Quick answer
The Social organization theme covers how groups of people organize themselves: relationships, community, education, work, and law and order. 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
Describe how something works where you live before you judge it.
- How are decisions made in your school, and who is involved?
- Describe a community project you know and who benefits from it.
- What makes a good teacher, in your experience?
- What kind of work do you hope to do, and why?
- Which school rule would you change first?
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
Name the groups affected and say whose needs come first.
- Should voluntary work be compulsory for students?
- Is university still the best route to a good job?
- Are exams a fair way to measure learning?
- Should young people be able to vote at sixteen?
- Is working from home better for employees than for employers?
Step 3: evaluate and connect
Link the theme to another theme or to an English-speaking culture you have studied.
- How will automation change the jobs available to your generation?
- Does punishment or rehabilitation do more to reduce crime?
- How does a country's education system reflect its values?
- How is a social issue such as housing or inequality debated in an English-speaking country you have studied?
- What responsibilities do citizens have beyond obeying the law?
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 Social organization 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 Social organization 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.