To be eligible for the Bilingual Diploma, students may take a Language A Literature course other than English as a ‘school supported’ language, even if no teacher of the language is available or the number of students is too small to warrant a separate class. This option is referred to as the ‘self-taught’ option by the IB. At UWCSEA East however, these languages are tutored by qualified teachers who collaborate with the school and are paid privately by parents for teaching one literature lesson per week.

SSL students are part of a multilingual class. 

Please note: School Supported (SSL) Language A courses are offered as Literature courses only (not as Language and Literature) and at Standard Level only (not at Higher Level). 

Other languages are available upon request. However, students should be aware that the IB reserves the right to decide, on an annual basis, if some languages are available in Diploma Programme exams. Moreover, UWCSEA East requires parents to hire and pay for a qualified tutor of the language concerned, and the tutor needs to be vetted by the school. If a tutor cannot be identified, then the course will not be authorised by the school.

Students willing to enter the course will be tested by the Languages department. The test will consist in writing an essay for an hour. The students will also need to fill in a questionnaire about their background, motivation and previous learning experience in the language they would like to study.

The SSL supervisor sets students reading targets and teaches them how to approach literary analysis and to communicate their knowledge, so that students can develop analytical, essay writing and oral presentation skills in their Language A. The supervisor also guides the students through the assessment process. Following the guidelines given by the supervisor, students also prepare for their final oral examinations in their Language A. Throughout the course, the students are given regular assignments and practice exams in their Language A in order to prepare for the final examinations.

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 to.

• 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.

In addition, students also engage with a variety of global issues under the following fields of inquiry:

• Culture, identity and community

• Beliefs, values and education

• Art, creativity and the imagination

• Politics, power and justice

• Science, technology and the natural world

Finally, students develop a learner portfolio in which they explore concepts, global issues and areas of exploration. They are encouraged to explore connections between texts.

Language specific support

The College requires parents to hire a qualified Literature tutor so that the students can benefit from specialist feedback in the areas of language skills, academic writing and cultural content. Tutors also play a vital role in providing accurate feedback about students’ abilities in the subject. For National Committee or UWCSEA scholarship students, tutoring costs are covered by the school. For other students, literature sessions are privately funded by parents, and the school does not interfere in financial arrangements between parents and tutors. However, the school will provide teaching material in all languages offered, sometimes through reimbursing parents, as mentioned above. In addition, if needed parents may ask for an official letter by the school stating that this subject is part of the UWCSEA curriculum, yet not compulsory.

The school recommends 80 minutes of tutoring per week, depending on the ability level of the student. If the student has not had any Language A tuition for an extended period of time, then more tuition time may be necessary. Students are expected to be literate in the language upon starting the course as the main focus of the course is Literature, not language acquisition. If both the tutor and the student(s) are available during the school day, then the school may provide a classroom for them to meet in person or online (e.g., via Skype or Google Meet). Students and tutors may use one of the two slots timetabled with the SSL supervisor in order to work on the Language A skills expected in the course. If the tutor is not available during the school day, then parents and students need to be aware that Language A tutorials will take place after school or at weekends.

Collaboration with tutors

The School Supported Languages Head of Department may be able to recommend an experienced tutor to parents. However, parents are ultimately responsible for identifying a suitable Literature tutor. After parents have identified a tutor, the School Supported Languages Head of Department will contact him/her. If the Head of Department vets the tutor recommended by parents (on the basis of his/her qualifications and teaching experience), then the tutor will start working with the student under the guidance of the Head of Department. The Head of Department will provide the tutor with course documentation, deadlines, resources and advice. The tutor will provide the SSL supervisor with information regarding the student’s effort, progress and performance. The SSL supervisor will report the tutor’s comments to parents, and parents may also be directly in touch with the tutor regarding student’s performance, progress and effort.

Students develop the skills of literary analysis (commentary, essays and oral presentations) and are consequently able to express complex ideas both in their Language A and in English (as the school language), which has very valuable intellectual benefits. Students also gain knowledge and insight into their community of origin, which supports their personal development and a possible (re)integration in a country where the Language A is used. Through the guided self-study of literary works in their own language, students also demonstrate an ability to work independently and to take responsibility for their studies, which is a quality sought by universities. Students and parents need to be aware that SSL students also need to demonstrate a proactive and responsible attitude in communicating with their tutors.

The written examinations are the same as in the ‘taught’ option, and most examiners are not aware that the students are enrolled on a ‘self-taught’ basis. However, the oral examination differs from the taught option. In the SSL option, the course supervisor records the student’s response and these are assessed externally by the relevant IB examiner for the Language A concerned.

External assessment

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

  • • The 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% 

  • • The 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)

• 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 15 minutes 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)

UWCSEA students will be awarded an IB bilingual diploma if they successfully complete a Language A course in any language other than English.

Recap of Roles and Responsibilities

See what everyone involved does and is responsible for.

Frequently Asked Questions 

If you have any other questions, please email Ms Laurie Kraaijeveld, head of high school languages, at lkr@uwcsea.edu.sg