Group 2 - Language Acquisition (B)

At DCSG we offer five Language Acquisition courses - Mandarin, English, Spanish, French and German. All students must take a Language B course at some level, or a second Language A - Language and Literature course.

Guidance regarding choice of level

The philosophy of the IB and our College is that all students are appropriately challenged in the level of the language that they choose. The guidance from the IB is as shown in the Table below. It is essential that the guidance of your current language teacher is taken into account in terms of choice.

Language B at Higher Level, does involve some reading of literature and so students do need to be at a good level of fluency.

NOTE: Students may choose to start a new language at Ab Initio level, if they wish or have struggled with their existing language study. We offer German as this opportunity, however it must be understood that the Ab Initio course even if suitable for an absolute beginner moves very quickly, and a student must be absolutely sure that starting a new language is the correct choice for them.

FURTHER NOTE: Mandarin Ab Initio due to its difficulty by nature in terms of writing and pronunciation is not recommended for complete beginners.

Second Group 1 Language and Literature course

The IB allows the option for students who are bilingual, as such have two mother tongue / native languages to take a second Language A. Within DCSG the following options regarding this study are available :-

• Students can choose to take a Self Taught Literature - Standard Level only course. The course follows the structure of the Language A Literature course, however the methods of assessment are supportive to a student who is studying independently. It is recommended that the student sees a tutor, once a month or so to ensure they are on target in terms of work covered and skills mastered. The cost of the tutor will fall to you as parents. Further information can be found here.
• Students can choose to take a second Language and Literature course in a different native language to English or Mandarin, and the school will support and help facilitate finding a tutor for this course. The cost of the tutoring will fall to you as parents. The tutor must meet with the IB Diploma coordinator, and the hours studies must fulfil the minimum requirements laid down by the IB of 150 for SL and 240 for HL over the two years.
• There are many interesting education articles regarding the benefits of studying a second mother tongue language to the highest level - this recent article from the Guardian really does highlight the many advantages - "Joys and Benefits of Bilingualism" alongside this one from Asia News Network "The benefits of bilingualism - go beyond knowing two languages."

At the moment we have interest regarding Japanese Literature from other students in the current cohort, or new students so please contact the IB Diploma Coordinator if interested.

Subject Curriculum Briefs

Language Ab Initio

Language B