German B

German B is a language acquisition course designed for students with some previous experience of the target language. In the German B course, students further develop their ability to communicate in the target language through the study of language, themes and texts. In doing so, they also develop conceptual understandings of how language works, as appropriate to the level of the course.

German B is available at SL and HL. 

Entry into the course is dependent on students' grade 10 report grade and/or level of knowledge of the German language at the beginning of the course. 

German CEFR level:

• students already at CEFR A2 or B1 can comfortably take German B SL

• students already at CEFR B1 or B2 can comfortably take German B HL

Benchmarking Selected IB Diploma Programme Language Courses to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages

Aims: the following aims guide the teaching of German B:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Foster curiosity, creativity and a lifelong enjoyment of language learning 

Content: students develop the ability to communicate in the target language through the study of language, themes and texts.

The five prescribed themes are: 

• identities

 • experiences

 • human ingenuity 

• social organization

• sharing the planet. 

The themes provide relevant contexts for study at all levels of language acquisition in the DP, and opportunities for students to communicate about matters of personal, local or national, and global interest.

For the purposes of teaching and learning in  German B courses written, visual, audio and audio-visual texts are organised into three broad categories: personal, professional and mass media texts. The guiding principle is to develop students’ receptive, productive and interactive skills in the target language by focusing their attention on the ways in which good communicators consider the audience, context and purpose of what they want to say or write in the process of choosing and developing an appropriate text type to convey a message.

Literature: the study of two literary works originally written in the target language is a requirement at HL in language B. HL students are expected to understand fundamental elements of the literary works studied, such as themes, plot and characters. Literary criticism is not an objective of this course. The study of literature in German B SL and HL is intended as a stimulus for discussion and the expression of ideas and opinions.

Distinction between SL and HL: students enter German B courses with varying degrees of exposure to the target language. Although there is a common syllabus, the differences are determined by the assessment objectives, the depth and breadth of the syllabus coverage, the assessment details, the assessment criteria, literature coverage, the level of competency the student is expected to develop and the number of teaching hours. At HL, two literary texts are studied that form the basis of the individual oral assessment at HL.  

Assessment: both external and internal assessments are used in this course. IB examiners mark work produced for external assessment, while work produced for internal assessment (IA) is marked by teachers and externally moderated by the IB. 

Assessment Outlines: the assessment outlines for language B SL and HL are identical; it is the nature of the assessment that differs and this is what distinguishes SL assessments from those of HL. For language B HL paper 1, the tasks set will require more complex language and structures and demand higher-order thinking skills. Additionally, for HL, a higher word range has been provided in order to accommodate the more complex responses required. For the individual oral internal assessment, the stimulus at language B SL is a visual image that is clearly relevant to one (or more) of the themes of the course. The stimulus at language B HL is an extract from one of the two literary works studied.

External Assessment (75%): all assessment is criterion-referenced based on identified assessment criteria. For Paper 1 (25% - writing), there are three assessment criteria with mark bands. Detailed marking notes are used by the examiners in assessing the task. For paper 2 (50% - listening and reading comprehension), there are mark schemes. The assessment criteria and level descriptors are related to the assessment objectives established for the language B course. The mark schemes and detailed marking notes are specific to each examination. 

Internal Assessment (25%): this component is internally assessed by the teacher and externally moderated by the IB at the end of the course. 

Timeline/Course design/ Resources: teachers construct their own course of study and schemes of work based on a range of texts linked to one or more of the prescribed themes in the syllabus. Teachers use authentic materials as much as possible in the classroom. In designing a German B course teachers pay particular attention to three important principles: variety, integration and transparency. 

Faculty's assessment system & reporting: 

• Formative assessment informs both teaching and learning. It is concerned with providing accurate and helpful feedback to students and teachers on the kind of learning taking place and the nature of students’ strengths and weaknesses in order to help develop students’ understanding and capabilities. Formative assessment can also help to improve teaching quality, as it can provide information to monitor progress towards meeting the course aims and objectives. 

• Summative assessment is closely modelled on past IB exam papers, gives an overview of previous learning and is concerned with measuring student achievement.

• Exams: The end-of-year Gr 11 exam focuses on the receptive and productive skills in Paper1 and 2 and consists of two components/papers, namely a writing and reading comprehension, which counts for around 30% of the semester grade. The mock exam in Gr 12 covers three components, namely Paper 1 (writing) and Paper 2 (listening and reading).

• Weighting: When calculating semester grades, equal weighting is given to the four skills (listening, reading, speaking and writing).

Conceptual Understanding: certain conceptual understandings of language are fundamental to successful communication and are developed in the German B course as a tool in order to encourage students to think about language and culture as part of their language study in the DP and, in doing so, to become more effective and knowledgeable communicators. A set of five conceptual themes (identities, experiences, human ingenuity, social organization and sharing the planet) are used to shape the German B syllabus in order to help students build the capacity to engage with complex ideas. Discussion of the “big ideas” behind these five concepts can help students get to the heart of why they are exploring a particular language unit or option. 

• Audience: language should be appropriate for the person(s) with whom one is communicating.

• Context: language should be appropriate to the situation in which one is communicating.

• Purpose: language should be appropriate to achieve a desired intention, goal or result when communicating.

• Meaning: language is used in a range of ways to communicate a message.

• Variation: differences exist within a given language, and that speakers of a given language are generally able to understand each other.

International-Mindedness' and Global Issues:  International-mindedness is central to the IB philosophy and instrumental in aspiring to a more peaceful world. Language acquisition courses do not have as their only goal the development of language skills, but also fostering intercultural understanding and global engagement. The IB course design allows language acquisition teachers to incorporate ideas and resources that encourage students to view aspects of the language and culture from different (and sometimes differing) perspectives, to make non-judgmental comparisons of language and culture, and to view language and culture in a global context.

IB Learner Profile: International-mindedness also provides opportunities for students to progress in the development of IB learner profile traits. Through exposure to, examination of, and reflection on, texts from cultures other than their own, students nurture their curiosity (inquirers), engage with issues and ideas of global significance (knowledgeable), use critical-thinking skills (thinkers) and listen carefully to the perspectives of other individuals and groups (communicators). They learn to show respect for the dignity and rights of people everywhere (principled), critically appreciate the values and traditions of others (open-minded), show empathy, compassion and respect (caring), recognize their interdependence with other people and the world in which they live (balanced), consider the world thoughtfully (reflective) and explore new ideas (risk-takers). 

Jutta Huemer  |  jhuemer@danubeschool.com  | Office hours are by appointment only.

Ana Cabric-Cica  |  acabric-cica@danubeschool.com  | Office hours are by appointment only.