Quick answer
The Identities theme covers who we are and how we express it: lifestyle, wellbeing, beliefs, groups we belong to and the languages we use. These 15 questions are original Nektar practice questions in three steps: describe, justify and evaluate. They are not official IB questions. Your teacher asks their own questions in the individual oral, so use these to practise the kinds of answers you will need.
Where theme questions come up
In the current course the individual oral has a presentation, a follow-up discussion about your stimulus and a general discussion that moves to at least one other theme. You cannot know the questions in advance. You can practise the moves: describing, giving an opinion with a reason, comparing and evaluating.
The timing guide shows how long each part lasts.
Step 1: describe and explain
Start with personal experience. Give one example for each answer.
- Which groups do you feel you belong to, and how does that show in daily life?
- How does the language you speak at home differ from the language you use at school?
- What part of your routine says the most about your values?
- How do young people in your community express who they are?
- What does a healthy lifestyle look like for a student your age?
IB English B in Nektar
Practise IB English B in the Nektar app.
Choose SL or HL, work through reading, listening and vocabulary lessons, and get feedback on Paper 1 writing and individual oral responses. Keep official IB material for your checkpoints.
Step 2: compare and justify
Take a position and support it with a reason and a consequence.
- Is identity mostly chosen or mostly inherited?
- Do social media profiles show who people are or who they want to be?
- Is it possible to keep your heritage while adapting to a new country?
- Does speaking another language change your personality?
- Are stereotypes ever useful, or are they always harmful?
Step 3: evaluate and connect
Link the theme to another theme or to an English-speaking culture you have studied.
- How does migration affect a family's sense of identity across generations?
- Should schools do more to protect minority languages?
- How do global brands influence local youth culture?
- In an English-speaking country you have studied, how is national identity debated?
- Can technology help people who feel like outsiders find a community?
A frame for a strong answer
Answer the question in your first sentence. Add a reason, then a specific example from your own life, your school or something you have read. Finish with a limit or a second point of view. Four sentences in that order take about thirty seconds and give the teacher something to follow up.
Record three answers from different steps and listen back. Check whether you answered the question that was asked, whether the example was specific and whether you repeated the same few words. The Identities vocabulary list gives you alternatives.
In the Nektar app you can record individual oral responses at SL or HL and get feedback on language, message and interactive skills. It is practice feedback, not an IB mark.
- Direct answer
- Reason
- Specific example
- Limit or other view
Frequently asked questions
Are these official IB English B oral questions?
No. They are original Nektar practice questions. In the individual oral your teacher asks questions based on your stimulus and your answers.
Should I memorize answers to these questions?
No. Memorized answers break down when the question changes slightly. Practise the answer frame with different questions instead.
Can I use these questions for Paper 1 ideas?
Yes. Many of them work as starting points for an opinion column, a speech or a blog post on the Identities theme.
IB English B in Nektar
Practise IB English B in the Nektar app.
Choose SL or HL, work through reading, listening and vocabulary lessons, and get feedback on Paper 1 writing and individual oral responses. Keep official IB material for your checkpoints.