French B for the IB Diploma, Third Edition (NYP Due February 2027)

French B for the IB Diploma, Third Edition is the coursebook for teaching and studying IB Diploma Programme French B at Standard Level (SL) and Higher Level (HL) under the new IB Language B guide. It launches in February 2027, ready for first teaching in August 2027 and first exams in May 2029. Published by Hachette Learning (formerly Hodder Education) and written by Laetitia Chanéac-Knight, Lauren Léchelle and Sophie Nicault.

Why teachers choose it

Start the new course ready, not rushed.
The new Language B guide is released in February 2027 and teaching starts that August. This book arrives at the same time, so you can plan your two-year course without rebuilding units from scratch over the summer.

Less planning, more teaching.
Units are organized around the five prescribed IB themes, so your scheme of work is already structured. Use it as your core course or dip into it to strengthen units you already teach.

One book for SL and HL. 
Teach mixed or parallel SL and HL groups from the same resource, with support for the HL literary works and the HL literary-extract oral.

Assessment confidence built in.
Practice tasks reflect every IB French B component, so you can track progress toward Paper 1, Paper 2 and the individual oral from the first term rather than cramming in the final year.

Aligned with what the IB now emphasizes.
The revised guide puts more weight on critical thinking, conceptual understanding and intercultural awareness. The book helps you bring those into lessons without extra prep, and supports links to TOK and CAS.

Why students benefit

Know exactly what the exam expects.
Students practise the real formats: SL writing tasks of 250 to 400 words, HL tasks of 450 to 600 words, reading and listening comprehension, and the three-part individual oral.

Build real fluency, not just exam technique.
Authentic texts from across the French-speaking world help students speak and write with confidence about topics that matter to them, from identity and technology to the environment and human rights. 

Grammar and vocabulary where they need it. 
Language support sits inside each theme, so new vocabulary and structures are learned in context and used straight away.

Stronger orals.
Guided preparation for the visual-stimulus presentation (SL), the literary-extract presentation (HL), the teacher discussion and the general conversation helps students go into their oral prepared, not nervous.

Skills that last beyond the Diploma.
The intercultural understanding and communication skills students develop support university applications, study abroad and future careers.

The five IB Language B themes covered

• Identities: lifestyles, health and wellbeing, beliefs and values, subcultures, language and identity
• Experiences: leisure, travel, life stories, rites of passage, customs and traditions, migration
• Human ingenuity: entertainment, artistic expression, media, technology, scientific innovation
• Social organization: relationships, community, social engagement, education, work, law and order
• Sharing the planet: environment, human rights, peace and conflict, equality, globalization, ethics, urban and rural life

Exam preparation at a glance

Product details

Frequently asked questions

Is this book for the new IB French B syllabus?
Yes. It’s published in February 2027 for the new IB Language B guide, with first teaching in August 2027 and first exams in May 2029. 

How will it save me time as a teacher?
It gives you a ready-made course structure built on the five IB themes, with exam-style practice for every component, so you can focus on teaching rather than sourcing materials.

Will it help my students get a better grade?
It gives students regular practice in the exact formats they’ll be assessed on, from the first term onward, so they build skills and confidence steadily rather than all at once before exams.

Can I use it for students sitting exams in 2027 or 2028?
Those students follow the current guide. The assessment structure hasn’t changed, so much of the practice still applies, but the book is written for the course first assessed in 2029.

Does it cover both SL and HL?
Yes, in one book. 

Is this the same as French ab initio?
No. French B is for students with some prior French. French ab initio is a separate beginners’ course.

When will it ship?
This is a pre-order. Publication is scheduled for 25 February 2027, and orders ship as soon as stock arrives.