Quick answer
Identities is one of the five prescribed Language B themes. Use it as a context for communication, not as a fixed vocabulary list or prediction of an exam question. Build ideas from a short text or visual, collect language that helps you explain relationships, then use it in a Paper 1 or oral-style practice task.
What to do with the Identities theme
Use language, belonging, values and self-expression to move from broad opinions to specific, supportable ideas.
The IB describes the five themes as prescribed contexts while suggested topics are optional. That means the useful skill is not memorizing a secret list of likely questions. It is learning to understand a text, develop a position and communicate it for a particular audience and purpose.
Discussion question: move from opinion to evidence
How can the languages a person uses influence belonging without defining the whole person?
Give yourself sixty seconds to answer, then challenge the answer with one follow-up: What example supports this? Who might disagree? What condition would change your view? This produces reusable language for comparison, qualification and explanation instead of a memorized paragraph.
- Make one clear claim
- Give one concrete example
- Add a limitation or alternative view
- Answer one unscripted follow-up question
English practice in Nektar
Build your English while English B is in preview.
IB English B sets and assessments are not available yet. Use Nektar’s existing General English tools for reading and vocabulary practice, and use official IB material for exam tasks.
Vocabulary to use, not just recognize
Start with a small working set: belonging, self-expression, adapt, heritage, stereotype, perspective. Do not learn them as isolated translations. Put each word into a short phrase, then use two or three phrases to explain the discussion question in your own words.
A stronger revision log records what the phrase helped you do: compare two situations, explain a cause, qualify a claim, disagree politely or propose an action. Delete words that you still cannot use accurately after several attempts and replace them with language taken from texts you genuinely understand.
- belonging
- self-expression
- adapt
- heritage
- stereotype
- perspective
Original Paper 1-style practice
Write a school blog post for new students about preserving part of their identity while adapting to a new community.
This is an original Nektar practice prompt, not an official IB examination question. Before writing, identify the audience, purpose and required content. Choose only a text type that fits the task you are practising and make the reader's next step obvious.
Review the Paper 1 text-type guide before drafting.
Oral-style practice without a memorized script
Discuss a visual showing people expressing identity through language, clothing, food, music or community activity. Separate what you can observe from what you infer.
Record a short response from keywords only. On playback, check whether you described evidence before interpreting it, connected the stimulus to a meaningful idea and left enough flexibility to answer follow-up questions. Use your teacher and current course documents for the actual assessment conditions.
Use the individual oral guide for the SL and HL differences.
Frequently asked questions
Is Identities a prescribed IB English B theme?
Yes. It is one of the five prescribed Language B themes in the current IB course overview.
Are the practice questions on this page official IB exam questions?
No. They are original Nektar practice prompts designed to help you use the theme for communication. Use official IB material and your teacher for exam-specific assessment.
Should I memorize a vocabulary list for this theme?
A short working list can help, but aim to use phrases accurately in context. The IB does not prescribe a closed vocabulary list for each theme in the public course overview.
English practice in Nektar
Build your English while English B is in preview.
IB English B sets and assessments are not available yet. Use Nektar’s existing General English tools for reading and vocabulary practice, and use official IB material for exam tasks.