Dear Students,
Throughout the IB French ab initio course, your progress will be assessed through three main components. These components evaluate your ability to write, understand, and communicate in French. Together, they assess the four language skills that you develop during the course: listening, reading, writing, and speaking.
The IB uses two types of assessment:
1. External Assessment (75%)
External assessments are marked by official IB examiners.
These assessments include:
Paper 1 – Productive Skills (Writing)
Weighting: 25%
Duration: 1 hour
In this examination, you will:
- Write two texts.
- Each text should be between 70 and 150 words.
- Choose two tasks from three options provided.
- Each option is linked to a different prescribed theme.
- Use the correct text type requested in the question (for example: email, article, blog, brochure, interview, etc.).
What is being assessed?
I will help you develop the ability to:
- Communicate ideas clearly.
- Organise your writing effectively.
- Use appropriate vocabulary and grammar.
- Follow the conventions of different text types.
Paper 2 – Receptive Skills (Listening and Reading)
Weighting: 50%
This is the largest component of the course.
Listening Comprehension
Duration: 45 minutes
25 marks
You will:
- Listen to three audio recordings.
- Answer comprehension questions.
- Demonstrate your understanding of spoken French.
Reading Comprehension
Duration: 1 hour
40 marks
You will:
- Read three written texts.
- Answer comprehension questions.
- Demonstrate your understanding of written French.
What is being assessed?
You will be expected to:
- Identify key information.
- Understand details and main ideas.
- Interpret opinions and attitudes.
- Understand authentic French texts and recordings.
The listening and reading materials can come from any of the five prescribed themes studied during the course.
2. Internal Assessment (25%)
The Internal Assessment is completed at school and assessed by me before being moderated by the IB.
Individual Oral
Weighting: 25%
Duration: 7–10 minutes
Preparation time: 15 minutes
During the Individual Oral:
Part 1 – Visual Stimulus Discussion
You will:
- Receive a visual stimulus (image).
- Describe and discuss the image.
- Connect the image to one of the course themes.
Part 2 – General Conversation
After discussing the image, I will ask you questions about:
- Another prescribed theme.
- Your experiences, opinions, and ideas.
What is being assessed?
You will demonstrate your ability to:
- Speak clearly and confidently.
- Express opinions.
- Develop answers with supporting details.
- Interact naturally in French.
- Use a range of vocabulary and grammar structures.
Assessment Weighting Summary
| Assessment Component | Skill Assessed | Weighting |
|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 | Writing | 25% |
| Paper 2 | Listening and Reading | 50% |
| Individual Oral | Speaking and Interaction | 25% |
| Total | All Four Skills | 100% |
What I expect from you
To succeed in this course, I expect you to:
- Participate actively in class.
- Practise French regularly.
- Develop confidence in speaking and writing.
- Read and listen to French as often as possible.
- Learn vocabulary related to all five prescribed themes.
- Become familiar with different text types.
- Use feedback to improve your performance.
- Prepare consistently for the Individual Oral and final examinations.
Key terms you should know
External Assessment
Examinations marked by official IB examiners.
Internal Assessment
Assessment completed in school and moderated by the IB.
Assessment Criteria
The standards used to evaluate your work.
Moderation
The process by which the IB checks that marking is consistent worldwide.
Productive Skills
Writing and creating language.
Receptive Skills
Listening and reading.
Interactive Skills
Speaking and participating in conversations.
Markscheme
The official guide used by examiners to award marks.
Level Descriptors
Descriptions of the performance expected at different achievement levels.
By understanding how each component is assessed, you will be able to prepare effectively throughout the course and develop the skills necessary to achieve success in IB French ab initio.
