English Language and Literature
In the Language A: language and literature course students study a wide range of literary and non-literary texts in a variety of media. By examining communicative acts across literary form and textual type alongside appropriate secondary readings, students will investigate the nature of language itself and the ways in which it shapes and is influenced by identity and culture.
In the Language A: language and literature course students will learn about the complex and dynamic nature of language and explore both its practical and aesthetic dimensions. They will explore the crucial role language plays in communication, reflecting experience and shaping the world. Students will also learn about their own roles as producers of language and develop their productive skills. Throughout the course, students will explore the various ways in which language choices, text types, literary forms and contextual elements all effect meaning. Through close analysis of various text types and literary forms, students will consider their own interpretations, as well as the critical perspectives of others, to explore how such positions are shaped by cultural belief systems and to negotiate meanings for texts. Students will engage in activities that involve them in the process of production and help shape their critical awareness of how texts and their associated visual and audio elements work together to influence the audience/reader and how audiences/readers open up the possibilities of texts. With its focus on a wide variety of communicative acts, the course is meant to develop sensitivity to the foundational nature, and pervasive influence, of language in the world at large.
Distinction between SL and HL
The model for language A: Language and Literature is the same at SL and HL, but there are significant quantitative and qualitative differences between the levels.
Across the three areas of exploration at least four works must be studied in the SL course and at least six works must be studied in the HL course.
The written assessment tasks at SL are significantly easier and fewer than the tasks at HL. The first is the paper 1 Guided textual analysis, where SL students address and analyse only one passage, while HL students make an analysis of two passages.
The second is an analytical task, where students must write a comparative essay based on two works studied on the course. HL students must submit an additional essay on one non-literary text or collection of non-literary texts by one author.
All of these written tasks are submitted for external assessment.
Both SL and HL also involve an individual oral commentary task which is internally assessed by the teacher and externally moderated by the IB at the end of the course.
Differences between the HL and SL Language and Literature course:
Works read | SL | HL |
---|---|---|
Works in translation written by authors on the Prescribed reading list | Study of a minimum of one work | Study of a minimum of two works |
Works originally written in the language studied, by authors on the Prescribed reading list | Study of a minimum of one work | Study of a minimum of two works |
Free choice works | Study of two works freely chosen | Study of two works freely chosen |
Total works studied | 4 | 6 |
External assessment | ||
Paper 1: Guided textual analysis | A guided analysis of a previously unseen non-literary extract or text from a choice of two | Two guided analyses of previously unseen non-literary extracts or texts |
HL essay | A 1200-1500 word essay exploring a line of inquiry in connection with a studied text or work |
Assessment at Standard Level
Assessment Component | Weighting |
---|---|
External Assessment | |
Paper 1: Guided Textual analysis (1 hour 15 minutes) | 35% |
Paper 2: Comparative Essay (1 hour 45 minutes) | 35% |
Internal Assessment | |
Individual oral commentary (15 minutes) | 30% |
Assessment at Higher Level
Assessment component | Weighting |
---|---|
External Assessment | |
Paper 1: Guided textual analysis (2 hours 15 minutes) | 35% |
Paper 2: Comparative Essay (1 hour 45 minutes) | 25% |
HL Essay | 20% |
Internal Assessment | |
Individual oral commentary (15 minutes) | 20% |