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The IB Language B course is designed for students who have some prior knowledge of a foreign language and are non-native speakers. Language B subjects belong to Group 2: Language Acquisition, and focus on developing comprehension and communication skills within the language. For a better understanding of the proficiency level gained from IB Language B, this post will benchmark the four most popular Language B subjects against the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).
IB Language B CEFR
What is the CEFR?
In short, the CEFR is an international standard for measuring language proficiency. The higher the CEFR level, the more proficient someone is in that particular language. The CEFR scale is shown below.
Skill Level | CEFR Level | Significance | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
Basic User | A1 | Beginner | Can understand and use very simple expressions. Can introduce themselves and interact if the other person speaks slowly and clearly. |
A2 | Elementary | Can understand common phrases about everyday topics (e.g., family, shopping, work). Can communicate in simple, routine situations. | |
Independent User | B1 | Intermediate | Can handle most travel and daily life situations. Can describe experiences, events, and opinions using connected sentences. |
B2 | Upper Intermediate | Can understand the main ideas of complex texts. Can interact with native speakers fluently and express opinions clearly. | |
Proficient User | C1 | Advanced/Expert | Can use language flexibly and effectively for social, academic, or professional purposes. Can produce well-structured, detailed text on complex topics. |
C2 | Proficient/Master | Can understand virtually everything heard or read. Can express themselves precisely and naturally in any context. |
IB Languages and the CEFR
The four most popular IB Language B subjects are English B, French B, Spanish B and German B. The following table outlines the CEFR level achieved in each of these languages at both Higher Level (HL) and Standard Level (SL).
CEFR Level | English B | French B | Spanish B | German B | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
HL | SL | HL | SL | HL | SL | HL | SL | |
C1 | 7 | N/A | 7 | N/A | 7 | N/A | 7 | N/A |
B2+ | 6 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 6 | *N/A |
B2 | 5 | 6-7 | 5 | 6-7 | 5 | 6-7 | 5 | 7 |
B1+ | 3-4 | 5 | 3-4 | 5 | 3-4 | 5 | 4 | 5-6 |
B1 | 2 | 3-4 | 2 | 3-4 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
A2+ | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
A2 | N/A | 2 | N/A | 2 | N/A | 2 | 2 | 2 |
N/A means that the CEFR level does not correspond to any IB grade for the particular subject. The "+" scores (e.g. B2+) are not official CEFR levels but are used within IB reporting to signify a proficiency that is between CEFR levels (i.e. B2+ is between B2 and C1).
We hope this post has helped you learn more about the relationship between IB Language B subjects and the CEFR. For more useful materials associated with the IB, check out the wide variety of IA, EE and TOK exemplars available at Clastify and other guides available on our blog.
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