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Prepare for the 2018 IB Language B syllabus

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Teaching Language B

Teaching Language B is the most enjoyable experience, for not only are we helping students acquire and use a foreign language, but we are also exploring the culture of that language and facilitating international-mindedness. The additional and reviewed elements in the Language B guide have been included to help foreign language learners become better able to use that language in different contexts and for different purposes.

IB Langs B 2e Diagram 1 500px

 How has the course changed?

  • Instead of focusing on core topics and options, the new course is based around 5 general themes that are not connected to specific assessment components. Those themes are: Experiences, Identities, Human ingenuity, Sharing the planet, and Social organization. The studying of these themes should help students develop intercultural awareness and international-mindedness by focusing on the target culture while developing their linguistic competence in the target language.
  • Conceptual understanding has been brought to the forefront as students will be asked to consider five concepts throughout the course: Audience, Context, Purpose, Meaning and Variation. Students should recognize how these concepts shape any written and/or spoken piece, and demonstrate understanding of different concepts when determining the overall purpose of a text, for example, or choosing a text type to respond to a written production prompt.
  • Listening comprehension will be officially tested; it will be included as part of the assessment of receptive skills in Paper 2. Students at both Higher and Standard level will listen to 3 spoken texts and be required to answer listening comprehension questions.
  • The Higher Level internal assessment will be based on a literary extract of approximately 300 words, taken from one of the two literary works studied in class. Students are required to focus their presentation on the content of the extract itself, discussing the event(s) in the extract, and focusing on the main idea(s) or message(s).
  • Interactive oral activities will no longer form a part of the internal assessment. However, they are good learning tools and should be used in the classroom to help students improve their speaking skills.
  • The written assignment has been discontinued at Standard and Higher level.

The spirit of the course

When teaching the new Language B course, it is important to address these changes while staying true to the nature and spirit of the course: as part of the language acquisition group, Language B should not be taught in a silo. Instead, we should draw on, and encourage, the development of international-mindedness, the attributes of the learner profile, the skills associated with the approaches to learning, and connections to the Diploma core: Creativity, Activity and Service, the Extended Essay, and Theory of Knowledge.

Oxford’s new print and digital Course Book packs for English B, Spanish B and French B have been comprehensively re-developed to address the new IB Language B syllabus. 

IB Langs B 2e Diagram 2 500px

How do the new Oxford IB Course Book packs support the DP Language B syllabus?

DP Languages B Video

Explore new DP Language B Course Book packs from Oxford IB

Developed in cooperation with the IB, each new Course Book pack contains one print textbook and one enhanced online textbook – providing a wealth of digital content to support all aspects of the 2018 DP Language B syllabus, including the new listening assessment component.

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Oxford IB Diploma Programme: IB Prepared: French B (Online)

Oxford IB Diploma Programme: IB Prepared: French B (Online)

Support for DP assessment, developed in cooperation with the IB

Veronique Tormey, Christine Trumper, and John Israel


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978-0-19-843437-5

Digital Licence Key | 07/04/2022

Price:  £32.99 +VAT

Product

IB English B Course Book Pack: Oxford IB Diploma Programme (Print Course Book & Enhanced Online Course Book)

IB English B Course Book Pack: Oxford IB Diploma Programme (Print Course Book & Enhanced Online Course Book)

Print and online resources developed in cooperation with the IB

Author Kevin Morley and Author Kawther Saa'd Aldin


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978-0-19-842232-7

Pack | 17/05/2018

Price:  £59.99 +VAT

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Oxford IB Diploma Programme:  IB Spanish B Print and Enhanced Online Course Book Pack

Oxford IB Diploma Programme: IB Spanish B Print and Enhanced Online Course Book Pack

Print and online resources developed in cooperation with the IB

Author Ana Valbuena and Author Laura Martin Cisneros


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978-0-19-842242-6

Pack | 26/04/2018

Price:  £59.99 +VAT

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Oxford IB Diploma Programme: IB French B Print and Enhanced Online Course Book Pack

Oxford IB Diploma Programme: IB French B Print and Enhanced Online Course Book Pack

Print and online resources developed in cooperation with the IB

Author Christine Trumper and Author John Israel


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978-0-19-842237-2

Pack | 19/04/2018

Price:  £59.99 +VAT

Showing 1-4 of 4 results