IB English A: Literature HL/SL Course Description
Alexis Wiggins
IB English A: Literature is a two-year course, beginning in grade eleven, that leads students on an exploration of literature from around the world. The IB says of the literature course that it “encourages students to appreciate the artistry of literature and to develop an ability to reflect critically on their reading. Works are studied in their literary and cultural contexts, through close study of individual texts and passages, and by considering a range of critical approaches…The study of works in translation is especially important in introducing students, through literature, to other cultural perspectives. The response to the study of literature is through oral and written communication, thus enabling students to develop and refine their command of language.”
Students read 10 texts at the standard level (SL) and 13 texts at the higher level (HL). The course is divided into four “parts” as stipulated by the IB:
Part 1: Works in translation (2 texts SL; 3 texts HL)
Part 2: Detailed study (2 texts SL; 3 texts HL)
Part 3: Literary genres (3 texts SL; 4 texts HL)
Part 4: Options (3 texts SL and HL)
In years past, MKIS has chosen to teach the parts in the following order:
Grade 11: Parts 4 and 1
Grade 12: Parts 2 and 3
Therefore, in grade 11, students study “Part 4: Options” first, which allows for greater freedom in both text choices and assessment. In previous years, texts that were taught in Part 4 included The Great Gatsby, The Handmaid’s Tale, and the graphic novel Persepolis. The culmination of Part 4 is the IB internal assessment called the Individual Oral Presentation (IOP), worth 15% of the student’s IB English grade. Because the semester leads up to this IOP, the focus is on strong critical analysis and understanding of texts, as well as presentation skills. In the second half of grade 11, students study “Part 1: Works in translation,” leading up to the Written Assignment (formally known as the “World Lit Paper” in the course’s previous iteration). All the texts in Part 1 are works in translation; in previous years, texts taught included Oedipus Rex, Anna Karenina, and Chronicle of a Death Foretold. The culmination of Part 1 is the IB external assessment Written Assignment, a paper of 1,200 – 1,500 words based on a single work from Part 1 and assessed externally. It’s worth 25% of the student’s IB English grade, and, thus, the bulk of the semester will be spent on writing leading up to this assessment.
In grade 12, students begin with “Part 2: Detailed study,” which requires students to study works of different genres in preparation for the Individual Oral Commentary (IOC), the culminating oral assessment. Possible texts for Part 2 include Shakespeare’s play Hamlet, the nonfiction text Walden and Sylvia Plath’s collection of poetry Ariel. Students will finish the semester by taking the IOCs, in which they are to select an extract from one of the works read (at HL the extracts must be from poetry) and comment on it orally for eight minutes, followed by questions from the teacher (at HL, the commentary is followed by a subsequent discussion of one of the other two texts read in Part 2 for an additional ten minutes.) The IOC is recorded digitally and assessed internally, but moderated externally, and is worth 15% of the student’s overall IB grade for English. The second half of grade 12 and the final semester of the IB program in English is “Part 3: Literary genres,” which requires students to study one genre in depth. Possible texts for Part 3 (novels) include: Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God, and Morrison’s Paradise. The culmination of Part 3 is the IB exam Paper 2: Essay, which asks students to write a detailed essay based on at least two works studied in Part 3. The Paper 2: Essay is worth 25% of the student’s overall IB English grade. In addition, students also have on their IB exam a Paper 1: Literary Commentary, which is an essay on an unseen piece of text – either a poem or short story – that must be examined in detail. The Paper 1: Literary Commentary is worth 20% of the student’s overall IB English grade. To prepare for the Paper 1: Literary Commentary, students practice this type of commentary regularly over the two-year course.
The course’s assessment breakdown:
Grade 11:
1. Individual Oral Presentation – Internally Assessed – 15%
a. 10 – 15 minute presentation followed by questions
2. Written Assignment – Externally assessed – 25%
a. 1,200 – 1,500 words
b. Written after a series of interactive orals and reflective statements on each Part 1 text
c. Teacher can comment on it generally once, may not edit it
Grade 12:
1. Individual Oral Commentary – Internally assessed, externally moderated – 15%
a. HL: 8 minute recorded oral commentary on a poem selected at random from the work of poetry studied in Part 2, followed by two minutes of questions, followed by another ten-minute discussion on one of the other two texts (not poetry) studied in Part 2
b. SL: 8-minute recorded oral commentary on an extract selected at random from either of the two texts studied in Part 2 followed by two minutes of questions on the same extract.
2. IB Exams – Paper 2 – Externally assessed – 25%
a. HL: Two hours to write an essay that answers one of the prompts provided by using at least two of the four texts from Part 3 to support your ideas.
b. SL: One and a half hours to write an essay that answers one of the prompts provided by using at least two of the three texts from part 3 to support your ideas.
3. IB Exams – Paper 1 – Externally assessed – 20%
a. HL: Two hours to write a commentary in response to an unseen text. There is a choice between poetry and prose.
b. SL: One and a half hours to write a commentary in response to an unseen text. There is a choice between poetry and prose.
The following pages have all the assessment criteria for each assessment in rubric form. Please note that I have not yet translated the new criteria into rubric form for the Written Assignment. This will be added later.
**Please carefully check whether the rubric is HL or SL, as some are quite different in their criteria.
IB Language A Lit: Independent Oral Presentation (Standard Level)
0 / 1-2 / 3-4 / 5-6 / 7-8 / 9-10CRITERION A: Knowledge & understanding of the work(s) / The work does not reach a standard described by the descriptors below. / Little knowledge
There is very limited knowledge and virtually no understanding of the content of the work(s) presented. / Some knowledge
There is some knowledge and superficial understanding of the content of the work(s) presented. /
Adequate knowledge
There is adequate knowledge and understanding of the content and some of the implications of the work(s) presented. /Good understanding
There is good knowledge and understanding of the content and many of the implications of the work presented.
/Excellent understanding of extract or work(s)
There is very good knowledge and understanding of the content and most of the implications of the work(s) presented.0 / 1-2 / 3-4 / 5-6 / 7-8 / 9-10
CRITERION B: Presentation / The work does not reach a standard described by the descriptors below. / Delivery is inappropriate
Delivery of the presentation is inappropriate, with virtually no attempt to interest the audience. / Delivery is sometimes appropriate
Delivery of the presentation is sometimes appropriate, with some attempt to interest the audience / Delivery is generally appropriate
Delivery of the presentation is generally appropriate, and shows an attempt to interest the audience / Delivery is consistently appropriate
Delivery of the presentation is consistently appropriate, with suitable strategies used to interest the audience. / Delivery is effective
Delivery of the presentation is effective, with very good strategies used to interest the audience
0 / 1-2 / 3-4 / 5-6 / 7-8 / 9-10
CRITERION D: Language / The work does not reach a standard described by the descriptors below. / Language is inappropriate
Language is inappropriate, with virtually no attempt to choose register and style suited to the choice of presentation. / Language is sometimes appropriate
Language is sometimes appropriate, but with little sense of register and style suited to the choice of presentation. / Language is generally appropriate
Language is mostly appropriate, with some attention paid to register and style suited to the choice of presentation. / Language is consistently appropriate
The language is clear and appropriate, with register and style well suited to the choice of presentation. / Language is effective
The language is very clear and entirely appropriate, with register and style consistently effective and suited to the choice of presentation.
IB Language A Lit: Independent Oral Presentation (Higher Level)
0 / 1-2 / 3-4 / 5-6 / 7-8 / 9-10CRITERION A: Knowledge & understanding of the work(s) / The work does not reach a standard described by the descriptors below. / Little knowledge
There is little knowledge or understanding of the content of the work(s) presented. / Some knowledge
There is some knowledge and superficial understanding of the content of the work(s) presented. /
Adequate knowledge
There is adequate knowledge and understanding of the content and some of the implications of the work(s) presented. /Good understanding
There is very good knowledge and understanding of the content and most of the implications of the work presented.
/Excellent understanding of extract or work(s)
There is excellent knowledge and understanding of the content and the implications of the work(s) presented.0 / 1-2 / 3-4 / 5-6 / 7-8 / 9-10
CRITERION B: Presentation / The work does not reach a standard described by the descriptors below. / Delivery is inappropriate
Delivery of the presentation is seldom appropriate, with little attempt to interest the audience. / Delivery is sometimes appropriate
Delivery of the presentation is sometimes appropriate, with some attempt to interest the audience / Delivery is appropriate
Delivery of the presentation is generally appropriate, with a clear intention to interest the audience / Delivery is consistently appropriate
Delivery of the presentation is effective, with suitable strategies used to interest the audience. / Delivery is effective
Delivery of the presentation is highly effective, with purposeful strategies used to interest the audience
0 / 1-2 / 3-4 / 5-6 / 7-8 / 9-10
CRITERION D: Language / The work does not reach a standard described by the descriptors below. / Language is rarely appropriate
Language is rarely appropriate, with a very limited attempt to suit register and style to the choice of presentation. / Language is sometimes appropriate
Language is sometimes appropriate, with some attempt to suit the register and style to the choice of presentation. / Language is mostly clear and appropriate
Language is mostly clear and appropriate, with some attention paid to register and style suited to the choice of presentation. / Language is clear and appropriate
The language is clear and appropriate, with register and style suited consistently to the choice of presentation. / Language is very clear and entirely appropriate
The language is very clear and entirely appropriate, with register and style consistently effective and suited to the choice of presentation.
IB Language A Lit: Independent Oral Commentary (Standard Level) [2013+]
0 / 1-2 / 3-4 / 5-6 / 7-8 / 9-10CRITERION A: Knowledge & understanding of the extract / The work does not reach a standard described by the descriptors below. / There is virtually no knowledge, demonstrated by irrelevant and/or insignificant references to the extract / Some knowledge
There is some knowledge, demonstrated by very limited interpretation, but with some relevant references to the extract. /
Adequate knowledge
There is adequate knowledge and understanding, demonstrated by interpretation supported by mostly appropriate references to the extract. /Good understanding
There is good knowledge and understanding, demonstrated by interpretation supported by relevant and appropriate references to the extract.
/Very good knowledge and understanding
There is very good knowledge and understanding, demonstrated by careful interpretation supported by well-chosen references to the extract.0 / 1-2 / 3-4 / 5-6 / 7-8 / 9-10
CRITERION B: Appreciation of the writer’s choices / The work does not reach a standard described by the descriptors below. / Virtually no reference
There is virtually no reference to the ways in which language, structure, technique and style shape meaning in the extract. / Some reference
There is some reference to the ways in which language, structure, technique and style shape meaning in the extract. / Adequate reference
There is adequate reference to, and some appreciation of, the ways in which language, structure, technique and style shape meaning in the extract. / Good appreciation
There is good appreciation of the ways in which language, structure, technique and style shape meaning in the extract. / Very good appreciation
There is very good appreciation of the ways in which language, structure, technique and style shape meaning in the extract.
0 / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
CRITERION C:
Organization and
Presentation / The work does not reach a standard described by the descriptors below. / Virtually no structure
The commentary has virtually no structure and/or focus. / Limited structure
The commentary has limited evidence of a planned structure and is only occasionally focused. / Some evidence of structure
The commentary shows some evidence of a planned structure and is generally focused. / Clearly planned structure
The commentary has a clearly planned structure and is focused. / Very clearly structured
The commentary is very clearly structured and the focus is sustained.
0 / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
CRITERION D: Language / The work does not reach a standard described by the descriptors below. / Language is rarely appropriate
Language is rarely clear and appropriate, with many errors in grammar and sentence construction and little sense of register and style. / Language is sometimes appropriate
Language is sometimes clear and appropriate; grammar and sentence construction are generally accurate, although errors and inconsistencies are apparent; register and style are to some extent appropriate. / Language is mostly clear and appropriate
The language is mostly clear and appropriate, with an adequate degree of accuracy in grammar and sentence construction; register and style are mostly appropriate. / Language is clear and appropriate
The language is clear and appropriate, with a good degree of accuracy in grammar and sentence construction; register and style are effective and appropriate. / Language is very clear and entirely appropriate
The language is very clear and entirely appropriate, with a high degree of accuracy in grammar and sentence construction; the register and style are consistently effective and appropriate.
Total: / 30