International Baccalaureate Diploma (IB) Group 2: Language Acquisition (Spanish B) Syllabus

What conventions define a Spanish BROCHURE/leaflet (folleto)?

A catchy title, sections with headings/bullet points, persuasive and informative language, imperatives or appeals to the reader, and contact/practical details — designed to inform or promote.

In IB Spanish B, which level (SL or HL) studies literature, and what is required?

Only HL students study literature. They must read two literary works originally written in Spanish, which feed into the HL Individual Oral and HL Paper 1 sophistication.

How does the IB Spanish B HL literature requirement differ from SL?

HL must read two works of literature in Spanish; SL has no literature requirement. The HL Individual Oral is based on an extract from one of these literary works.

What is assessed in IB Spanish B Paper 1?

Productive writing: students write ONE task from a choice of three, each linked to a different theme, choosing the appropriate text type, audience, purpose, and register.

How many tasks does a student complete in IB Spanish B Paper 1, and how is the choice structured?

One task chosen from three options. Each option specifies a context/theme and the student selects/produces a suitable text type.

What are the word-count requirements for IB Spanish B Paper 1 (SL vs HL)?

SL: 250–400 words. HL: 450–600 words.

What four assessment criteria are used for IB Spanish B Paper 1?

Criterion A: Language; Criterion B: Message; Criterion C: Conceptual understanding (text type, register, purpose, audience).

What is assessed in IB Spanish B Paper 2?

Receptive skills — it has two separate sections: Listening comprehension and Reading comprehension, based on audio and written texts drawn from the five themes.

What two sections make up IB Spanish B Paper 2, and which comes first?

Listening comprehension first, followed by Reading comprehension. Each is marked separately and combined for the Paper 2 score.

How long is the Listening section of IB Spanish B Paper 2 at SL versus HL?

SL listening lasts about 45 minutes; HL listening lasts about 1 hour. HL texts are longer and more complex.

What is the Individual Oral (IO) in IB Spanish B SL based on?

At SL, the IO is based on a visual stimulus (e.g., a photograph) linked to one of the five themes; the student describes it and discusses the related theme, followed by a general conversation.

What is the Individual Oral (IO) in IB Spanish B HL based on?

At HL, the IO is based on a literary extract from one of the two studied works; the student presents on it, then has a discussion on the work and a general conversation on the course themes.

What three parts make up the IB Spanish B Individual Oral assessment?

1) Presentation on the stimulus (visual at SL / literary extract at HL), 2) discussion with the teacher about the stimulus, and 3) general conversation on one or more course themes.

What assessment criteria are used for the IB Spanish B Individual Oral?

Criterion A: Language, Criterion B: Message (and use of the stimulus), and Criterion C: Interaction/communication skills.

In Spanish, when do you use 'ser' versus 'estar' (both meaning 'to be')?

'Ser' for permanent/inherent traits, identity, origin, time, and characteristics; 'estar' for temporary states, conditions, emotions, and location.

In Spanish, what is the difference in use between the preterite and the imperfect past tenses?

The preterite (pretérito) describes completed, specific past actions; the imperfect (imperfecto) describes ongoing, habitual, or background past actions and descriptions.

What is the difference between 'por' and 'para' in Spanish?

'Por' expresses cause, reason, exchange, duration, and 'through/by'; 'para' expresses purpose, goal, destination, recipient, and deadlines.

How is the Spanish present subjunctive typically triggered, and give a marker phrase.

The subjunctive expresses wishes, doubt, emotion, recommendations, and unreality, often after 'que'. Example trigger: 'Es importante que...' / 'Espero que...' + subjunctive.

How do you form the simple future tense of regular Spanish verbs?

Add endings -é, -ás, -á, -emos, -éis, -án to the full infinitive (e.g., hablar → hablaré, hablarás, hablará...).

How is the Spanish present perfect (pretérito perfecto) formed?

Present tense of 'haber' (he, has, ha, hemos, habéis, han) + past participle (e.g., he hablado, has comido).

How is the conditional tense formed for regular Spanish verbs, and what does it express?

Infinitive + endings -ía, -ías, -ía, -íamos, -íais, -ían (e.g., hablaría). It expresses what would happen, politeness, and hypotheticals.

What are the formal and informal singular 'you' pronouns in Spanish, and which verb conjugation does each take?

'Tú' (informal) takes second-person singular conjugations; 'usted' (formal) takes third-person singular conjugations.

In Spanish, what is the difference between 'saber' and 'conocer' (both 'to know')?

'Saber' = to know facts, information, or how to do something; 'conocer' = to be familiar with people, places, or things.

What is the typical structure of a persuasive/argumentative IB Spanish B response, useful for opinion text types?

Introduction stating the thesis/opinion, body paragraphs each with an argument plus example/justification, acknowledgement of counterarguments, and a conclusion restating the position with a call to action.

Name three Spanish connectors useful for structuring formal writing and their functions.

'Sin embargo' (contrast/however), 'por lo tanto' (consequence/therefore), and 'además' (addition/furthermore). Others: 'en primer lugar', 'por un lado/por otro lado', 'en conclusión'.

What is the difference between a direct object pronoun and an indirect object pronoun in Spanish?

Direct object pronouns (me, te, lo, la, nos, os, los, las) receive the action directly; indirect object pronouns (me, te, le, nos, os, les) indicate to/for whom the action is done.

In Spanish, how do you express obligation, and give two common constructions?

'Tener que' + infinitive (personal obligation: tengo que estudiar) and 'hay que' + infinitive (general/impersonal obligation: hay que reciclar). 'Deber' + infinitive expresses 'should/must'.

What is a useful framework for describing a visual stimulus in the SL Individual Oral?

Identify what you see (people, place, action), where/when it might be, link it to a course theme, infer the message or context, and give your interpretation and opinion using descriptive and speculative language.

In IB Spanish B writing, what three features must match the chosen text type to score well on conceptual understanding?

Correct text-type conventions/format, appropriate register for the audience, and clear achievement of the communicative purpose (inform, persuade, narrate, etc.).

What is the difference between 'muy' and 'mucho' in Spanish?

'Muy' (very) modifies adjectives and adverbs and is invariable (muy bueno); 'mucho' (a lot/much/many) modifies nouns and agrees in gender/number (mucho dinero, muchas casas) or acts as an adverb after a verb (trabaja mucho).