World Literature—Part One
• Literature Studied in Translation
(exceptions)
• Cultural Understanding
• Social Perspective
• Sharing a common canon
World Literature—Part One
• Literary Historical background
• Philosophical Influence
• Art of Translation
• Narrative Techniques
Detailed Study—Part Two
• Four works taken from the PBL
• Preparation for the Individual Oral
Commentary
Part 2 (detailed study)
• leads to the Individual Oral Commentary
• HL students study four works in part 2 and
SL students study two.
• All part 2 works must be originally written in
the language A1 studied.
• All part 2 works must be chosen from the
prescribed book list (PBL) for the language
A1 studied.
• Unless otherwise indicated on the PBL for
the particular language A1 studied, each
part 2 work must be selected from a
different genre category and written by a
different author.
Part 2—detailed study
• The works will be assessed through an oral
commentary.
• Broadly speaking, “commentary” here refers to a
close detailed analysis of writing, showing an
understanding both of what is said and of how it
is said.
• It requires students to demonstrate close
detailed knowledge and appreciation of:
1. elements such as subject matter and theme
2. the means (literary style and technique) by
which these elements are explored
3. the effects of such exploration for the
development of the work as a whole, and for the
reader’s understanding.
1.10.1 Format and length of the
individual oral commentary
• All part 2 works studied may be used for
the individual oral commentary.
• Individual candidates must not know in
advance from which work their particular
extracts will be taken.
Format of assessment
• 20 minutes of Preparation time
• 15 minutes for formal commentary
1.10.2 Teacher preparation for
the individual oral commentary
• prepare extracts and guiding questions before the
commentary.
• Candidates must not have advance knowledge of the
extracts or guiding questions.
• The teacher is entirely responsible for the choice of
extracts and guiding questions
• Candidates are not allowed to choose the works on
which they wish to be assessed.
• When assessing several candidates on the same day, or
within a few days, any repetition must be at random to
ensure variety and to ensure that candidates cannot
determine the content of their assessment.
Extract Numbers
• 1–5 Candidates
candidate
• 6–10 Candidates
candidate
• 11–15 Candidates
candidate
• 16–20 Candidates
candidate
• 21–25 Candidates
candidate
1 per
6 per
7 per
8 per
9 per
The role of the teacher during
the assessment
• During the candidate’s delivery (9–12 minutes):
• Act as sympathetic listener. Intervene only to provide
encouragement and re-direction if a candidate panics,
goes completely off course or finds it difficult to continue.
• Explain the guiding questions further if necessary, but do
not introduce completely new ones.
• At the end of the candidate’s delivery (remaining 3–6
minutes):
Where appropriate, remind the candidate if he or she has
not treated one of the guiding questions or request
further clarification or explanation of relevant issues
raised in the candidate’s commentary.
• Bring the commentary to a close at the end of the
allotted time (that is, 15 minutes.)
1.11 Individual oral
presentation
• The individual oral presentation is based on a
work or works studied in part 4 of the course of
study.
• Each candidate chooses a topic for this activity
in consultation with the teacher. It is the
teacher’s responsibility to ensure that the topic
chosen by the candidate can be effectively
assessed using the language A1 internal
assessment descriptors.
1.11 Individual oral
presentation
• assess each candidate’s presentation
using the internal assessment descriptors
• record the achievement levels awarded
per criterion to each candidate on the form
1/IARF (a separate form 1/IARF must be
completed for each candidate)
• write a brief comment for each candidate
on the form 1/IARF to explain the
achievement levels awarded.
Groups of Works--Genre Based
• Four works including one World Lit.
•
•
•
•
Prose (novel and short story)
Drama
Poetry
Prose (other than the novel and short
story—including essays, biographies,
travelogues)
Teaching Groups of Works
•
•
•
•
Comparative Quality—Breadth and Depth
Gender
Age
Style
• Time Factor—extensively taught
Groups of Works
• Accessibility—Personal Response
•
•
•
•
Diction
Philosophy (isms)
Historical Background
Setting
Group Four--Schools Free
Choice
• A1 Regulations
– Genre
– Period
– Place
• District and Provincial Requirements
• Age appropriateness
• Breadth of Program
Part 4 (school’s free choice)
• All part 4 works may be chosen freely from the
PBL, the prescribed world literature list (PWL),
or from any other source available to the school
or to the teacher.
• To enable productive contrasts and/or
comparisons, part 4 works may be linked by one
or more aspects such as culture, genre, theme,
period, style, type of literary study and
methodology.
• Each work must be written by a different author.
Part 4 (school’s free choice)
• leading to the Individual Oral Presentation
• HL students study four works in part 4 and
SL students study three.
• At HL, one of the part 4 works must be a
world literature work.
Teaching Part 2 and Part 4
Ensure that the works selected are:
• easily available in print
• suitable for serious literary study at this level
• accessible, and likely to engage the interest of
students in this age group
• a balanced combination of longer and shorter
pieces
• appropriate for close detailed study
• in the case of collections of short stories, poetry,
letters or essays, linked by elements such as
subject matter, theme, style and technique.
Extensive and Intensive
Assessment
• Extensive (Comparative)
– World Literature Assignment One
– Paper Two Exam
Intensive (Commentary)
- Paper One Exam
-Oral Commentary
Extensive and Intensive
Assessment
Student Choice
• Oral Presentation (extensive or intensive)
• World Literature Assignment Two
(extensive or intensive or creative)