IB French B SL - Study Hub
A public revision hub for IB French B SL with the five prescribed themes, exam structure, and the skills to revise first — built around real vocabulary, text types, French grammar, and the productive, receptive and oral skills the course is marked on.
What is IB French B?
IB French B is a Group 2 language-acquisition course for students with some previous experience of French. 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 across the French-speaking world.
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 French 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, master French verb tenses, agreement and gender, 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 & HL
Teaching Hours
150 (SL) · 240 (HL)
Assessment
Paper 1 (writing) · Paper 2 (listening + reading) · Individual oral
IB French 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, agreement and correct verb tenses.
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 French 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 French B Study Resources
Start Studying
Jump into the live French B SL study flow — themes, grammar and exam skills
Grammar
Verb tenses, agreement, gender and the most common errors — explained in English, demonstrated in French
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 French B
What does IB French B cover?
French B is built around five prescribed themes — identities, experiences, human ingenuity, social organization, and sharing the planet. Across them you develop vocabulary and grammar, master French verb tenses, gender and agreement, 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 French 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 French B and French ab initio?
French B is for students with some prior experience of the language and is offered at SL and HL. French ab initio is for near-beginners and is SL only. French B expects a wider range of vocabulary, more developed ideas, and more accurate grammar — including secure control of verb tenses, gender and agreement — across all four skills, with HL adding a literary component (two French works) and a longer written task.
How should I revise IB French B efficiently?
Build a theme-by-theme word bank with each noun’s gender, learn the conventions and register of each text type, and drill the high-value grammar (verb tenses, the subjunctive, gender and adjective agreement, and the right pronouns). 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 French B with structure
Use the theme overview, grammar notes, and live study path to build vocabulary, master the tenses, and nail the writing, listening, reading and oral skills French B SL tests most.
Start FreeNo credit card required · Cancel anytime