IB DIPLOMA TUTORING
Expert IB French Tutors
in Hong Kong
BartyED's IB French tutors work with students across Ab Initio, SL, and HL, building language skills and exam technique in parallel from the first session. French B is one of the more demanding Language Acquisition options, and the gap between functional competence and the precision the IB rewards in written and oral assessment is where most students lose marks. That is the gap our tutors close.
Common challenges in IBDP French B
| The challenge | How BartyED helps |
|---|---|
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Developing knowledge of French grammar |
French grammar is notorious for its rules and intricacy, however, BartyED's team of IB French tutors are dedicated to making it as accessible as possible. We ensure that students have a strong understanding of how and when to apply grammar rules appropriately. |
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Preparing for the Individual Oral (IO) |
French B, at HL, SL and ab initio, requires students to complete an IO. While the task varies across the courses, it's essential for students to develop confidence when communicating in the target language, for both speaking and listening. Our IB French tutors pay close attention to pronunciation and inflection to ensure a more confident and natural communication. |
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Building strong inference skills for unfamiliar vocabulary |
Successfully inferring the meaning of unfamiliar words is essential for success on Paper 2. Our IB French tutors challenge students to use their knowledge of French, as well as the context in which the word is used, to develop this important skill. |
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Growing confidence in French writing tasks |
IB students can be intimidated by the Paper 1 French writing task. Our IB French tutors demystify the examination through clear instruction and consistent practice, allowing students to reach for the higher mark bands regularly. |
BartyED ensures high-quality IB French tutoring
From our strict hiring process, through our comprehensive on-going tutor training, BartyED places a strong emphasis on teaching quality. Our reputation for rigour is at the heart of what we do.
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| Quality marker | What it involves | Impact on teaching |
|---|---|---|
|
3-phase hiring process |
Our 3-phase hiring process consists of a structured interview with Jerome, a written exam across proposed subject areas, and an engagement session to assess teaching style. |
A strong CV is not enough: candidates need to demonstrate strong subject knowledge, resilience and adaptability. We place our bar deliberately high in the full knowledge that most candidates will fail. Our students will benefit from the strong communication skills and pedagogical passion of the best applicants. |
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Rigorous training programme |
Once hired, candidates undergo a six-month training programme to ensure deep subject and curriculum knowledge. This is conducted by our Heads of STEM and English/Humanities, and overseen by our Director of Studies. |
The IB examiners know their own curriculum, so it's essential that we do, too. Our training programmes are designed to instil strong academic rigour, and consistent teaching across subjects. |
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On-going professional development |
Whether in IBO-led workshops on the latest changes to the French marking criteria, or knowledge sharing across the team in informal sessions to improve our support of SEN students, our IB French tutors enjoy continued professional development. |
International curricula like the IBDP, A-Levels and IGCSEs are subject to change and adaptation. It's essential for teaching quality that our IB French tutors are ready and aware of all developments so we can maintain our exemplary support of all students. |
THE BARTYED DIFFERENCE
Why BartyED for IB French Tutoring
French-specialist tutors
Our IB French tutors are fluent, and graduates from top universities including Oxford, as well as from programmes within France. They understand how to guide students through the syllabus effectively.
Using the themes to support written responses
Our IB French tutors understand the IB French syllabus, and the importance of the themes. We encourage our students to integrate advanced, unique and accurate vocabulary in all their IB French responses.
Individual Oral Support
Speaking for 5, 10 or 15 minutes to someone in the target language can be intimidating. Our team of tutors have all spent significant time living and working in France, and understand how to encourage the productive skills necessary to succeed on the IO.
Personally vetted by Jerome
Every BartyED Languages tutor sits a supervised written exam reviewed personally by Jerome and Hannah before joining the team. For French, this includes sitting an IB receptive skills paper, as well as roleplay exercises in the target language to assess teaching ability.
WHAT CLIENTS SAY
Success stories
Our students have gone on to Oxford, Edinburgh, UCL, Duke, Brown, and Harvard.
How IB French is graded
IB French students develop their language skills across the two year course, whether they are doing HL, SL or ab initio. It includes an internal assessment, and two external assessments. This results in a final course grade out of 7.
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| Component | ab initio | SL | HL |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Paper 1: Productive skills |
Students complete two written tasks of 70-150 words, selecting an appropriate text type from the options given. There are 30 marks available, and it is 25% of the final grade (1 hour) |
Students complete one writing task of 250-400 words relating to a theme studied in class, selecting an appropriate text type from the options given. There are 30 marks available and it is worth 25% of the final grade (1 hour 15 minutes) |
Students complete one writing task of 450-600 words relating to a theme studied in class, selecting an appropriate text type from the options given. There are 30 marks available and it is worth 25% of the final grade (1 hour 30 minutes) |
|
Paper 2: Receptive skills |
Students respond to a series of questions on several sources. There are 25 marks available for listening comprehension questions, and 40 marks available for reading comprehension (65 marks total). This paper is worth 50% of the final grade (1 hour 45 minutes) |
Students respond to a series of questions on several sources. There are 25 marks available for listening comprehension questions, and 40 marks available for reading comprehension (65 marks total). This paper is worth 50% of the final grade (1 hour 45 minutes) |
Students respond to a series of questions on several sources. There are 25 marks available for listening comprehension questions, and 40 marks available for reading comprehension (65 marks total). This paper is worth 50% of the final grade (2 hours) |
|
Individual Oral (IO) |
Students engage in a conversation with their teacher, based on a visual stimulus and relating to one of the themes studied in class. There are 30 marks available, and it is worth 25% of the final grade (10 minutes) |
Students engage in a conversation with their teacher, based on a visual stimulus and relating to one of the themes studied in class. There are 30 marks available, and it is worth 25% of the final grade (15 minutes) |
Students engage in a conversation with their teacher, based on an extract from one of the literary works studied in class. They then discuss one of the themes studied in class. There are 30 marks available, and it is worth 25% of the final grade (15 minutes) |
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Total external / internal split |
75% external, 25% internal |
75% external, 25% internal |
75% external, 25% internal |
WHAT WE COVER
Explore other IB subjects we tutor
Applications & Interpretation (AI) SL/HL
Literature SL/HL
💡 Don't see the subject you're seeking tutoring for listed above? Contact us at enquiries@bartyed.com or click the button below.
The 3 courses are designed according to the level of the student at the start of the course. French ab initio is designed for complete beginners, SL assumes some knowledge, and HL assumes a decent familiarity with the basics of French grammar and vocabulary.
The French B Oral depends on the course taken. While ab initio is a conversation based on one of the themes, SL's oral includes a visual stimulus as well. Finally, HL students are required to discuss an extract from a text studied in class. SL and HL students must also discuss a theme from the syllabus.
The five themes for French B are as follows: identities, experiences, human ingenuity, social organization, and sharing the planet. All five French B themes must be studied during the course.
The IO is worth 25% of the final grade across ab initio, SL and HL French B courses.
The relative difficulty of French B and Chinese B is dependent on the student's familiarity with each language. If hesitating, students should consult with an academic mentor.
While IB French ab initio assumes no knowledge of French, the A-Level assumes that the student has a basic to intermediate knowledge of the language (up to GCSE-level). Students should consult with their school guidance counselor if they are hesitating between IB and A-Level study.
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FURTHER READING