IBDP Bilingual Diploma

bobbycheung

Annie123,

I understand that Language B is for students who have been learning the language for 2 to 3 years.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IB_Group_2_subjects

I wonder if it is true.  Let's say a student who has been learning French or German for 4 or 5 years, then he should take Language A which is a native or near native level.  I often wonder how a student like him could handle say French or German literature.

annie40

Hi Bobby,

Thank you so much for your concern.  Yes, you're voicing out my doubt.  My daughter's Chinese is ok like ordinary people level in HK.  (ie 识字量一般, 文学修养欠奉). Also, her learning is nearly 90% from home and private tutoring.  That's much below the standard to take IB Chinese A (the examination paper is nearly harder than HKAL).  Someone told me that the students would need to do 4000-5000 wordings composition regularly.

If the teachers keep pushing too much, I would suggest her to take French as second language instead.

原帖由 bobbycheung 於 11-11-23 14:05 發表
Hi, annie,

To be honest, I don't know much about IB or Ivy League.  All the information I've got, I gleaned it from websites and the dozen of books I have on college admission.  I am certainly no exp ...

annie40

Annie123,

She's taking both French and Chinese at school.  It's no way for Chinese Department to determine her future path and career.

annie

ANChan59

That's what I observed in some schools really uphold the IBO standard, but also saw many schools are relaxed and more and more students go for B....... and not aim for bilingual. So some IS scored higher in IBDP exam as more than average students took B & MS....

Not just Chinese, also for French and other second languages.....

annie40

Once again, thank you for the advice.

My daughter studied in a French School long ago so she just keeps learning it as one of interesting subjects continually.  Have fun and widen the mind only.

However, she loves Chinese culture that she enjoys  history like '三国' , '岳飞' ,   武则天等.  I do believe she would take Chinese on priority.  I would meet her Chinese teacher again for further discussion.

annie

原帖由 Annie123 於 11-11-23 16:30 發表
I understand.

Did they say why she cannot take Chinese B?

French is so much easier to handle for international school students, and particularly as long as she is not doing French A, it is going to  ...

tongyimtong

回復 25#Annie123 的帖子

很同意，閣下對入IVY LEAGUE的學校的心得和我一個美國親戚說的一樣。她的女兒在YALE畢業，兒子在Columbia讀醫。她的子女在Palo Alton的著名中學畢業，成績不是最突出，但和大部份同學一樣入了東岸的名大學。她告訴我，這些著名中學最主要訓練學生的leadership。她的兒女在中學自創了一個義工計劃，並灌澈執行了三年。其間不斷招收其他同學參與，並曾獲傳媒報導。

我想美國的教育成功在此。我們每年有大把會考十A生，大學年年有幾千畢業生。但數十年來，較成功的科研人才和學者， 全是外國回流的人。我們的教育，成績最好的都只會選醫科和金融學系。我沒有見過會選文科的尖子。但我認識一個英國A level的5A*男生選擇到劍橋大學讀英國文學。他的目標是到第三世界國家推廣教育。

可能是我們的心態太功利，只想小孩的事業前途，往往忽略了教育背後的真正義意。最後教出了一個成績分數很高的學生，但眼界視野狹窄的人。

其實有時又點到人計算，你以為一路安排條好路比子女，精心計算他們的出路和事業。可能最終會白費心機都未定。

ANChan59

My son has a dilemma, he prefers medicine as first choice, economics finance and BBA(Law) as second priority.

If aim for medicine, he should downgrade Chinese from A to B, he can keep his finger cross. If he also aim for like BBA(Law), then he must stick to A [under the condition he likes to study in HK for the first degree.]

tingtingting

If aim for medicine, he should downgrade Chinese from A to B, he can keep his finger cross. If he also aim for like BBA(Law), then he must stick to A [under the condition he likes to study in HK for the first degree.]

Not sure I understand you correctly. Is HKU so serious about Chinese that they expect your son to do Chinese A?  I tend to think English A at HL will give your son an edge if he apples to the law school.

bobbycheung

Now I have looked at various school's IB handbooks/guides.  

LPC's handbook says "Language B is for students who have a reasonable background in the language, but who are not native speakers and who do not yet have the fluency of Language A speakers.... Students will normally have studied the language previously for 3-5 years".

http://www.lpcuwc.edu.hk/uploads/0201/06/Academic-Course-Handbook-2011-12.pdf

CDNIS's handbooks says "Language B
(French) programme, is tailored to the needs and the abilities of students who have a sound knowledge of the language."

http://cispa.hk/wp-content/uploads/cispa-pdf/Handbook_2011-08-18.pdf

South Island School's handbook says "IB Language B is a two-year language acquisition course aimed at students who have taken IGCSE or have reached an equivalent standard in another educational system.....  Higher Level students will be expected to have 4 or 5 years experience of learning the language and to have reached a high standard of oral and written accuracy by the end of Year 11. Standard Level students will be expected to have studied the language for a minimum of three years prior to Year 12.

http://www.sis.edu.hk/sites/sis/files/Senior%20School%20Curriculum%20Handbook%202011-2013.pdf

So does it mean there is no fixed requirement from the IB organisation and each school may set its own guideline (which is subject to rather subjective interpretation by the school's own teachers)?

bobbycheung

annie,

I came across this by accident.  South Island School's handbook says "Chinese students taking Language B Chinese need to be aware
that this may not be considered to be a foreign language by some universities."

http://www.sis.edu.hk/sites/sis/files/Senior%20School%20Curriculum%20Handbook%202011-2013.pdf

I thought this may be of interest to you.

原帖由 annie40 於 11-11-23 15:23 發表
Hi Bobby,

Thank you so much for your concern.  Yes, you're voicing out my doubt.  My daughter's Chinese is ok like ordinary people level in HK.  (ie 识字量一般, 文学修养欠奉). Also, her learning is n ...

tingtingting

Thanks Bobby.  That's interesting.  I know quite a few Chinese kids at CIS doing Chinese B (some HL and some SL).  Seems that they do not share the same concern of the South Island's teacher.

By the way, the warning made by the South Island's teachers may well be the reason behind one of my colleagues' daughter doing English A(HL), Chinese B (SL) and French (AB) as a 7th subject. (She is a native Chinese but prefer English to Chinese, and she speaks perfect French.)

[ 本帖最後由 tingtingting 於 11-11-24 11:11 編輯 ]

bobbycheung

tingtingting,

The 7th subject?  Isn't doing 6 subjects the maximum?  So people can do 7 subjects.  I hope that's the maximum.    She speaks perfect French, but yet she is doing French (AB).  So I guess the schools and the students can pretty much decide what they want to do regardless of the rules.  Right?

原帖由 tingtingting 於 11-11-24 11:10 發表
Thanks Bobby.  That's interesting.  I know quite a few Chinese kids at CIS doing Chinese B (some HL and some SL).  Seems that they do not share the same concern of the South Island's teacher.

By the ...

[ 本帖最後由 bobbycheung 於 11-11-24 11:32 編輯 ]

WYmom

It is obviously very reasonable for universities to ignore Chinese B as foreign language if the student is a Chinese...

I think that students should choose subjects according to their capabilities and interest more than just study some obviously easier subjects for getting higher scores... good universities obviously will know such tricks and will be able to select the type of students they prefer.

[ 本帖最後由 WYmom 於 11-11-24 11:32 編輯 ]

ANChan59

原帖由 tingtingting 於 11-11-24 09:46 發表


Not sure I understand you correctly. Is HKU so serious about Chinese that they expect your son to do Chinese A?  I tend to think English A at HL will give your son an edge if he apples to the law sc ...

Chinese law is a critical component in the business world of HK, it make sense to me. I agreed HL in English is better, the difference between SL may be only one score point.

I chatted to him last night and he may give up Law ultimately. It's difficult to juggle so many balls at the same time. He will chat with the IB coordinator and convince him that my son can change from A to B right after the 1st term examination. He also rethink some 2nd priority programs and drop those programs may need Chinese as first language.

tingtingting

Yes, one can do 7 subjects but it is not advisable in most cases.  In my colleague's daughter's case, she can call both French at AB level and Chinese B a piece of cake.  English A (HL) is also no big deal to her.

annie40

Bobby,

多谢您的提点, 真正唔话得!

其实規則是由人家定的, 鬼老喜欢怎样演绎和理解中国人读Chinese B 作为'second languages' and English A (HL) 的难度就由他吧!  反正因为印度,中国,亚洲学生读书太出色, 他们老早把收取亚洲学生的入学要求提高了.  

我是个很实际又有阿Q精神的妈妈, 如果'有幸'小女如是读书材料, ivy leagues 又依依哦哦, 唔多想收也好, 留在香港读first degree, 节省大笔金钱, 还多点机会进修中文.一举两得.  

我想中国人学中文是重要的'寻根'意义, 是否考试科目並不重要. 西方的想法也天天在变, 听闻英美今天的热门外语是'Chinese' .  

annie

原帖由 bobbycheung 於 11-11-24 10:49 發表
annie,

I came across this by accident.  South Island School's handbook says "Chinese students taking Language B Chinese need to be aware
that this may not be considered to be a foreign language by so ...