The Complete Guide to IB Spanish Language B

Are you considering taking IB Spanish B as part of your Diploma Programme?

If so, you are not alone. Spanish is the most widely spoken language in the world after Chinese, and a popular choice among IB students.

But what does it take to succeed in IB Spanish B? What are the benefits and challenges of learning this beautiful and diverse language?

In this post, we are introducing a comprehensive guide to IB Spanish B that covers everything you need to know about the course: its curriculum, and assessment methods, as well as tips from our expert teachers to help you ace it.

If you have learned Español during your Middle Year Programme, our guide will help you make the most of your experience in the Diploma Programme.

What is IB Spanish B?

IB Spanish B is a two-year course for high-school students who already have a basic knowledge of the language, but who are still acquiring the language.

Overall, the course programme provides an opportunity to solidify their understanding of Spanish. At the same time, it allows for coming in contact with diverse cultures and societies for whom Español is the mother tongue.

The course mainly focuses on helping students improve their ability to communicate effectively in Spanish, both orally and in writing. They will have a chance to further build their vocabulary and grammar, as well as better express their ideas and opinions in the target language.

The second purpose of the course is to show students the diversity of the Spanish-speaking world, including its customs, traditions, and ways of life. Thanks to literature, films, cultural artefacts, as well as discussions on cultural topics, they learn to appreciate the Spanish way of life.

Thirdly, Spanish Language B promotes students’ ability to analyse different types of texts. News articles, opinion pieces, literary works, interviews, blog posts – these and other authentic pieces are part of the course. By working with these diverse materials, students learn to identify and explore their themes and ideas. At the same time, they learn to respond to different texts as well as produce their own ones.

SL and HL International Baccalaureate Spanish: What’s the Difference?

If you are interested in taking IB Spanish, you have two options: Standard Level (SL) or Higher Level (HL).

Both options cover the same topics and themes. However, the depth and width of the material differ. Bellow we outlined some of the main differences between HL and SL IB Spanish Language B:

Depth and Complexity of Material:

IB Spanish B HL encourages students to go deeper and further into the material than their SL peers. They encounter more challenging texts and activities. Along with that, they need to show a more sophisticated understanding of the themes and concepts covered in the course.

Assessment Requirements:

At the HL level, assessments are generally more difficult. For instance, the External exam is 30 minutes longer for HL students. When it comes to Internal Assessment, students have a conversation with a teacher based on an extract from a literary work, in contrast to a discussion based on a picture for SL students.

Time Commitment:

HL level has more teaching hours than SL – a minimum of 240 vs 150. Besides, HL students have to do more independent study and research.

University Requirements:

HL Spanish Language B is generally more valued by universities as it shows a higher level of language proficiency and cultural knowledge. If you’d like to study Spanish or related subjects at university, HL is the one to choose.

Overall, HL and SL have varying degrees of academic challenge and expectations of students. While IB Spanish SL provides a solid foundation in Spanish, HL is for those who love the language and want to explore it at a more advanced level.

IB Spanish Language B Assessment

The IB Spanish Language B Assessment consists of two parts: external and internal. The external assessment is worth 75% of the final grade and includes two papers: Paper 1 (writing skills) and Paper 2 (listening and writing skills). The internal component, in turn, is worth 25% of your final result. Essentially, it is an individual oral assessment.

IB Spanish External Assessment: Paper 1

Paper 1 tests your ability to write in Spanish on a variety of topics and themes. You have to choose one writing task from a choice of three. All writing tasks will represent syllabus topics. The text type could be an article, blog post, letter, speech, etc.

SL students must produce 250-400 words, and they have 1 hour and 15 minutes to complete the task. At HL, Paper 1 is 450-600 words, with 1 hour and 30 minutes to get the work done. Regardless of the level, Paper 1 brings up to 30 marks and contributes 25% to the total grade.

IB Spanish External Assessment: Paper 2

Paper 2 consists of two separate sections: listening and reading.

In the listening section, you have to answer questions based on three audio texts, which you will hear twice. The audio texts could be interviews, podcasts, news reports, announcements, etc. You have either 45 minutes (SL) or 1 hour (HL) to complete this section. It awards 25 marks toward your final grade.

The reading part of the exam provides three texts in various formats – articles, blogs, reviews, reports, etc. After familiarising yourself with their content, you need to answer a number of questions (usually, multiple-choice and short-answer questions). Students have one hour to complete this section and get a maximum of 40 marks at both levels.

In total, you can earn 65 marks, contributing to 75% of the final result.

IB Spanish B Internal Assessment

The individual oral assessment is designed to determine an overall proficiency in Spanish. It involves a presentation based on a stimulus: an image or an excerpt of literary work for SL and HL respectively.

You have 15 minutes to prepare your presentation. Use this time to outline your ideas and write down some key points. You can then consult with your notes, but remember – the oral exam is about talking, not about reading.

The oral presentation itself spans three to four minutes. You should talk about the things you’ve seen or learned from the stimulus. At SL, specify what’s going on in the picture, what the people do, what you can see in the background, etc.

If it is a passage from a literary work (HL), explain what it talks about, and what the characters are, as well as point out other important details. You can also share some of your opinions and link the stimulus to your personal experience.

After that, you will have a 4-5-minute discussion with your examiner based on the same topic as your presentation. Be ready to answer their questions. They may ask you to share your experience, add extra detail to what you have already said, or cover some points you omitted in your presentation.

The conclusive part of the IB Spanish Individual Oral is a general discussion, which lasts five to six minutes. It will go beyond the topic of your presentation but will still concern one or more themes you’ve learned during the course. Here, it is important to show your appreciation for the culture of Spanish-speaking communities. You can, for example, tell about the things that surprised you or draw parallels between the Spanish culture and your own.

Internal Assessment awards 30 marks, which constitutes 25% of the total grade.

What are IB Spanish Exam Assessment Criteria?

The IB Spanish Language B evaluates students using three criteria. These criteria apply to external and internal assessments alike.

• Language. It assesses how effectively students communicate in Spanish. In particular, whether they use appropriate vocabulary, grammar, idiomatic expressions, pronunciation, and fluency. It is also important to show variety in sentence and grammatical structures, as well as linguistic conventions.
• Message. Students should be able to convey a clear and coherent message appropriate to the task at hand. With this criterion, examiners assess how well students express their ideas – are they well structured, fully developed, and detailed?
• Cultural Understanding. This criterion checks if students are able to understand Spanish-speaking cultures, analyse and interpret literary and cultural texts, as well as engage in discussions related to cultural issues.

In this IB Spanish B guide, you can learn more about the marking criteria as well as the course itself.

What Topics are Covered in IB Spanish B?

The IB Spanish Language B course has five broad and flexible prescribed themes to provide insight into various aspects of the Spanish language and culture. To help students process these themes efficiently, they are divided into bite-sized areas. Each school may decide on its own which topics to choose from the list the IBO suggested.

Overall, all prescribed themes and possible topics are the following:

• Identities is a theme dedicated to the understanding of ourselves and the people around us. It explores, among other things, what distinguishes and unites us with others:
• Lifestyles;
• Health and well-being;
• Beliefs and values;
• Subcultures;
• Language and identity.
• Experiences is all about events in our life that shape our past, present, and future. It includes topics such as:
• Leisure activities;
• Holidays and travel;
• Life stories;
• Rites of passage;
• Customs and traditions;
• Migration.
• Human ingenuity examines innovations and creativity. Specifically, which effect they have on individual people and communities as a whole:
• Entertainment;
• Artistic expressions;
• Communication and media;
• Technology;
• Scientific innovation.
• Social organisation explores various groups people organise, which benefits and challenges they have, as well as how they interact with other social formations:
• Social relationships;
• Community;
• Social engagement;
• Education;
• The working world;
• Law and order.
• Sharing the planet focuses on the challenges and opportunities of living together in this world:
• The environment;
• Human rights;
• Peace and conflict;
• Equality;
• Globalization;
• Ethics;
• Urban and rural environment.

Students also have a chance to explore other topics relevant to their interests and needs, as long as they fit within the scope of the themes.

As an IB Spanish student, you will learn topics through a variety of activities, including class discussions, written assignments, oral presentations, and group projects. In addition to building a wide vocabulary, the IB Spanish language B course focuses on grammar and language structures necessary for effective communication in Spanish.

Tips for Success in IB Spanish Language B

Learning Spanish as part of your IB programme can be both challenging and rewarding. To reduce the pain and increase the gain, we’ve put together some valuable Spanish learning tips. They can make your language learning journey more engaging and effective.

First of all, you need to try and incorporate Spanish into your daily routine. This practice may come in many forms – reading, writing, listening, or speaking – whatever works best for your learning style. The most important is that you spend at least 30 minutes a day studying on your own. This way, you will become much more comfortable with the language.

Perhaps the best way to learn more about cultural background and simultaneously improve your understanding is exposure to Spanish media. Movies and TV shows, music, newspapers, posts, etc. – all of this can create a sense of belonging to the Spanish culture.

If you have an opportunity to practice with native Spanish speakers (or at least those who speak the language fluently), you must seize it! Not only will you improve your pronunciation and fluency, but also gain more cultural insights.

Don’t have such people around you? Then how about hiring a Spanish tutor? A tutor can provide the support you need to overcome any challenges in your language-learning journey. Our IB Teachers and Examiners know exactly how to help you prepare.

The Best Resources for IB Spanish B

Finally, you cannot underestimate the power of technology. Language learning apps and websites can be more effective than traditional methods. Here is what we recommend:

• SpanishDict. Despite the name, it’s not just a dictionary. It is your go-to place for conjugation tables, grammar guides, contextual examples, and more.
• Quizlet is one of the best apps to create flashcards. Actually, you don’t have to make your own ones – you can take advantage of sets offered by other users.
• BBC Languages Spanish provides a wealth of material, from audio lessons and interactive exercises to games and crosswords.
• Duolingo is a convenient app offering bite-sized daily exercises for vocabulary and grammar. It works best as a supplement to your main studies.
• We recommend Memrise for its spaced repetition system and videos featuring native speakers. It’s especially effective for mastering vocabulary within context.
• Easy Spanish is a YouTube channel (and also an online platform) focusing on street interviews and conversations with Spanish speakers. Its guests are often from different countries, which is great if you’d like to understand accents and colloquial expressions.
• Butterfly Spanish is especially useful for SL and Ab Initio students thanks to detailed step-by-step explanations. It offers clear, structured lessons on grammar points and everyday vocabulary.

Although online resources are a convenient way to learn Spanish, a good textbook is still important. In addition to your regular textbook, we suggest getting Oxford’s Spanish B for the IB Diploma. Designed with the IB Spanish syllabus in mind, it covers all prescribed themes, delivers necessary grammar, as well as prepares for the final exam.

What’s even better for exam revision is past papers. Thanks to them, you will get to know exam question types and can practice answering them within the set amount of time.

Ace IB Spanish Course with TutorsPlus

Are you ready to take on the challenge of the IB Spanish Language B course? It’s a fulfilling journey that will boost your communication skills and deepen your intercultural understanding in Spanish-speaking contexts. Hopefully, this guide to IB Spanish B has answered your key questions.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed or need extra support, TutorsPlus is here to help. Our team of professional IB teachers and examiners can guide you through every step of the way. From preparing for assessments, getting ready for your Spanish IO, to improving your language skills and cultural knowledge, our tutors provide tailored sessions to fit your needs and goals.

TutorsPlus is the top choice for IB Spanish Language B students who want to fulfill their potential and enjoy the learning process. Contact us today at 022 731 8148 and info@tutorsplus.com and get ready to learn Spanish like never before!

By Sara Lloyd

Sara has been an education consultant for TutorsPlus for 15 years, and is an expert on international IB education.  She is also a parent of two lively children.

Find a Tutor