IB DP Language Acquisition

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The 2027 IB Language Acquisition update: what teachers need to know

The IB has revised its Diploma Programme language acquisition courses, with new subject guides for Language B and language ab initio.

Milestone	Date
New subject guides released	February 2027
First teaching	August 2027
First assessment	May 2029
Last exams on the current courses	November 2028

The good news for teachers: the exams aren’t changing. The assessment model and assessed components stay the same, so your experience with Paper 1, Paper 2 and the individual oral carries straight over. What’s new is how the course is described and supported:

Clearer, more accessible subject guides, with easier navigation between the guide and teacher support material
Critical thinking built in across the course, alongside creative thinking
Concept-based learning, with clearer explanations of concepts and conceptual understanding in language acquisition
Connections to the IB language tenets and approaches to teaching and learning (ATL)
New teacher support materials for critical thinking, formative assessment, reflection, listening and reading comprehension, and unit planning
Three lenses for Language B: students explore language through cultures, communication and perspectives, building sociolinguistic, linguistic and pragmatic skills

Which resources should you buy? Students starting the Diploma in August 2027 or later should use resources written for the new guides (first assessment 2029). Students sitting exams in 2027 or 2028 continue on the current courses.

Language B vs ab initio: which course fits your students?

	Language B	Language ab initio
Who it’s for	Students with some prior experience of the language	Beginners with no or very limited prior experience
Levels	SL and HL	SL only
Themes	Five prescribed themes with optional recommended topics	Five prescribed themes with 20 prescribed topics
Literature	Two literary works required at HL	Not required
Oral stimulus	Visual stimulus (SL); literary extract (HL)	Visual stimulus
Available in this collection	English B, French B, Spanish B	Spanish ab initio

The five prescribed themes

Both courses are built on the same five themes, so resources share a common structure across languages:

Identities: exploring the self and what it means to be human
Experiences: the events and journeys that shape our lives
Human ingenuity: how creativity and innovation affect our world
Social organization: how groups of people organize themselves
Sharing the planet: the challenges and opportunities facing communities today

How Language B is assessed from 2029

Component	SL	HL	Weighting
Paper 1: writing	One task of 250–400 words, from a choice of three	One task of 450–600 words, from a choice of three	25%
Paper 2: listening	Three audio passages	Three audio passages	25%
Paper 2: reading	Three written texts	Three written texts	25%
Individual oral	Presentation on a visual stimulus, discussion and conversation	Presentation on a literary extract, discussion and conversation	25%

Ab initio follows the same four-skill balance, with each of writing, listening, reading and speaking worth 25%.

What to look for in a new-guide language resource

“First assessment 2029” or “2027 subject guide” on the cover or listing
Theme-based units that map directly to the five prescribed themes (and the 20 prescribed topics for ab initio)
Listening practice with audio, since listening is a quarter of the final grade
Exam-style practice for Paper 1 text types, Paper 2 comprehension and the individual oral
Critical-thinking and concept-based activities that reflect the new guide’s emphasis
HL literature support for the two required literary works
Links to TOK, CAS and the Extended Essay
Digital options, such as eBooks and online courses, for classroom display and homework

Shop by publisher

Hachette Learning (formerly Hodder Education): French B, Spanish B and Spanish ab initio for the IB Diploma, with Boost eBook options
Oxford University Press: Oxford Resources for IB DP English B, French B and Spanish B Course Books, concept-based with online audio
IB Source

Frequently asked questions

When does the new IB Language B syllabus start?
The new guide is released in February 2027. First teaching is August 2027, and first exams are in May 2029.

Is the IB Language B assessment changing?
No. Paper 1, Paper 2 and the individual oral keep the same structure and weightings. The update focuses on clearer guidance, critical thinking, conceptual understanding and new teacher support materials.

Is language ab initio changing too?
Yes. Ab initio has been revised on the same timeline, with first assessment in 2029, and keeps its five themes and 20 prescribed topics.

What’s the difference between Language B and ab initio?
Language B is for students with some prior experience of the language and is offered at SL and HL. Ab initio is for beginners and is offered at SL only.

Can students sitting exams in 2027 or 2028 use the new books?
They should follow the current guide. Because the assessment structure is unchanged, much of the practice in new editions is still useful, but the books are written for the course first assessed in 2029.

When will new-edition books ship?
Most new-guide resources publish between February and March 2027 and can be pre-ordered now. Orders ship as soon as stock arrives.