purpose, meaning.

Language B courses aim to:

1. Develop international-mindedness through the study of languages, cultures, and ideas and issues of global significance.

2. Enable students to communicate in the language they have studied in a range of contexts and for a variety of purposes.

3. Encourage, through the study of texts and through social interaction, an awareness and appreciation of a variety of perspectives of people from diverse cultures.

4. Develop students’ understanding of the relationship between the languages and cultures with which they are familiar.

5. Develop students’ awareness of the importance of language in relation to other areas of knowledge.

6. Provide students, through language learning and the process of inquiry, with opportunities for intellectual engagement and the development of critical- and creative-thinking skills.

7. Provide students with a basis for further study, work and leisure through the use of an additional language.

8. Foster curiosity, creativity and a lifelong enjoyment of language learning.

Students should be able to:

1. Communicate clearly and effectively in a range of contexts and for a variety of purposes.

2. Understand and use language appropriate to a range of interpersonal and/or intercultural contexts and audiences.

3. Understand and use language to express and respond to a range of ideas with fluency and accuracy.

4. Identify, organize and present ideas on a range of topics.

5. Understand, analyse and reflect upon a range of written, audio, visual and audio visual texts.

The five prescribed themes are:

• identities (lifestyles, health and wellbeing, beliefs and values, subcultures, language and identity)

• experiences (leisure activities, holidays and travel, life stories, rites of passage, customs and

traditions, migration)

• human ingenuity (entertainment, artistic expressions, communication and media, technology, scientific innovation)

• social organization (social relationships, community, social engagement, education, the working world, law and order)

• sharing the planet (environment, human rights, peace and conflict, equality, globalization, ethics, urban and rural environment)

The themes allow students to compare the target language and culture(s) to other languages and cultures with which they are familiar. The themes also provide opportunities for students to make connections to other disciplinary areas in the DP.

As a Language B student, a TOK moment could be: How does the culture we grow up with influence the decisions that we make in our daily lives? 

CAS: As a class we will develop a project that will create a cultural connection with our community base on the IB prescribed themes. 

Assessment outline – Standard level

Assessment objectives

There are 4 assessments specifically for Language B