Since beginning my journey into teaching IB, we are faced with, as learners, the task of developing a question we have about IB. In this share, my instructor describes their response to my question through their own relative experience, it is really insightful for someone who understands the ideas of what it looks like outside of this learning environment, but lacks the experience in the applicable learning environment enough to confidently continue practice without asking a question,
Here was my question/statement,
"As I comb through the ibo site and discussions/resources available here, there is a lot that I have the opportunity to see and learn. With my personal and work experience I have developed my own understanding of how to assess research and evaluate sources. I am wondering as I understand that the IBO doesn't have the abilities to impact specific schools and the delivery of content, how does the IBO seek to satisfy the concerns of students using secondary and/or primary sources in a language other than the instructional language? For example, in a language and literature course, if a student is making reference to an interivew and/or secondary source of some kind for their essay, what are the stipulations of a "properly documented" interview or well cited/translated secondary source?
The extended essay portion of the website does not reveal a lot of details with regards to the assessment and evaluation specifically pertaining to translated/transcribed documentation of primary sources or expectations of citing/using second language sources.
This is something that really "burns" with regards to my understanding of the IBDP as I, every year of my career in high school academic English courses, have students asking and using sources that are published in a different language. Generally I used to allow it, I needed to limit my acceptance of it though over the last half of my career as too many students were doing the same thing they would do with lit charts or spark notes, use quotes from those sites as their essay analysis essentially, only in another language it was getting increasing difficult for me to identify plagiarism on a definable level. Granted, yes, long since I started my career, I changed what an analysis "means" and what it "is" as well as the criterion that they are analyzing in the texts.
Anyways, sorry for the added commentary, I didn't want to leave it at just a "question", I feel context is crucial.
All the best!"
This was the response of the instructor,
"I work in a French as a first language school, but due to our English environment, our students are (dare I say) barely bilingual sometimes. This is something that we've had to think about a lot ! I really appreciate the context you’ve provided, it’s such an important issue, and I can see why it’s been a recurring challenge for you (and I know many, many others). The use of secondary or primary sources in a different language definitely adds layers of complexity, especially when you’re balancing academic integrity, translation accuracy, and meaningful analysis.
To address your main concern, the IB does allow and even encourage students to engage with sources in multiple languages, given the program’s international nature. However, there isn’t a rigid, one-size-fits-all guideline on how to handle translations or transcriptions. Instead, the emphasis is on proper documentation, transparency, and integrity. For example, if a student is referencing an interview or a secondary source in a language other than the instructional language, the expectation is that they provide a translated passage along with the original source. This translation doesn’t have to be done by a professional, but it does need to be accurate, well-documented, and referenced properly. The student should indicate that it is their own translation (unless otherwise stated) and include the original text in an appendix if possible.
For something like the Extended Essay, this transparency is key to showing that the source has been used authentically. While the IB doesn’t have a formal mandate on how much translated material can be included, the guiding principle is that the translated content should support the student’s original analysis, not replace it. If a student leans too heavily on translated quotes without adding value through their own interpretation, that’s where you run into the issue you mentioned—essays that start feeling like a regurgitation of someone else’s analysis, just in another language.
And I get it - identifying plagiarism or over-reliance on external sources is tough, especially when it involves languages you may not be able to easily verify. One strategy that’s helped me in similar situations is shifting the focus away from “quote-hunting” (ugh, pet peeve even though I'm guilty of it sometimes) to more personal, reflective analysis. I’ve encouraged students to paraphrase what they’ve read and explain how it connects to their argument before they introduce the quote or translation. This makes it easier to spot when a student truly understands the source versus when they’re copy-pasting it into their essay without adding much of their own insight.
I also think scaffolding research and source evaluation skills early on can prevent some of these issues. If students are shown how to use sources meaningfully—whether in their first or second language—they’re less likely to rely on them as a crutch. I usually spend time teaching students to analyze quotes by asking “so what?” What does this quote mean in relation to the thesis? How does it enhance the argument, rather than just repeat what the author said? This type of questioning can help shift their approach. But you’re right, it’s not perfect, and even with clear guidelines, students will sometimes fall into habits like the ones you described. That’s where clear expectations and conversations about academic integrity really help. If students know that you’re less concerned about how many quotes they have and more interested in their ability to synthesize and reflect on ideas, they’re more likely to approach research with the right mindset. So, while the IB gives flexibility, I completely understand why you feel like you’re caught in the middle—wanting to embrace that flexibility but needing to maintain rigor. I think the balance comes from providing structured guidance on when and how translations are appropriate, encouraging transparency, and fostering analysis that goes beyond the text. It’s a constant process of refining expectations, but from what you’ve shared, it sounds like you’re already doing so much to make sure students grow in this area. And that’s what really matters !!"
I hope you find this as insightful and as useful as I did, sometimes it is not so much that we NEED an answer to the potential problem, but that we have the freedom to make the adjustments we need to as needed and understand that accountability is the big take away in this case.
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