IB Language ab initio

bobbycheung

IB website says the language ab initio course is for students with little or no experience of the language.  

1. Is there a guideline on what amounts to "little experience"?
2. If not, does it mean that each individual school could make its own decision as to what constitute "little experience"?

I have this question because my kids might want to do Spanish or French ab initio.  However, if they are to take courses to learn the language beforehand, would they be considered not qualified for the ab initio course because their experience of the language is more than "little"?

ANChan59

You can send an email to IBO to seek for the official answer(s).

annie40

回復 bobbycheung 的帖子

Hi bobby,

一般IS 初中已有second languages, 待高中时原校便顺理成章的要求学生念second language B, (HL　or SL),　特别是second language 还算中规中矩的 学校未必很容易的便可以让学生重新選读French or Spanish ab initio的，为免误解，提议早点跟原校确认他们的取向．不然最终可能学校和家长的期望便有差异了．　

annie

bobbycheung

Annie,

Sorry for my belated reply as I have been banned for talking rubbish in another thread.  Anyway, thanks for the reminder.  In fact, my kid is thinking of transferring to a new school where he has to start learning a new language afresh as the language he has been learning for years won't be available there.  Anyway, IBO's reply is that there is no guidline on what would amount to "little experience" and each school has its own say in the matter.  

Does anybody know what French and Spanish ab initio are like?  Are they really hard?  

Bobby