IB English B SL - Study Hub
A public revision hub for IB English B SL with the five prescribed themes, exam structure, and the skills to revise first — built around real vocabulary, text types, accurate English grammar, and the productive, receptive and oral skills the course is marked on.
What is IB English B?
IB English B is a Group 2 language-acquisition course for students learning English as an additional language. It is organised around five prescribed themes — identities, experiences, human ingenuity, social organization, and sharing the planet — and develops the ability to communicate accurately and appropriately in writing, in listening and reading, and in speech.
The course is assessed by three components: Paper 1 (a written task), Paper 2 (listening and reading comprehension), and an individual oral built around a visual stimulus. Aimnova covers English B SL across seven study units — the themes, text types, grammar, Paper 1 writing, Paper 2 listening and reading, and the individual oral — so you can build vocabulary, sharpen your grammar, learn each text type and technique, and move into exam-style practice with model answers.
Subject Group
Group 2 (Language Acquisition)
Available on Aimnova
SL
Teaching Hours
150 (SL)
Assessment
Paper 1 (writing) · Paper 2 (listening + reading) · Individual oral
IB English B SL Assessment
Paper 1 — Productive skills (Writing)
25%1 h 15One written task of 250–400 words, chosen from three options across the themes. Marked on Criterion A (Language) /12, Criterion B (Message) /12 and Criterion C (Conceptual understanding) /6 — so the right text type, register and audience matter as much as accuracy and natural English.
Paper 2 — Receptive skills (Listening + Reading)
50%≈ 45 min listening · 1 h readingObjective, answer-key comprehension. Listening has three audio passages (each played twice); reading has several texts of increasing difficulty. Question types include multiple choice, true/false with justification, gap-fill, matching and short answer.
Individual oral (Internal assessment)
25%≈ 12–15 minA presentation describing and interpreting a visual stimulus linked to one theme, followed by a conversation with the teacher. Marked on Criterion A (Language) /12, Criterion B (Message) /12 and Criterion C (Interactive and receptive skills) /6.
IB English B Themes and Study Units
Unit 1: Core Themes
Unit 2: Text Types
Unit 3: Grammar
Unit 4: Paper 1 — Writing
Unit 5: Paper 2 — Listening
Unit 6: Paper 2 — Reading
Unit 7: Individual Oral (IA)
Free IB English B Study Resources
Start Studying
Jump into the live English B SL study flow — themes, grammar and exam skills
Grammar
Tenses, articles, prepositions, word order and the most common errors — broken down with model English
Exam Skills
Paper structures, the A/B/C marking criteria, and how to score each writing, listening, reading and oral task
Predicted Topics
Which themes and text types come up most often, based on past papers
Command Terms
Learn how IB wording changes a high-scoring answer
Frequently Asked Questions about IB English B
What does IB English B cover?
English B is built around five prescribed themes — identities, experiences, human ingenuity, social organization, and sharing the planet. Across them you develop vocabulary and grammar, learn to produce a range of text types (blog, email, article, speech, and more), and practise the productive (writing), receptive (listening and reading) and interactive (oral) skills the course is assessed on.
How is IB English B SL assessed?
Three components: Paper 1 is one written task of 250–400 words (25%); Paper 2 is listening plus reading comprehension (50%); and the individual oral, an internally assessed presentation and conversation around a visual stimulus (25%). Writing and the oral are marked on Criteria A (Language), B (Message) and C (Conceptual or Interactive skills); Paper 2 uses an objective answer key.
What is the difference between English B and English A?
English B is a language-acquisition course (Group 2) for students learning English as an additional language, focused on communicating accurately across the five themes. English A is a Group 1 literature or language-and-literature course for students with a high level of fluency, centred on the analysis of literary and non-literary texts. English B expects a wide range of vocabulary, developed ideas, and accurate grammar across all four skills.
How should I revise IB English B efficiently?
Build a theme-by-theme word bank, learn the conventions and register of each text type, and drill the high-value grammar (tenses, articles, prepositions, and natural word order). For Paper 2, read the questions first and listen for meaning rather than matching words. For Paper 1 and the oral, decide audience and register first, then develop your ideas with examples and link them with connectors.
Start revising IB English B with structure
Use the theme overview, grammar notes, and live study path to build vocabulary, sharpen your grammar, and nail the writing, listening, reading and oral skills English B SL tests most.
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