In simple terms
A friendly intro before the formal notes — no formulas yet.
Crafting Your Identity in French
The 'Identities' theme is not just about who you are, but about the building blocks of your selfhood. It covers your lifestyle, your physical and mental health, your core beliefs, and even how the language you speak shapes your perspective. In an exam, you'll use this theme to write personal, reflective, or argumentative pieces.
Think of building a character in a video game. Your 'identity' is your complete character sheet. 'Health and well-being' is your health bar (HP). 'Lifestyles' are your daily quests and skills. 'Beliefs and values' determine your alignment (e.g., lawful good, chaotic neutral). 'Language and identity' is the unique dialect your character speaks. To win the game (ace the exam), you need to describe all these stats and how they interact, not just state your character's name.
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Deconstruct the Prompt: First, identify the text type (blog, email, etc.), the audience (friend, school director), and the specific angle on 'Identities' being asked (e.g., well-being, digital identity).
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Brainstorm Thematic Vocabulary: Before writing, create a quick mind map of key terms. For a prompt on well-being, list words like 'le bien-être', 'le surmenage', 'se détendre', 'un équilibre sain'.
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Structure by Convention: Organise your response using the correct format. An email needs a salutation and sign-off. A blog post needs a title and an engaging, direct tone. This is crucial for Criterion B.
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Elaborate with Nuance: Go beyond simple statements. Instead of saying 'Sport is good', write 'La pratique régulière d'un sport contribue non seulement à ma santé physique, mais elle est également essentielle pour évacuer le stress accumulé' (Regularly playing a sport not only contributes to my physical health, but it is also essential for releasing accumulated stress). This shows depth.
Explore the concept
Use the live diagram and synced steps — play it or tap a step card to walk through.
Full topic notes
Formal explanation with the rigour you need for the exam.
Deconstructing the Theme: Key Sub-Topics
To excel, you must understand the different facets of 'Identities'. The IB guide breaks it down into several areas, which often overlap in exam questions.
Modes de vie (Lifestyles): This includes daily routines, diet, work-life balance, and leisure activities. Think about what defines a healthy, balanced, or stressful lifestyle.
Santé et bien-être (Health and well-being): This covers physical health (fitness, nutrition), mental health (stress, anxiety, happiness), and social well-being (friendships, community).
Croyances et valeurs (Beliefs and values): This refers to the personal, philosophical, religious, or political principles that influence a person's behaviour and worldview. It's the 'why' behind our actions.
Langue et identité (Language and identity): This explores how the language(s) we speak shape our thoughts, our culture, and our sense of belonging. It can also involve the status of French in the world.
Sous-cultures (Subcultures): This relates to groups with distinct styles, beliefs, and interests that set them apart from the wider culture (e.g., goths, skaters, eco-warriors).
Applying the Theme to Paper 1 (Written Production)
In Paper 1, you will be asked to write a response of 250-400 words for one of three prompts, based on the five themes. 'Identities' prompts often lend themselves to text types that allow for personal reflection, such as a blog post, a diary entry, an email to a friend, or a contribution to an online forum. The key to a high score is to align your content, tone, and structure with the chosen text type (Criterion B) while using accurate and varied language (Criterion C).
Digital Identity: A Contemporary Facet of 'Identités'
A highly relevant and modern aspect of this theme is 'l'identité numérique'. This refers to how we present ourselves online through social media, forums, and other platforms. Questions might ask you to reflect on the authenticity of online personas, the pressures of social media, or the difference between one's real-life identity and one's digital one. This is a rich area for demonstrating critical thinking.
Essential Vocabulary and Expressions
Pour parler du bien-être : se sentir bien/mal dans sa peau (to feel good/bad about oneself), gérer le stress (to manage stress), trouver un équilibre (to find a balance), la santé mentale/physique (mental/physical health).
Pour parler des valeurs : attacher de l'importance à... (to value...), mes principes directeurs (my guiding principles), une question de principe (a matter of principle), agir selon ses convictions (to act according to one's beliefs).
Pour parler de l'identité (numérique) : un avatar, un profil, un pseudonyme (a username), l'authenticité (authenticity), la pression sociale (social pressure), se forger une identité (to forge an identity).
Expressions idiomatiques : avoir la tête sur les épaules (to be level-headed), être bien dans ses baskets (to be comfortable in one's own skin), prendre du recul (to take a step back).
Worked examples
See the formulas applied — reveal one step at a time, like the exam.
Vous participez à un forum en ligne pour jeunes francophones. Le thème de la discussion est : « L'importance de l'équilibre entre la vie scolaire et le bien-être personnel ». Rédigez votre contribution au forum, en expliquant votre point de vue et en donnant des conseils pratiques. (250-400 mots)
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Titre : Indispensable : Trouver l'équilibre entre les études et le bien-être !
Votre blog personnel s'adresse à d'autres adolescents. Vous décidez d'écrire un article intitulé : « Mon identité en ligne est-elle ma véritable identité ? ». Partagez vos réflexions sur la manière dont vous gérez votre image sur les réseaux sociaux. (250-400 mots)
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Titre du blog : Le Coin des Ados
How it all connects
The big idea sits in the middle — tap a linked idea to explore the link.
Tap a linked idea to see how it connects back to the main topic — that connection is what examiners reward.
Glossary
Try to recall each definition before you reveal it.
Quick check
Answer in your head first — then tap to check. No pressure.
Revision flashcards
Flip the card. Test yourself before the exam.
L'appartenance (à un groupe)
Belonging (to a group). The feeling of being part of something.
Key takeaways
Review these before you close the topic — retrieval beats re-reading.
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Modes de vie (Lifestyles): This includes daily routines, diet, work-life balance, and leisure activities. Think about what defines a healthy, balanced, or stressful lifestyle.
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Santé et bien-être (Health and well-being): This covers physical health (fitness, nutrition), mental health (stress, anxiety, happiness), and social well-being (friendships, community).
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Croyances et valeurs (Beliefs and values): This refers to the personal, philosophical, religious, or political principles that influence a person's behaviour and worldview. It's the 'why' behind our actions.
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Langue et identité (Language and identity): This explores how the language(s) we speak shape our thoughts, our culture, and our sense of belonging. It can also involve the status of French in the world.
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Sous-cultures (Subcultures): This relates to groups with distinct styles, beliefs, and interests that set them apart from the wider culture (e.g., goths, skaters, eco-warriors).
Practice — then mark it
The whole point: a real Cambridge question, marked mark-by-mark.
Test Your Knowledge on 'Identities'
Test Your Knowledge on 'Identities'
Extra simulations & links
PhET, GeoGebra and other curated tools — open in a new tab.
Frequently asked
Checkpoint
One marked question is worth ten re-reads — close the loop before you move on.
Reading it isn’t knowing it — prove it.
Before you move on: do Test Your Knowledge on 'Identities' on paper, snap a photo, and get examiner-style feedback on exactly where you win and lose marks.