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IB English B Tutoring

Tutoring for IB English B, the course for students learning English as an additional language, at SL and HL. Practise Paper 1 writing, the Paper 2 listening and reading exam and the individual oral against the English B criteria.

English B is the IB language acquisition course for students who have learned some English before but do not take it as their first language. You are assessed on Paper 1 (writing), Paper 2 (listening and reading) and an individual oral, all built on five prescribed themes, and HL students also study two literary works in English. If you are fluent in English and study literature and textual analysis, you are taking English A, which has its own tutoring page.

Quick answer: IB Doctor offers 1-to-1 IB English B tutoring for course content, each assessment component and coursework. Lessons follow the syllabus and assessment criteria, and the work stays your own. Review tutor verification, student results and methodology before booking.
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English B tutoring prices

From £52.50 to £70 per hour, depending on bundle size. Each bundle covers one subject.

  • Taster Bundle
    3 hours
    £210
    £70 per hour
  • Starter Bundle
    5 hours
    £330
    £66 per hour
  • Coursework Bundle
    10 hours
    £650
    £65 per hour
  • Assessment Bundle
    20 hours
    £1,250
    £62.50 per hour
  • Guardian Bundle
    50 hours
    £2,900
    £58 per hour
  • Ultimate Bundle
    100 hours
    £5,250
    £52.50 per hour
See full bundle details

What You Get with IB English B Tutoring

Comprehensive support designed to help you achieve your target grade

Paper 1 and Paper 2

  • Paper 1: choosing one task from three and writing 250-400 words (SL) or 450-600 words (HL)
  • Text type conventions: register, layout and audience for blogs, articles, speeches, emails and reports
  • Paper 2 listening: note-taking for three audio passages in 45 minutes (SL) or 1 hour (HL)
  • Paper 2 reading: precise answers on three written texts in 1 hour

Individual Oral

  • SL: presenting a visual stimulus and linking it to a prescribed theme
  • HL: presenting an extract from one of your two literary works
  • Mock orals in the real format: presentation, follow-up discussion, general conversation
  • Using the 15 minutes (SL) or 20 minutes (HL) of preparation time well

Language Building

  • Vocabulary for the five themes: identities, experiences, human ingenuity, social organisation, sharing the planet
  • Grammar accuracy and range, which the language criterion rewards in every component
  • The concepts behind every task: audience, context, purpose, meaning and variation
  • A study plan built around your exam dates and your weakest paper
Real student results

Students Improving Their English B Grades

4 → 6
"My tutor helped me master text types and structure my Paper 1 writing properly. I went from losing marks on format to scoring near-full marks."
Y

Yuki T.

English B SL, May 2024

3 → 6
"I was terrified of the oral. My tutor practised with me until I could confidently discuss global issues and link to prescribed themes."
M

Marco V.

English B SL, May 2024

5 → 7
"The literary analysis at HL felt intimidating, but my tutor broke down how to discuss extracts and connect them to broader themes."
H

Hana L.

English B HL, Nov 2023

How It Works

Simple steps to get started with IB English B tutoring

1

Buy a Bundle

Choose 3 to 100 hours based on your needs. Split across subjects if needed.

2

Complete Onboarding

Tell us your course and level, weak areas, goals, and scheduling preferences.

3

Get Matched & Start

Matched within 24 hours. Schedule your first session immediately.

First Session Guarantee

Not satisfied? Contact us within 24 hours. We'll address concerns, offer a rematch, or provide a full refund.

English B HL vs SL: What's the Difference?

Understanding the requirements at each level

SL
HL
Teaching Hours
150 hours
240 hours
Literary Works
Not required
Two literary works in English
Paper 1 Writing
One task, 250-400 words, 1 hr 15 min
One task, 450-600 words, 1 hr 30 min
Paper 2 Listening
45 minutes
1 hour
Paper 2 Reading
1 hour
1 hour
Individual Oral
Visual stimulus, 15 min preparation, 12-15 min oral
Literary extract, 20 min preparation, 12-15 min oral

IB English B Topics We Cover

English B is organised around five prescribed themes, with the concepts of audience, context, purpose, meaning and variation running through every task. All papers draw on all five themes, and HL adds two literary works written in English. Tutoring builds the vocabulary, grammar and text-type control the English B criteria reward.

Theme: Identities

  • Lifestyles
  • Health and well-being
  • Beliefs and values
  • Subcultures
  • +1 more
    • Language and identity

Theme: Experiences

  • Leisure activities
  • Holidays and travel
  • Life stories
  • Rites of passage
  • +1 more
    • Customs, traditions and migration

Theme: Human Ingenuity

  • Entertainment
  • Artistic expression
  • Communication and media
  • Technology
  • +1 more
    • Scientific innovation

Theme: Social Organisation

  • Social relationships
  • Community
  • Education
  • The working world
  • +1 more
    • Law and order

Theme: Sharing the Planet

  • The environment
  • Human rights
  • Peace and conflict
  • Equality
  • +1 more
    • Globalisation and ethics

HL Extension: Literary Works

  • Two literary works written in English (HL)
  • Themes, characters and narrative technique (HL)
  • Linking the works to the prescribed themes (HL)
  • Presenting and discussing an extract in the oral (HL)
Assessment breakdown

IB English B Assessment Structure

IB English B has the same three components at SL and HL: Paper 1 (writing, 25%), Paper 2 (listening 25% and reading 25%) and the individual oral (25%). There is no written assignment in the current course. HL differs in longer Paper 1 answers, a longer listening section and an oral based on a literary extract. A new Language B guide starts teaching in August 2027 for first exams in May 2029, so students sitting exams in 2026, 2027 and 2028 follow the current guide.

Paper 1 - Writing

External Assessment
SL: 25%
HL: 25%

One writing task chosen from three, each linked to a different theme, in a text type you choose from the list in the exam instructions

SL: 1 hour 15 min | HL: 1 hour 30 min
SL: 250-400 words | HL: 450-600 words
Marked on language, message and conceptual understanding

Paper 2 - Listening

External Assessment
SL: 25%
HL: 25%

Comprehension questions on three audio passages

SL: 45 min | HL: 1 hour
Drawn from all five prescribed themes

Paper 2 - Reading

External Assessment
SL: 25%
HL: 25%

Comprehension questions on three written texts

SL: 1 hour | HL: 1 hour
Drawn from all five prescribed themes

Individual Oral

Internal Assessment
SL: 25%
HL: 25%

Presentation on a stimulus, a follow-up discussion with your teacher, then a general conversation on the course themes

12-15 min, after 15 min (SL) or 20 min (HL) of supervised preparation
SL: visual stimulus linked to a theme | HL: extract from one of the two literary works studied

Key Assessment Notes

  • A new Language B guide begins teaching in August 2027, with first exams in May 2029. Exams in 2026, 2027 and 2028 use the current guide.
  • Listening and reading are separate sections of Paper 2, each worth 25% of the grade.
  • There is no written assignment in the current English B course.
IB English B grade distribution and average gradeHow students actually scored in the latest IB results: the share of each grade, HL vs SL, and how many got a 7.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about IB English B tutoring

English B is for students learning English as an additional language: the exams test writing, listening, reading and speaking on five themes. English A is the course for students fluent in English, built on literary and textual analysis, a comparative essay and an oral on a global issue. Many searches for IB English tutoring mean English A, which has its own page. If your exams include a listening paper, you are taking English B and this page is for you.

Yes. SL and HL share the themes and the three components, but HL asks for 450-600 words in Paper 1 instead of 250-400, has a 1-hour listening section instead of 45 minutes, and bases the oral on an extract from one of two literary works rather than a visual stimulus. Your tutor plans sessions around your level, your exam date and the component that is costing you most marks.

With timed mock orals in the real format. At SL you prepare a visual stimulus for 15 minutes, present for about 3-4 minutes, discuss it with your teacher, then move to a general conversation on other themes. At HL you prepare an extract from one of your literary works for 20 minutes. The oral lasts 12-15 minutes and is worth 25% of the grade. Your tutor gives feedback on accuracy, range, how well you develop ideas and how naturally you interact.

The exam instructions list the text types you may choose for each task. Common choices include blogs, articles, speeches, formal and informal emails or letters, reports, reviews and brochures. Marks reward a text type that suits the purpose and audience, used with the right register and conventions, not just the right layout. Your tutor helps you build a reliable plan for the handful of types you will use most.

Yes. Listening is worth 25% of the grade, with comprehension questions on three audio passages in 45 minutes at SL or 1 hour at HL. Tutors practise predicting answers from the questions, noting numbers, names and opinions, and spotting distractors. Regular practice with authentic audio on the five themes also builds the speed and vocabulary you need for the reading section, the other 25% of Paper 2.

Your school chooses two literary works originally written in English, such as novels, plays or short story collections. They are studied in class and form the basis of the HL individual oral, where you present on an extract from one of them before a wider conversation. Your tutor can work through the themes, characters and key passages of your works so you can discuss any extract with confidence.

In May 2026 (IB provisional statistical bulletin), 11.7% of English B HL candidates and 13% of SL candidates got a 7. The mean grade was 5.6 at HL and 5.4 at SL, and a 6 was the most common result at both levels, for 49.9% of HL and 39.9% of SL candidates. With so many students on a 5 or 6, accuracy and range in every component decide who reaches a 7.

Yes, but not for current students. The IB's new Language B course starts teaching in August 2027, with first exams in May 2029. If you sit English B in 2026, 2027 or 2028, you follow the current guide: Paper 1 writing, Paper 2 listening and reading, and the individual oral. The IB says the new guide keeps the same assessment model, with Paper 1 and Paper 2 unchanged; only the wording of the individual oral descriptors for criteria B2 and C is revised. Tutoring follows whichever guide your exams use.

Yes. Close to the exam, sessions usually focus on timed Paper 1 writing with feedback, listening and reading practice on exam-style texts, and mock orals if yours is still to come. Most students are matched with a tutor within 24 hours, so you can start quickly and use the remaining weeks on the paper that will move your grade most.

We offer a first session guarantee. If you're not satisfied after your first session, we'll rematch you with a different tutor or give you a full refund.

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