Inclusion of TOK in the IB language unit plans

KNOWLEDGE AND LANGUAGE

 The Rumsfeld Paradigm

As we know, there are Known known’s . There are things

we know . We also know there are Known unknown. That
is to say there are some things we know we don’t know.
But there are also unknown unknowns, the ones we don’t
know we don’t know.”
 The world is defined through language

➔ Knowledge and language have a strong connection that helps

in interpreting the thoughts, culture, meaning, and essence of
the information to be put across.
 What is TOK?

➔ Course about critical thinking

➔ Encourages students to:
1. think about the nature of knowledge
2. to reflect the process of learning in all subjects and to make
connections across them
3. Knowing about knowing
4. The ways of knowing
5. The areas of knowledge
 Benefits of Inclusion of TOK in Language -B

● Helps develop critical reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills.

● Promotes critical thinking, global awareness, interdisciplinary connections, and a deeper

understanding of language and culture.

● Support students in their academic pursuits and in becoming informed and responsible

global citizens.
● Encourages students to analyze language use, cultural perspectives, and the influence of
bias.
● Promotes cross-cultural understanding and appreciation.
 TOK Themes in Language B

➔ Language as a Way of Knowing (WOK):

➔ Cultural and Historical Context:
➔ Knowledge and Truth
➔ Perspective and Interpretation:
➔ Ethics of Language Use:
➔ Communication Across Cultures:
➔ Semiotics and Symbols:
➔ Language and Knowledge Acquisition :
 Unit: Identities
SAMPLE Context- The unit aims to explore

UNIT: cultural identities through literature,

encouraging students to engage
critically with texts that reflect
diverse perspectives.

Writing Skills: Express
personal thoughts and opinions
on cultural identity (creative
writing)
Grammar and Syntax;- Apply
grammatical structures and syntax
expressing complex ideas related to
cultural identities.
Reading skills :-Understand and
analyze given texts, to identify
cultural elements and themes.
Vocabulary Development:-
Expand vocabulary related to
cultural identities.
Learning objectives
Oral Communication:-discussions,
debates, and presentations to
articulate ideas about cultural identity
Listening Skills:- Choose audio
clips that contain implicit
meanings, such as humor, sarcasm,
or indirect communication.
 Activity Time

Activity - Language and power in Media

Objective -To examine the ethical dimensions of language use in media and its impact on shaping
the public opinion

Discuss-

➔ How does the language in the media articles influence your perception of the event?
➔ Can language be used to manipulate or control public opinion? Provide examples.
➔ How might the language choices differ if the same event were reported by different media
outlets? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKK7wGAYP6k&t=210s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGeHS4jO0X0&t=1s,
 TOK vs Language
● "How often misused words generate misleading thoughts" (Herbert Spencer)
● "The limits of my language stand for the limits of my world" (Ludwig Wittgenstein)
● "If thought corrupts language, language can also corrupt thought." (George Orwell)
● "Language was given to man to disguise his thoughts." (Talleyrand)
● "Who does not know another language, does not know his own." (Goethe)
● "Language was the real innovation in our biological evolution; everything since has just made our
words travel faster or last longer." (Steven Pinker)
● "Man is the animal that speaks. Understanding language is thus the key to understanding man."
(Thomas Szasz)
Bibliography

➔ https://tok2022.com/knowledge-and-language/
➔ https://wepik.com/edit/9b271241-4656-473c-aa3c-b69c1
93d60c4
➔ https://www.slideserve.com/bran/tok-perceptio
➔ https://www.ibmastery.com/blog/language-notes-theory-
of-knowledge#:~:text=Language%20Definitions,speech
%2Dsounds%20combined%20into%20words
.