IB Language B Higher Level IA: Guidance

The International Baccalaureate (IB) program offers a variety of assessments for students, including Internal Assessments (IAs), which are pieces of coursework marked by students’ teachers. The Language B Internal Assessment is an individual oral assessment which makes up 25% of a student’s grade at Higher Level. Language B is a language acquisition course designed for students with some previous experience of the target language. There are many different languages offered by the IB. These include French, German, and Spanish.

In this article, we will cover everything you need to know about the IB Language B IA for Higher Level students, including preparing for likely topics and responding to the literary text on the day.

What is the Language B IA?

The Language B IA is an oral assessment, consisting of a conversation with a teacher, during which the student demonstrates their ability to use the target language in a variety of real-life situations. It is based on an extract of up to 300 words taken from a literary work studied in class.

The student will have a choice between two 300-word extracts, from the two literary works studied in the course. The student will have 20 minutes of preparation time, during which they can make brief working notes on the extract.

They will then have 3-4 minutes to present on the extract. The student should summarise the extract, situate the extract within the context of the rest of the work, and express their opinions on the content of the extract. They should spend most of the presentation discussing the extract itself. This should therefore be specific, and not just be a general, pre-prepared presentation on themes in the text in general.

This will be followed by a 4-5 minute follow-up discussion, expanding on comments that the student made during their presentation. The student should engage in an authentic discussion on a topic related to the extract, and should demonstrate understanding and appreciation of the target language culture(s).

The assessment will conclude with a 5-6 minute general discussion on one or more of the five syllabus themes. The student should interpret and evaluate ideas and engage in authentic conversation.

This totals a 12-15 minute oral assessment. The assessment is intended to assess the student’s ability to understand and use the language effectively and appropriately. The conversation will be recorded and will be assessed by the teacher based on the student's use of grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, fluency, and comprehension.

Structure of the assessment. Source: IB Language B Guide

What are the assessment criteria?

The IB sets out these skills which are being tested:

• communicate clearly and effectively in a range of contexts and for a variety of purposes
• understand and use language appropriate to a range of interpersonal and/or intercultural contexts and audiences
• understand and use language to express and respond to a range of ideas with fluency and accuracy
• identify, organize and present ideas on a range of topics
• understand, analyse and reflect within the context of presentation and conversation.

Criterion A: Language (12 marks)

To score highly, the student should demonstrate a very effective and mostly accurate command of the language. They should use appropriate and varied vocabulary, including purposeful use of idiomatic expressions, and a variety of grammatical structures. Pronunciation and intonation should be very clear and enhance communication.

Criterion B1: Message - literary extract (6 marks)

The presentation should be consistently relevant to the literary extract and be convincing. Observations should be effectively developed and supported with reference to the extract.

Criterion B2: Message - conversation (6 marks)

The student’s responses to the teacher should be relevant to the question, show development, be appropriate, developed, be broad in scope and depth, and attempt to engage the teacher.

Criterion C: Interactive skills - communication (6 marks)

The student should demonstrate sustained comprehension and interaction.

What topics could the further discussion be about?

The five themes which the visual stimulus could relate to are: identities, experiences, human ingenuity, social organization, and sharing the planet. Your classwork will suggest what kind of topics relate to each of these themes. For example, you may study the environment, human rights, peace and conflict, equality, globalization, ethics, and/ or urban and rural environment as part of the Sharing the planet theme.

Have a look at our comprehensive set of IB Study Notes and IB Practice Questions, developed by expert IB teachers and examiners!

How can I score highly?

There are several key strategies that a student can use to score highly in the International Baccalaureate IA oral assessment. Even though you will only see the extract of the literary extract on the day of the assessment, there are steps you can take to prepare yourself.

First, it is important to have a deep familiarity with the literary texts studied in class. You should be able to recognise where an extract arises in the text, and be prepared to discuss characters, events, themes, and plot in the oral assessment. To achieve this, you should read the text multiple times, make mind-maps of the relevant themes, and test yourself on your knowledge of the test. You should also practise analysing the themes that arise from the text. Learn key vocabulary, complex phrases, and familiarise yourself with the key talking points of each topic. Idioms and complex grammatical structures are especially important to score within the highest marking band.

Second, it is essential to practise for the oral presentation, including practising speaking clearly and confidently and organising and delivering the information in a logical and coherent manner. You could try talking into a voice recorder to hear how you sound, or ask your teacher or a native speaker how you can improve your pronunciation. It is also effective to find a willing classmate to practise your conversational skills with!

Third, test yourself by giving yourself randomly selected extracts to respond to, and see what you can remember when put on the spot. Then, keep track of what you miss out, and reflect this in your further practice.

Fourth, leveraging the expertise of an expert IB tutor can significantly enhance your preparation. An experienced tutor can provide personalized feedback on your oral presentation skills, help you deepen your understanding of the texts, and offer strategies for effectively responding to extracts. This targeted support can boost your confidence and proficiency, contributing to a higher score in your assessment.