HomeIB English B
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.
Subject Group
Group 2 (Language Acquisition)
Available on Aimnova
SL
Teaching Hours
Assessment
Paper 1 (writing) · Paper 2 (listening + reading) · Individual oral
01—The course
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.
02—Assessment
IB English B SL Assessment
Paper 1 — Productive skills (Writing)
One 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)
Objective, 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)
A 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.
03—Syllabus
IB English B Themes and Study Units
Unit 1Core Themes
Unit 2Text Types
Unit 3Grammar
Unit 4Paper 1 — Writing
Unit 5Paper 2 — Listening
Unit 6Paper 2 — Reading
Unit 7Individual Oral (IA)
04—Resources
Free IB English B Study Resources
05—FAQ
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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