Language A

Group 1 Subjects - Studies in Language and Literature

Please refer to our subject videos and students experience clips at the end of this page for more specific information on each Language option. 

Language A

Both the ‘Language and Literature’ and the ‘Literature’ courses are available at SL and HL in English Language A. Other languages (Dutch, French, German, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Hindi) offer either the ‘Literature’ or the ‘Language and Literature’ course. Additional information about the Dutch programme can be found in the Nederlandse Taal en Cultuur guide. 

Group 1 courses meet the requirements of students whose Language A is their strongest language while taking into account that many students selecting these courses have complex language profiles and maybe bi- or tri-lingual. While the ‘Literature’ and the ‘Language and Literature’ courses are different, they both develop an understanding of language and literature and are both designed to support future academic study by developing language skills. Both courses include the study of texts in translation, which gives the opportunity for the exchange of ideas about cultural diversity that are integral to the UWC ethos.

Skills developed

• ability to express ideas clearly and with fluency orally and in writing 

• ability to substantiate and justify ideas with relevant examples 

• ability to evaluate conflicting viewpoints 

• understanding of the ways in which cultural values are expressed in texts 

• understanding of text structure, style and the writer’s technique 

• ability to compare and contrast the form, style and content of texts 

• understanding of individual literary works as representatives of genre and period

Overview to our Literature, and Language and Literature course

Course content

“That is part of the beauty of all literature. You discover that your longings are universal longings, that you are not lonely and isolated from anyone. You belong.” (F. Scott Fitzgerald)

The courses will be divided into three parts common to both Language A: Literature and Language A: Language and Literature. The parts of the course allow students to explore different aspects of language, literature and performance: 

• Readers, writers and texts aim to introduce students to the notion and purpose of literature and the ways in which texts can be read, interpreted and responded to.

• Time and space draw attention to the fact that texts are not isolated entities, but are connected to space and time.

• Intertextuality: connecting texts focuses on the connections between and among diverse texts, traditions, creators and ideas.

In both courses, there will be a balance across the curriculum not only in connection with the genre of the texts studied and the period and place of their production, but also as regards the worldview of their authors, which may vary according to their gender, race, sexuality, beliefs and any other such component of their identities. Therefore, students will be exposed to the diversity of forms the human experience can take.

For the Language and Literature course, students will also be expected to read a breadth of non-literary texts, in addition to the literature texts studied, that are linked to the various topics and concepts covered.

For both courses, the texts, topics and units covered will align with the IB-defined concepts of: Communication, Perspective, Transformation, Representation, Identity, Culture and Creativity.

Work in the classroom encompasses a variety of oral, written, creative and analytical activities, designed to encourage students to respond in different ways to the texts, topics and concepts studied.

For Language A (Literature HL/SL) syllabus, click here.

For Language A (Language & Literature HL/SL) syllabus, click here.

Assessment 

External assessment – 70% (SL); 80% (HL) 

Two written examination papers: 

• paper 1: close analysis of unseen passage(s) (literary extracts for the Literature course) – 35% 

• paper 2: literature essay paper – 35% for SL, 25% for HL 

Written coursework assignment (HL only) – 20% 

Internal assessment – 30% (SL), 20% (HL)

• a formal individual oral (pre-prepared: on two literary texts for Literature; one literary and one non-literary text for Language and Literature)

University courses and careers 

The Group 1 courses help prepare students for a wide range of university courses. Study at HL in particular prepares for study in Literature, Linguistics and Media, but also prepares well for the Humanities in general. The more obvious careers related to the study of Literature and Language are journalism, publishing, working in radio and television, advertising and teaching. 

However, the courses also provide training in some fundamental skills that can then be directed into areas such as business, law, accountancy and marketing.

School Supported Self-Taught Languages A (SSSTA) 

Students may take their mother tongue as a School-supported Language A, even if no teacher of the language is available or the number of students is too small to warrant a separate class. The class is typically taught by the Coordinator of the Self Taught programme. Recently, the IB has stipulated that students should additionally have the support of a tutor, who will not only help them to create a suitable booklist, but will also set and assess the student's written and oral skill development. 

This option is only available at SL.

In the past few years students have studied the following as their mother tongue/first language:  Albanian, Amharic, Belarusian, Burmese, Czech, Danish, Dhivehi, Georgian, Gujarati, Hebrew, Hungarian, Indonesian, Lao, Modern Greek, Mongolian, Norwegian, Oromo, Pilipino, Polish, Portuguese, Punjabi, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Sinhalese, Siswati, Slovene, Swahili, Swedish, Telugu, Thai, Turkish, Vietnamese and Urdu. Other languages may be available upon request from the IB.

Course content 

With the assistance of the specialist tutor, students choose six literature texts for study from the IB book list in their Language A and three works translated into their Language A. In Grade 11, students read and analyse the compulsory Works in Translation and additional literary materials relating to their assessment activities. Regular homework is set by their tutor. The College engages qualified tutors in the relevant Language A to mark, assess and give feedback on students’ work on a regular basis. The tutors, appointed by the College are carefully selected on the basis of their experience and expertise. The tutoring fee is negotiated by the family and the tutor.

In Grade 12, the Coordinator also sets reading targets for the second year of the course. In class, students refine their communicative competence by preparing, practising and reflecting on written and oral assignments. Students’ work is regularly assessed and commented on by the tutor. Throughout the course students also attend regular classes with the SSSTA Coordinator to discuss learning strategies, examine tutors’ feedback, assess academic and linguistic progress and solve any practical difficulties arising from the course and the assessments.

Skills developed 

Students develop the skills of literature analysis and are consequently able to express complex ideas in both their mother tongue and in English. Through the independent self-study of literature works in their own language, students also demonstrate an ability to work independently - a quality sought by universities.

Assessment 

The IB sets oral exams for individual SSSTA students. The students record their responses and these are assessed externally by the relevant IB examiner for the language. 

External assessment – 100% 

• paper 1 – 35% 

• exam essay – 35% 

• individual orals – 30%

University courses and careers

Studying a SSSTA is very advantageous for students wishing to return to their home country for tertiary studies. Some countries demand proof of competence in the national language before admitting students.

In addition, the self-taught element of the course is practical evidence that the students are self-starters and have the ability to organise their own learning. For students who choose to study in English speaking countries, certified competence in their mother tongue can be a great asset for research purposes and to improve chances in a very competitive job market.

Bilingual Diploma

The Bilingual Diploma is awarded to any student who successfully completes a Language A course in any language other than English. Therefore, students who take English B will also be awarded a Bilingual Diploma.

Subject Videos and Student Experience clips

The screencasts below have been produced by Heads of Department and current students of the subjects to provide you with further insight into the subject options in their areas in Grades 11 and 12.