Language B

Language acquisition consists of two modern language courses—language ab initio and language B—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. Language B is a language acquisition course designed for students with some previous experience of the target language. Students further develop their ability to communicate through the study of language, themes, and texts. There are five prescribed themes: identities, experiences, human ingenuity, social organization, and sharing the planet. Both language B SL and HL students learn to communicate in the target language in familiar and unfamiliar contexts. The distinction between language B SL and HL can be seen in the level of competency the student is expected to develop in receptive, productive, and interactive skills. At HL, the study of two literary works originally written in the target language is required, and students are expected to extend the range and complexity of the language they use and understand to communicate. Students continue to develop their knowledge of vocabulary and grammar, as well as their conceptual understanding of how language works, in order to construct, analyze, and evaluate arguments on a variety of topics relating to course content and the target language culture(s).