23 / 32
M O D E R N L A N G U A G E S
23
Language B (SL and HL)
French, German, Spanish
Language B
is a language acquisition course available at Standard (SL) and Higher Level (HL). It
is designed for pupils who have some prior knowledge in the target language. While acquiring a
language, pupils will explore the culture(s) connected to it. The focus of these courses is language
acquisition, intercultural understanding and international mindedness.
The Language B syllabus approaches the learning of language through meaning. Through the Study
of five prescribed themes at SL and HL, plus two literary works at HL, pupils build the necessary
skills to reach the assessment objectives of the language B course through the expansion of their
receptive, productive and interactive skills.
The five prescribed themes studied are:
• Identities
• Experiences
• Human ingenuity
• Social organisation
• Sharing the planet
SL
and
HL
are differentiated by the recommended number of teaching hours, the depth of
syllabus coverage, the study of literature at HL, and the level of difficulty and demands of
assessment and application of assessment criteria.
LANGUAGE B
HL/SL
SECTION
ASSESSED
AREAS
External assessment
(HL and SL)
Paper One
25%
Productive skills: writing
Paper Two
50%
Section 1: Receptive skills –
Listening comprehension (¾ hr)
Section 2: Receptive skills –
Reading comprehension (1h)
Internal
Assessment
Individual Oral
25%
NB: TOK (Theory of Knowledge) is also supported through the study of languages.