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
|
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
|
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
|
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) |
| THE LEARNING JOURNEY FOR IB1 SPANISH B | ||||
| Unit / Block of work | Key Episodes / Questions | Additional Details | Length of time. | Learner Attribute(s) |
| Unit 1 – IDENTITY Mental and physical health | Healthy lifestyle tips | Text type: list of instructions, advertisement, panflet The present tense of regular -AR, -ER and -IR verbs Adjective agreements Articles, genders and number Reflexive verbs Possesive adjectives Verbs ser and estar Negation no, nada, nunca, jamás, nadie Question words Near future ir a + infinitive The imperative tense | 12 lessons | Inquirer Comminicator |
| Art and wellbeing | ||||
| Personal identification | ||||
| Family life and relationships | ||||
| Mindfulness and yoga | ||||
| Health and nutrition | ||||
| Music and wellbeing | ||||
| Physical activity | ||||
| Unit 2 – EXPERIENCES | Leisure and culture | Text type: blog, informal email, diary entry | 9 lessons | Open minded Balanced |
| Leisure and entertainement | Cultural food | Relative pronouns | ||
| Architecture and tourism | The verb gustar and verbs with similar conjugation | |||
| Benefits of traveling | Verbs + prepositions | |||
| Music, radio, cinema | Perfect tense and tense markers | |||
| Newspapers, magazines | Perfect vs present tense | |||
| Television | Perfect tense of reflexive verbs | |||
| Unit 3 – SOCIAL ORGANISATION | Solidarity and projects in community | Text type: informal letter, article | 15 lessons | Risk taker Caring |
| Living in a community | Urban and rural communities | Estar + gerund | ||
| Organisations by the youth | Prepositions | |||
| Wall paintings and its message | Past participles, infinitves and gerund | |||
| Intergenerational communities | Connectives | |||
| Social relationships and festivals | Adverbs of intensity | |||
| Virtual communities | Preterite and tense markers | |||
| Unit 4 – SOCIAL ORGANISATION Education and work | Spanish educational system | Text type: formal email / formal letter Conditionnal tense Imperfect tense and tense markers Verbs with prepositions Direct object pronouns Indirect object pronouns Diacritical accent Conjunctions | 9 lessons | Balanced Inquirer |
| Education and sports | ||||
| Education and wellbeing | ||||
| Work and family | ||||
| New technologies and Education | ||||
| Innovative teaching and learning | ||||
| Education as part of our lives | ||||
| Unit 5 – HUMAN INGENUITY | 9 types of art | Text type: review | 15 lessons | Inquirer Open-minder |
| Art: a way of living | Art and culture | Comparatives and superlatives | ||
| Galleries and social relationships | Demonstratives | |||
| Street art | ¨Si¨ – if conditional | |||
| Radio, television, cinema | Adverbs and adverbs ending in -mente | |||
| Film reviews and rating | The passive voice | |||
| Social networks | Direct and indirect speech | |||
| Well-known authors | The 5 types of ¨se¨ | |||
| Unit 6 – SHARING THE PLANET | Eco-unrbanisation | Text type: report, instructions list, essay | 15 lessons | Reflective Caring |
| The Environment | Gestures for a greener life | Ser and estar | ||
| Cities and environmental pollution | Por and para | |||
| Sustainable cities | Complex adjectives | |||
| Solar energy | Irregular verbs present tense | |||
| Water supply | Negative imperative | |||
| Ecological awareness | Subjunctive – Present | |||
| Sustainable tourism | Idiomatic expressions | |||
| Unit 7 – SHARING THE PLANET Human rights | The universal declaration of human rights | Text type: article,speech Modal verbs Uses of the subjunctive Subjunctive markers Ordinal and cardinal numbers Written and elliptic accent rules | 15 lessons | Thinker Knowledgeable |
| Classification of human rights | ||||
| Citizen participation in human rights | ||||
| The declaration of equality and indigenous people | ||||
| Human rights defenders difficulties | ||||
| Human rights report | ||||
| Finding the information about human rights | ||||
| Unit 8 – HUMAN INGENUITY Communication, media and technology | Social media and internet | Text type: Brochure Idiomatic expressions Imperfect subjunctive | 6 lessons | Communicator Balanced |
| Impact of social media on young people | ||||
| Technological advance | ||||
| Technology among young people | ||||
| Opportunities offered by technology | ||||
| UNIT 9 – EXPERIENCES Life milestones | Periods of change in life | Review text types | 12 lessons | Open-minded |
| Growing old | Indicative mood tenses | |||
| Evolution of rites of passage over time | Sentence agreements | |||
| The teen age | Time expressions | |||
| Life stories | ||||
| Unbelievable stories | ||||
| Family stories, new challenges | ||||
| THE LEARNING JOURNEY FOR IB2 SPANISH B | ||||
| Unit / Block of work | Key Episodes / Questions | Additional details | Length of time. | Learner Attribute(s) |
| Unit 10 – HUMAN INGENUITY | Shocking scientific advances | Adverbs and superlatives revision | 15 lessons | Inquirer Open-minded |
| Scientific innovations | Spanish speaking scientists | The passive voice revision | ||
| and media | Revolutionary scientific advances | Demonstratives | ||
| Advances in medicine | DOP and IOP | |||
| Advances in genetics | Connectives | |||
| Knowing the past, understanding the present and building the future | Irregular present and preterite | |||
| Sharing knowledge and scientific advances | Direct and indirect speech | |||
| Pros and cons of the internet | “Si” – if revision | |||
| Unit 11 – IDENTITY | Our beliefs and values | Pluperfect tense | 12 lessons | Balanced Open-minded |
| Values, language and culture | Spititual life | Idiomatic expressions | ||
| Importance of values | Modal verbs | |||
| Accepting different values and beliefs | Imperfect vs Perfect tense | |||
| Subcultures: ways of thinking, clothing styles and behaviors | ||||
| Generation “Hashtag” | ||||
| Language, culture and identity | ||||
| The importance of the mother tongue in identity | ||||
| The advantages of being bilingual or multilingual | ||||
| Unit 12 – SOCIAL ORGANISATION | Qualifications and degrees | Review formal letter /email | 12 lessons | Reflective Risk-taker |
| Workplace | Work life and job interviews | Simple future tense – revision | ||
| Curriculum Vitae | Conditional tense – revision | |||
| Professionalism | Relative pronouns – revision | |||
| Jobs and careers | ||||
| Unemployment | ||||
| Work experience and conditions | ||||
| Unit 13 – EXPERIENCES | The difference between customs and traditions | Text types revision | 9 lessons | Thinker Communicator |
| Culture and emigrants | Unique celebrations and singular traditions | Imperative – revision | ||
| Emigrant experiences | Reflexive verbs in the perfect tense – revison | |||
| Contributions of immigrants to the host country | ||||
| Unit 14 – SHARING THE PLANET | Organisations that promote peace | Gerund, past participle, infinitive – revision | 6 lessons | Principled Reflective |
| Social and global issues | Equality and fairness | “Se” particle – revision | ||
| Poverty and charity | The subjunctive – revision | |||
| Globalisation | Accents – revision | |||