Languages A other than English 

There is one Group 1 course offered at UWCSEA East in languages other than English: Literature. Students who choose to study a Language A other than English as part of the IB subject package will be awarded a Bilingual Diploma, which is valued by many universities around the world.

Students have 2 lessons (SL) or 3 lessons (HL) per week. They study 13 literary works at HL (including at least 4 in translation) and 9 at SL (including at least 3 in translation). They read a range of texts of different forms and from multiple regions and periods. Work encompasses a variety of oral, written, creative and analytical activities, designed to encourage students to respond to literary texts in different ways and to fully appreciate the value of literature.

These courses are subject to demand. This means that if insufficient numbers of students choose these subjects, then students may study these languages as part of the School Supported Literature programme (or "SSL", see next section for further information).

The course revolves around seven key concepts which recur in the study of literature: culture, identity, communication, creativity, transformation, representation and perspective. Moreover, the students investigate three areas of exploration in relation to the texts studied: ‘Readers, writers and text’, ‘Time and place’ and ‘Intertextuality’:

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

• Time and space draws 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 equality and inequality.

SL External assessment (3 hours) – 70%

• Paper 1: guided literary analysis (1 hour 35 minutes) – 35%

  • This paper consists of two passages from two different literary forms, each accompanied by a question; students choose one passage and write an analysis of it (20 marks)

• Paper 2: comparative essay (1 hour 45 minutes) – 35%

  • This paper consists of four general questions; in response to one question, students write a comparative essay based on two works studied in the course (30 marks)

SL Internal assessment – 30%

This component consists of an individual oral that is internally assessed by the teacher and externally moderated by the IB at the end of the course.

• Individual oral (15 minutes) – 30%

Supported by an extract from one work written originally in the language studied and one from a work studied in translation, students will offer a prepared response of 10 minutes, followed by 5 minutes of questions by the teacher, to the following prompt: “Examine the ways in which the global issue of your choice is presented through the content and form of two of the works that you have studied.” (40 marks)

HL External assessment (4 hours) – 80%

• Paper 1: guided literary analysis (2 hours 15 minutes) – 35%

  • • This paper consists of two literary passages, from two different literary forms, each accompanied by a question; students write an analysis of each of the passages (40 marks)

• Paper 2: comparative essay (1 hour 45 minutes) – 25%

  • • This paper consists of four general questions; in response to one question, students write a comparative essay based on two works studied in the course (30 marks)

• Essay – 20%

  • • Students submit an essay on one literary text or work studied during the course; the essay must be 1,200–1,500 words in length (20 marks)

HL Internal assessment – 30%

This component consists of an individual oral that is internally assessed by the teacher and externally moderated by the IB at the end of the course.

• Individual oral (15 minutes) – 20%

Supported by an extract from one work written originally in the language studied and one from a work studied in translation, students will offer a prepared response of 10 minutes, followed by 5 minutes of questions by the teacher, to the following prompt: “Examine the ways in which the global issue of your choice is presented through the content and form of two of the works that you have studied.” (40 marks)

If you have any questions, please email Mr Oscar Gallego, head of Languages A OTEFC, at oga@uwcsea.edu.sg