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Languages at IB
• If you take the full IB diploma you’ll need to take a language in Group 2. We offer Chinese, French and Spanish.
• This is in addition to your Group 1 language – English
• If you don’t take the full diploma you may be able to take a Group 2 language as a certificate
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Diploma students – the recommended track
• If you’ve studied Chinese, French or Spanish as a foreign language in Yr10/11, you should aim to carry on with that language at Language B level – either at Standard or Higher Level
Language B Standard
• Takes your language well beyond GCSE level
• Talk intelligently about global issues instead of how to buy potatoes and who your family members are!
•Learn more about the country’s culture
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Or…
Diploma students – the recommended track
Language B Higher
• You get a much better understanding of the way language works
•More extensive & deeper knowledge of the country and its people
•More lessons than for Standard to help you reach a higher level
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Alternative to Language B – Ab Initio
Ab Initio
• Starts from zero + builds up to just beyond GCSE level
• Not easy but rewarding: a brand new language• Opportunity to make a fresh start• Opportunity to expand your range of
languages• More practical language than Language B,
more like GCSE but very intensive
Can I take Ab Initio?
Yes, if…
•You have little or no previous knowledge of that language – ie you didn’t take it in Yrs 10+11.
•You feel unable to continue your GCSE language at language B level
•You are ambitious to learn a brand new language for practical purposes
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1st language Chinese
• The top Chinese linguists have a different route: Chinese A2 (Standard or Higher)
• Allows you to take your Chinese to a very advanced level and…achieve the prestigious Bilingual Diploma
• You take English A1 + Chinese A2 (instead of a Chinese B)
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What’s A2 Chinese?
• It’s Chinese Language + Literature• You study great novels and criticize them in
Chinese• You develop sophisticated vocabulary and idiom• You learn to argue persuasively• You take your Chinese to a level similar to your
English ability
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Can I take A2 Chinese?
Yes, if…
• You achieve A or above in the IGCSE first language examination;
• You’re recommended by the ESF-wide Chinese Benchmark assessment
• Your Yr11 teacher agrees that you are capable
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What to do now
Try to visit one of the countries where your IB language is spoken, if possible in the summer hols after the GCSE exams.
Consider a language immersion course in in the country or even in HK to help boost your language level before you join Yr12