Language B is a two-year course that aims to develop the students’ linguistic competence and intercultural understanding. The language skills developed will enable the student to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences. Authentic materials will be used in order to maximize the student’s exposure to the target language and to model the appropriate use of the language in a range of situations, contexts and, purposes while investigating a variety of themes or subjects.
Language B will be the main language of communication in the class between the teacher and the student, as well as among the students themselves. This course gives the student the opportunity to reach a high degree of competency in the language as well as a wide exposure to the international community.
There is a common syllabus at SL and HL (with literature as an additional component of the HL course). Students will cover 5 prescribed themes:
- Identities
- Experiences
- Human Ingenuity
- Social Organisation
- Sharing the Planet.
They will be assessed regularly on the 4 equally weighted skills of Speaking / Reading / Writing and Listening.
Please click on the arrow for a detailed breakdown:
IB1 B Language B | |||
| Term 1 | Term 2 | Term 3 |
Main Themes | Prescribed theme: Identity Language and Identity – The concept of speaking French / Spanish / Arabic – National Identity – National Symbols – Bilinguism
Prescribed theme: Experiences Customs and traditions – Types of families – Mixed marriages – Divorce – Traditions in marriages – Domestic violence
Prescribed theme: Social Organisation Youth values – Social relationships – Youth and Society
Types of texts: · Letter (informal/ formal) · Diary · Blog · Speech · Interview/questionnaire
| Prescribed theme: Identity Health – Well being – Drugs/alcohol – Illnesses, symptoms of good/ill health – Beauty Prescribed theme: Human Ingenuity – Ethic and sports: doping
Prescribed theme: Experiences Leisure – Holidays – Traveling – Tourism Impact – Sports
Prescribed theme: Human Ingenuity Communications and Media – Advantages and disadvantages of medias – Internet and TV – Artistic expression: tattoos
Types of texts: · Tract/brochure · Article · Film review · Official report · Travel guide · News report | Prescribed theme: Social Organisation Education – Educational system – Work – Social engagement, voluntary work
Communications and Media – Advertising – Propaganda – Bias in media – Social media
Types of texts: · Social media posting/chat room · Advertisement · Survey · Set of instructions · Essay
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Main Assessment | Paper 1: Writing – 1 task 250-400 words of one type of text students covered. Paper 2: reading (1 text), listening (1 extract). Oral assessments: 3 pictures to prepare at home – description only (teacher chooses one for the assessment).
| Paper 1: Writing – students are given two tasks and choose one + have to pick the most appropriate type of text. Paper 2: reading (2 texts), listening (2 extracts). Oral assessments: 2 unseen pictures (SL) to describe (student pick one) + discussion. One unseen picture (HL). | Paper 1: full paper (HL + SL) Paper 2: full paper (HL + SL) Oral assessments: 2 unseen pictures to describe (SL student pick one) + discussion. 1 unseen picture (HL) + discussion
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Skills | Presenting and defending conflicting viewpoints (IB profile – thinkers and risk takers).
Researching unfamiliar cultures and systems and presenting findings (IB profile – enquirer).
Comparing and contrasting cultural differences around the world (marriage celebrations) | Reviewing and building upon previous knowledge from past studies (future & past tenses).
Analysing and identifying the key points of a visual stimulus (Oral Cards)
Using a mark-scheme to identify opportunities for improvement. | Justifying choices with regards to personal and physical health (Healthy living & diets) Analysing and explaining causes and consequences of food related to mental disease.
Researching on similarities and differences between the Francophone / Hispanic countries and the UAE. |
IB2 Language B | |||
Main Themes | Prescribed theme: Sharing the Planet Global issues – Environment – Migrations – Human rights – Pauverty – Racisme
Prescribed theme: Human Ingenuity Sciences and technologies – New technologies – Ethic and science – GMO
Types of texts: · Editorial/readers’ letter · Littérature (HL) | Prescribed theme: Sharing the Planet Global issues – Globalisation – Peace and conflict – Equality
Revision sessions Types of texts: · Review of the types of texts studied
| Study leave. |
Main Assessment | Mock Examinations Paper 1 / Paper 2 and individual oral
| Past paper practice Paper 1/Paper 2 and individual oral | IB French B Examination in May/June
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Skills | Reflective: reflecting on how the use of new technology affect our everyday life and on our dependence to it.
Identifying similarities between languages and Theory of Knowledge approach.
Evaluating, redrafting and improving written work in order to increase linguistic complexity and accuracy. | Highlighting strengths and weaknesses in preparation for final exams and targeted revision.
Combine previous knowledge to synthesize more complex concepts
| Comprehend and apply different revision strategies to reading and writing skills.
Collaborating with peers in order to practice key skills (writing) |
Unit / Block of work | Key Episodes / Questions | Additional Details | Colour Code | Length of time. | Possible Symbol? | Learner Attribute(s) |
Unit 1 – IDENTITY | What makes us | The present tense of regular -ER, -IR and -RE verbs |
| 15 lessons | Family tree | Inquirer |
Mental and physical health” | Healthy lifestyle tips | Adjective agreements | ||||
| Art and wellbeing | Articles, genders and number | ||||
| Personal identification | Possesive adjectives | ||||
| Family life and relationships | Main irregular verbs | ||||
| Young people today | Negation | ||||
| Health and nutrition | Question words | ||||
| Music and wellbeing | Future tenses | ||||
| Physical activity | The imperative tense | ||||
| Dependance and addictions | Relative pronouns: “”qui / que”” | ||||
| Beauty | Texts: blog / formal and informal letters” | ||||
| How to deal with stress |
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Unit 2 – EXPERIENCES | Leisure and culture | “Jouer à” vs “jouer de” |
| 15 lessons | Museum | Open minded |
Leisure and entertainement | Importance of leisure | “jouer à” vs “faire de” | ||||
| Cultural food | The pronoun “y” | ||||
| Architecture and tourism | More verbs and prepositions | ||||
| Benefits of traveling | Perfect tense and tense markers | ||||
| Migration | Present tense of irregular verbs | ||||
| Challenge prejudices | Perfect tense of reflexive verbs | ||||
| Television | Text types: brochure / survey / guide / interview | ||||
Unit 3 – HUMAN INGENUITY | Creativity: 9 types of art | Idiomatic expressions |
| 15 lessons | Painting | Inquirer |
Art: a way of living | Art and culture | Comparatives and superlatives | ||||
| Ethics | Demonstratives | ||||
| Street art | ¨Si¨ – if conditional | ||||
| Radio, television, cinema | Adverbs ending in -ment | ||||
| Film reviews and rating | Direct and indirect speech | ||||
| Social networks | Debating and argumentation | ||||
| Well-known authors | Text type: adventissment / guide / critic | ||||
Unit 4 – SOCIAL ORGANISATION | Solidarity and projects in community | More on reflexive verbs |
| 15 lessons | House | Risk taker |
Living in a community | Urban and rural communities | Prepositions | ||||
| Organisations by the youth | “tu” vs “vous” | ||||
| Wall paintings and its message | More on connectives | ||||
| Intergenerational communities | Adverbs of intensity | ||||
| Social relationships and festivals | Perfect tense | ||||
| Virtual communities | Modal verbs | ||||
Unit 5 – SOCIAL ORGANISATION | French educational system | Imperfect tense and tense markers |
| 9 lessons | Book. School | Balanced |
Education and sports | Direct object pronouns | |||||
Education and wellbeing | Indirect object pronouns | |||||
Work and family relationships | Imperative mood | |||||
New technologies and Education | Idiomatic expressions | |||||
Innovative teaching and learning | Pronouns “”y”” and “”en”” | |||||
Education as part of our lives | Text types: diary / informal letter / social media post” | |||||
Unit 6 – SOCIAL ORGANISATION | Volunteering | Text types: speech |
| 9 lessons | NGO logos | Balanced |
CAS | ||||||
Needs of the society | ||||||
Inequality | ||||||
Unit 7 – SHARING THE PLANET | Eco-unrbanisation | More on the conditional |
| 15 lessons | Green world | Reflective |
The Environment | Gestures for a greener life | Complex adjectives | ||||
| Cities and environmental pollution | Perfect tense vs imperfect tense | ||||
| Sustainable cities | Irregular verbs present tense | ||||
| Solar energy | Negative imperative | ||||
| Water supply | Subjunctive – Present | ||||
| Ecological awareness | Idiomatic expressions | ||||
| Sustainable tourism | Text type: brochure | ||||
Unit 8 – SHARING THE PLANET | Global warning | Text type: article,speech |
| 15 lessons | Pollution | Thinker |
Pollution | Modal verbs | |||||
Over exploitation | Uses of the subjunctive | |||||
The universal declaration of human rights | Subjunctive markers | |||||
Classification of human rights | Ordinal and cardinal numbers | |||||
Citizen participation in human rights | Text types: report / leaflet “ | |||||
Unit 9 – IDENTITY | Our beliefs, values and traditions | Pronouns and possessive adjectives |
| 12 lessons | ID | Balanced |
Values, language and culture | Cultural differences in French speaking countries | Idiomatic expressions |
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| Importance of values | Modal verbs: “falloir” |
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| Accepting different values and beliefs | Present participle |
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| Subcultures: ways of thinking, clothing styles and behaviors and celebrations | Subjunctive – irregular verbs |
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| Generation “Hashtag” and slang | Debating and argumentation |
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| Language, culture and identity | Abreviations |
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| The importance of the mother tongue in identity | Movie: “la haine” |
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| The advantages of being bilingual or multilingual | Text type: survey / questionnaire / social media post |
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Unit / Block of work | Key Episodes / Questions | Additional details | Colour code | Length of time. | Possible Symbol? | Learner Attribute(s) |
Unit 10 – EXPERIENCES | Periods of change in life / past experiences | Past tenses |
| 12 lessons | Wedding, family | Open-minded |
Growing old | Indicative mood tenses | |||||
Evolution of rites of passage over time | Connectives | |||||
The teen age | Time expressions | |||||
Life stories | Text type: biography / letter of complaint | |||||
Unbelievable stories |
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Family stories, new challenges |
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Unit 11 – HUMAN INGENUITY | Social media and internet | Imperative – revision |
| 6 lessons | Wifi | Communicator |
Impact of social media on young people | ||||||
Technological advance | ||||||
Technology among young people and challenges | ||||||
Opportunities and influences offered by technology | ||||||
Unit 12 – HUMAN INGENUITY | Shocking scientific advances and their effects: ethics | Adverbs |
| 15 lessons | science lab, robot | Inquirer |
Scientific innovations | French speaking scientists | The passive voice |
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and media | Revolutionary scientific advances | Demonstratives |
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| Advances in medicine and consequences | DOP and IOP |
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| Advances in genetics and consequences | Relative pronouns |
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| Knowing the past, understanding the present and building the future |
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| Sharing knowledge and scientific advances |
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| Pros and cons of the internet |
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Unit 13 – SOCIAL ORGANISATION | Qualifications, apprentiships and degrees | Review of formal texts |
| 12 lessons | Work suitcase | Reflective |
Workplace | Work life and job interviews | Question words |
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| Curriculum Vitae | Present and past conditional |
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| Professionalism | Text type: interview / repport |
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| Jobs and careers |
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| Unemployment |
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| Work experience and conditions |
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Unit 14 – SHARING THE PLANET | Organisations that promote peace | “Liberté, égalité, fraternité” |
| 6 lessons | Charity | Principled |
Social and global issues | Conflicts | Debating |
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Liberty: citizen rights and duties | The subjunctive – revision |
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Equality and fairness | Accents – revision |
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| Poverty and charity |
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| Globalisation |
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Unit 15 – EXPERIENCES | The difference between customs and traditions | Text types revision |
| 6 lessons | Plane, Globe | Thinker |
Culture and emigrants | Unique celebrations and singular traditions | Imperative – revision |
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| Emigrant experiences | Reflexive verbs in the perfect tense – revison |
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| Contributions of immigrants to the host country |
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