Group 2
Language acquisition
We offer the following subjects in Group 2: English B HL/SL, Danish B HL/SL, Danish ab initio SL, French B HL/SL, and Spanish ab initio SL.
Please notice that Danish is a compulsory subject at Birkerød Gymnasium, so you must choose either Danish A, B, or ab initio. All new students who have chosen Danish B will be tested at the beginning of the school year and placed in different classes according to their skills.
If a (near) beginner, you must still choose Danish. Tick off Danish ab initio SL as a 7thsubject in the application form if you do not wish to take the exam at the end of the programme. We will then offer you the possibility of doing Danish for one year only (no certificate).
Language acquisition subject groups
As part of the IB Diploma Programme at BG, Danish and English can be chosen in different subject groups:
- Group 1 (Language A – Studies of Language and Literature)
- Group 2 (Language B – Language Acquisition).
In both groups, Danish and English are offered at Higher Level (HL) as well as Standard Level (SL).
Furthermore, in Group 2 we offer French HL and SL and Spanish Ab Initio.
In group 2: English, Danish, French, and Spanish are taught as B languages, which means that they are taught as a second language, and there will, therefore, automatically be more focus on grammar and general language acquisition. Being a Danish gymnasium, Danish at either A or B level is compulsory. Danish can be taken as a 7th subject for only one year if a (near) beginner does not wish Danish as one of the six Diploma subjects.
The aims of any Group 2 language course are to:
1.
Develop students’ intercultural understanding
2.
Enable students to understand and use the language they have studied in a range of contexts and for a variety of purposes
3.
Encourage, through the study of texts and through social interaction, an awareness and appreciation of the different perspectives of people from other cultures
4.
Develop students’ awareness of the role of language in relation to other areas of knowledge
5.
Develop students’ awareness of the relationship between the languages and cultures with which they are familiar
6.
Provide students with a basis for further study, work and leisure through the use of an additional language
7.
Provide the opportunity for enjoyment, creativity and intellectual stimulation through knowledge of an additional language
Five core themes
Both HL and SL students will cover five themes:
- Identity
- Experiences
- Human ingenuity
- Social organization
- Sharing the planet
However, while covering the five themes, literary texts and extracts of different genres may and will be chosen by the teacher. In addition, HL students will have to read two complete literary works.
The final grade given for B courses has three different components:
Two final written exams at the very end of the course: Paper 1 and Paper 2. Weight 75%. The papers will assess listening and reading comprehension, creative writing skills and conceptual understanding.
One oral component, the Individual Oral, completed in the spring semester of the final year. Weight 25%.