IB+German

Note 2/2011: This IB information is outdated and I hope to update it soon with the new Language B Guide and other materials. I am leaving this here in the meantime because it still has many good resources!


 * Sommer Vorschläge und Aufgaben** (Summer Suggestions and Assignments)
 * *I will e-mail you when this page has been updated, so please check your e-mail regularly! **
 * ASSIGNMENTS:**
 * Read the IB Language B Guide and become familiar with the test format and scoring rubrics. You will be testing at the Standard Level, so don't worry about reading the Higher Level sections. It is essential to have a background on what you will be working toward and we will be discussing this in the first week of school (or if we meet sometime in August before school starts.) Please become familiar with the structure for the Language B test which is outlined in detail in the Guide.
 * [[file:Language B Guide.pdf]]
 * BBC German: Take this very short test (5-10 minutes) to see which areas you need to focus on for improvement.
 * http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/german/gauge
 * BBC GCSE Mock Exam. Take the Reading (40 minutes) and Writing (45 minutes) Foundation Level tests and grade the reading portion using the marking scheme. Bring them to turn in on the first day of class. Treat this like a real test and make sure you have enough time to complete each section when you sit down to do it. Do not use other resources or dictionaries while taking the test and don't go back and correct your mistakes. I want to see where you are making mistakes so I can help you.
 * Reading: [[file:readingmockf.pdf]]
 * Reading Answers: WAIT UNTIL YOU HAVE TAKEN THE READING PART TO OPEN THIS FILE! [[file:readingmockfmarking.pdf]]
 * Writing: [[file:writingmockf.pdf]]
 * Begin mentally preparing yourself to speak primarily in German for class next year.

SUGGESTIONS:
 * Review what you already know--look through notes, try speaking (even if it's just talking to yourself), review vocab and grammar online.
 * Watch German TV (on Channel 14) and movies (can be rented from Showtime and Netflix)
 * Stay up-to-date with German news (both by reading English-language and German-language sources) One good online resource:
 * Deutsche Welle:[|http://www.dw-world.de]
 * Do practice tests and activities online. Here are some sites that I have found that should help you:
 * BBC GCSE Bitesize (The GCSE stands for General Certificate for Secondary Education and is a British test similar to the IB Test.) Since the page is in British English, remember that "revise/revision" means study/practice. The practice exercises should help prepare you for the Mock Exam that I have assigned.
 * http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/german
 * Goethe Institut Online Activities and tests: http://www.goethe.de/lrn/duw/auf/sta/deindex.htm
 * **Start Deutsch 1 Modellsatz** - http://www.goethe.de/lrn/pro/sd1/deindex.htm
 * **Start Deutsch 2 Modellsatz -** http://www.goethe.de/lrn/pro/sd2/deindex.htm
 * Basically, as long as you are doing //something// to keep your German skills fresh, you will be helping yourself to be more prepared for German IV and therefore you will be further along and should do better when it comes to the IB test next year. I am here to facilitate your learning, but ultimately it comes down to you to know where your strengths and weaknesses lie and to get to the point where you can communicate well using the German language. Below I have taken excerpts from the IB Language B Guide that should help you understand the goals for your learning:

IB Ziele **(IB Objectives)**: Standard Level __At the end of the language B course standard level candidates are expected to demonstrate an ability to:__ • communicate clearly and effectively in a range of situations • understand and use accurately oral and written forms of the language that are commonly encountered in a range of situations • understand and use a range of vocabulary in common usage • select a register that is generally appropriate to the situation • express ideas with general clarity and some fluency • structure arguments in a generally clear, coherent and convincing way • understand and respond appropriately to written and spoken material of average difficulty • assess some subtleties of the language in a range of forms, styles and registers • show an awareness of, and sensitivity to, some elements of the culture(s) related to the language studied.

In the context of language B the successful use of a language consists of demonstrating competence in three distinct but interrelated areas: LANGUAGE: handling the language system accurately (grammar, syntax, etc) CULTURAL INTERACTION: selecting language appropriate to a particular cultural and social context MESSAGE: understanding ideas and how they are organized in order to communicate them appropriately.

Language skills should be developed through the use of a wide range of texts and material. Teachers and students are encouraged to choose their own texts—written, spoken, literary or non-literary. Since the purpose of learning a language B is to communicate in that language, texts should be considered in view of their communicative purpose, that is, the apparent intentions of the author when communicating to the audience and how these intentions are reflected in the choice of language.

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