IB Diploma Programme (DP)

Group 2: Language Acquisition

Students must take at least one subject from this group. Three subjects are available to accommodate students' interest in and previous experience of language study. Two subjects are offered in a number of modern languages, and the third subject offers two classical languages: Latin and Classical Greek.

Language Ab Initio (SL)

The Language Ab Initio courses are for beginners, that is, students who have little or no previous experience of learning the language they have chosen. They are only available at Standard Level (SL).

Students develop the ability to communicate in the target language through the study of language, themes and texts. The syllabus is organised into five prescribed themes:

• Identities
• Experiences
• Human ingenuity
• Social organisation
• Sharing the planet

The Language Ab Initio syllabus prescribes four topics for each of these five prescribed themes, for a total of twenty topics that must be addressed in the course.

Below are links to more information about the Language Ab Initio subject:

• Language Ab Initio SL Subject Brief
• IB Website Language Ab Initio Page

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Language B (SL/HL)

These are language acquisition courses for students with some previous experience of the target language, and are taken at either Standard Level (SL) or Higher Level (HL). The two levels differ in the number of recommended teaching hours, the level of competency the student is expected to develop, and that HL students are required to study two literary works originally written in the target language.

Students develop the ability to communicate in the target language through the study of language, themes and texts. The Language B syllabus is organised into five prescribed themes:

• Identities
• Experiences
• Human ingenuity
• Social organisation
• Sharing the planet

Optional recommended topics and possible questions for each theme are presented in the guide, but are not prescribed.

Below are links to more information about the Language B subjects:

• Language B SL & HL Subject Brief
• IB Website Language B Page

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Classical Languages

This course offers two separate subjects: Latin and Ancient Greek, and provides opportunities for students to explore the languages, literatures and cultures of ancient Rome and Greece. It is designed to enable students to study classical languages in higher education.

Each subject is taken at either Standard Level (SL) or Higher Level (HL).

Below are links to more information about the Classical Language subjects:

• Classical Languages SL & HL Subject Brief
• IB Website Classical Languages Page

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