Welcome to IB English!
The A1 English course is divided
into 4 Parts…
•
•
•
•
PART 1: World Lit in translation (novels)
PART 2: Detailed study of Various genres
PART 3: Group of Works (Drama)
PART 4: School’s Free Choice
How is your knowledge of the set
texts assessed?
• Written Paper Component: 2x90 minute exams
• World Literature assignment (2 at HL):
Comparative coursework essay 1,000-1,500
words based on at least 2 out of 3 Part 1 texts
• Individual Oral Commentary: 15 minute taped
commentary based on an extract from one of
the Part 2 works studied
• Individual Oral Presentation: 10-15 minute
presentation of a topic based on Part 4 text(s)
Written Paper Component:
2 x 90 minute exams
(worth 50% overall)
• 2 Papers, each worth 25% of overall mark
• Paper 1 Written commentary on Unseen
Poetry and another text (answer 1 question
out of 2 choices)
• Paper 2 Essay questions on Part 3 texts
• (answer 1 question out of 2. Answer must be
based on Part 3 text and possibly a Part 2
text of the same genre)
World Literature Assignment
(worth 20% overall)
• Comparative coursework essay 1,000-1,500
words based on at least 2 out of 3 Part 1
texts
• You can compare themes, characterisation,
settings, narrative techniques etc etc...your
choice with guidance from teacher
• Students must generate own title and work
individually once the 3 texts have been
studied in class
• Teacher assistance during writing the essay is
very strictly regulated
Individual Oral Commentary
(worth 15% overall)
• A commentary on an extract chosen by
the teacher from one of the Part 2
works studied
• 15 minutes long
• Taped and sent off for moderation
• At Standard Level, the extract is
accompanied by guiding questions
Individual Oral Presentation
(worth 15% overall)
• 10-15 minutes long
• May be recorded and sent off for
moderation
• Students choose a topic based on a Part
4 text
What are we studying this term?
• The House of Bernarda Alba: Lorca (Spanish)
PLAY (Part 4 text)
• A selection of Poetry - Donne/Harwood/Browning
(Part 4 text)
• The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea
Yukio Mishima (Japanese) NOVEL (Part 1 text)
• The Handmaid’s Tale: Atwood (Canadian)/Gweillo Booth (UK)
What is literature? Why study lies?
• These are questions all students of literature
should ask themselves; however, as with many
literary issues, there are no easy answers!
• It is important that you have some
understanding of the issues and formulate
your own opinion based on them.
• This view will enrich your responses to the
texts you study.
• As you complete the task, remember that
DISCUSSION is essential to your learning…
The Dating Game
• Now that you have begun to form an
underpinning view of what literature is
and why we value it as human beings,
let’s move on to some close reading and
educated guess work!
• Follow the instructions on the sheet and
remember again to DISCUSS!
The Dating Game - Answers
All extracts are from texts you are likely to encounter
on the course:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
John Donne, The Flea, Poem, UK, 1601-07
Lorca, The House of Bernarda Alba, Play, Spain, 1936
Swift, A Modest Proposal, Essay, Ireland, 1729
Shakespeare, Othello, Play, UK, 1600-05
Achebe, Things Fall Apart, Novel, Nigeria, 1958
Browning, Porphyria’s Lover, Poem, UK, 1841
Mishima, The Sailor, novel, Japan, 1965
Free Writing
• Read the poem carefully at least twice and then 'free write' for
around 15 minutes.
• Free writing means spilling your thoughts and feelings on to a
clean sheet of paper without being concerned about any of the
usual Language A1 conventions (organization, critical vocabulary,
paragraphs, quotations-to-illustrate-points etc).
• You can make statements, ask questions, use sentences or
notes/jottings or both. No-one will mark this. The purpose is to
capture your thoughts, your personal response before it
vanishes!
Plenary
• Write a 4 bullet point checklist of the
most important things you have learned
about the IB course today.