Philosophy: Why should I study another language?

Language Acquisition courses exist to provide students with the opportunity to acquire or develop an additional language (or languages) and to promote an understanding of other cultures through the study of a foreign language. 

Language B is a language acquisition course (which may be studied at either HL or SL) designed to provide students with the necessary skills and intercultural understanding to enable them to communicate successfully in an environment where the language studied is spoken. This process encourages the learner to go beyond the confines of the classroom, expanding an awareness of the world and fostering respect for cultural diversity.

Language B courses use a balance between approaches to learning that are teacher-centered (teacher-led activities and assessment in the classroom) and those that are learner-centered (activities designed to allow the students to take the initiative, which can also involve student participation in the evaluation of their learning). The study of a Language B aims to develop students’ linguistic abilities through the development of receptive, productive and interactive skills, and the use of a range of visual, written and spoken material. Such material will extend from everyday oral exchanges to literary texts, and will be related to the culture(s) concerned. The material will be chosen to enable students to develop mastery of language skills and intercultural understanding. 

Course Outline:  

The core, which is common to both SL and HL, consists of five themes. In addition, at HL, at least two works of literature are studied.

Standard and Higher Level will be differentiated by the difference in teaching hours allocated, by the depth of syllabus coverage, the study of Literature at HL, the level of difficulty, the demands of assessment and the assessment criteria. The range of purposes and situations for and in which the language is used in the B courses extends well beyond those provided for in ab initio.

The prescribed themes for Language B are: 

Identities, Experiences, Human Ingenuity, Social Organization, Sharing the Planet

• Identities (lifestyles, health and well-being, beliefs and values, subcultures, language and identities) 

• Experiences (leisure activities, holidays and travel, life stories, rites of passage, customs and traditions, migration) 

• Human ingenuity (entertainment, artistic expression, communication and media, technology, scientific innovation) 

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

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

The DP language B course makes use of text types for both HL and SL students. The guiding principle for their use in DP language B is to develop students’ receptive, productive and interactive skills in the target language by focusing attention on the ways in which good communicators consider audience, context and purpose in the process of choosing and developing an appropriate text type to convey a message. To achieve this, text types have been divided into three categories according to their communicative functions. These are: Personal texts, professional texts, mass media texts. 

Assessment

Throughout the two year course students are working with assignments that prepare them for the four elements of the final exam: Speaking, reading, writing and listening which each constitute 25% of their final grade.

Prerequisites: What do I need to know before choosing to study a Language B? 

Students opting to study a Language B at HL have usually studied the language (as a foreign language) for approximately four to five years previously, and have achieved a reasonable degree of fluency. For students hoping to take Language B at SL, they would usually have studied the language for approximately three to five years previously and would hope to achieve a reasonable degree of fluency by continuing their studies. However, the baseline for entry to Language B differs considerably from student to student and from one education system to another. Our Subject Team Coordinator for Languages will usually make the final decision, based on the recommendation of the respective subject teacher, regarding the most appropriate level for each student, with placement tests (written and oral) being part of this process. We bear in mind the IB’s guidance that: 

If a student can already communicate successfully in the language on a range of topics in a variety of familiar and unfamiliar contexts, then a DP studies in language and literature (Language A) course must be considered the appropriate placement.´ (Guidance for studies in language and literature and language acquisition courses, IBO, 2020, p.4)

Additionally, the Language B courses ( HL and SL) are language acquisition courses, which means they are designed to provide students with the opportunity to develop in a language in addition to their home/personal/best language(s). These courses are not designed for students who already have the ability to communicate confidently and proficiently in that specific language (Guidance for studies in language and literature and language acquisition courses, IBO, 2020). Students who are bilingual or whose best language is one of the languages offered at B level cannot take this language as a B level language for the Diploma Programme.

We  must also bear in mind that as stated by the IBO the intentional misplacement of a student in a language acquisition course may be considered school maladministration according to Academic integrity (Guidance for studies in language and literature and language acquisition courses, IBO, 2020).

What will allow me to be successful? 

• SL students: Make a habit of describing pictures / photos you see as it is the first part of your oral.

• Create a bank of ideas / a mind map for each topic.

• Pay attention to the format of each text you come across in the language.

• Study the descriptors carefully and follow exam instructions and wording closely.

• Using self-assessment and peer assessment as a learning tool by which one gets familiar with the assessment criteria.

• Having a conversation partner either online or in 'real life', for regular 20 minute conversations in target language once or twice a week. 

• Learning idiomatic expressions in the target language

• Having a good general knowledge around the 'Themes' noted above - in other words, keep up to date with current affairs. 

What can I do with additional languages in the future? 

In addition to developing an open, intercultural mindset, learning a foreign language has become a key component for those who wish to compete at a high level in the employment market. Being able to converse in a number of languages not only allows you to rise higher within multinational organisations but also gives you a substantial advantage when negotiating deals with international businesses or even investors.