Group 1

The nature of the task

At HL, students are required to write a 1,200 –1,500 word formal essay which develops a particular line of inquiry of their own choice in connection with a non-literary body of work or a literary work studied during

the course.

The HL essay offers students an opportunity to develop as independent, critical and creative readers, thinkers and writers by exploring a literary or language line of inquiry over an extended period of time, refining their ideas by means of a process of planning, drafting and re-drafting. The essay requires students to construct a focused, analytical argument examining the work from a broad literary or linguistic perspective. It also requires them to adhere to the formal framework of an academic essay, using citations and references.

Explanation of the task

The HL essay is based on the exploration the student has carried out in the learner portfolio. During this exploration process, the student will have investigated a number of texts from a variety of different perspectives. In the lead-up to the drafting of the essay, the student must decide which work or body of work to focus on for further investigation, and which line of inquiry to write about in connection with it. In choosing the line of inquiry, the student can consult the course’s seven central concepts. Any work or body of work previously studied in class may be selected, with the exception of the texts used for the internal assessment and the works the student plans to use in paper 2.

Selection of work or body of work

Candidates must select the texts and line of inquiry for their essay independently; however, consultation with the teacher is essential in this process. Care must be taken to make sure that the chosen work or body of work is rich enough to support a developed, focused, and analytical argument.

Students and teachers should remember that the assignment is a broad literary or literary investigation rather than a more narrowly-focused stylistic commentary task. Students should not limit the exploration of their chosen line of inquiry to a particular section or part of the work or body of work. They should aim to demonstrate in their essays their knowledge and understanding of the work or body of work as a whole. Referring to the work or body of work more broadly will make it easier for them to demonstrate such a knowledge and understanding.

In the case of a collection of short stories, poems, song lyrics or any short literary text, candidates should refer to more than one literary text from the work chosen in order to achieve a broad focus. In this instance, it is possible for a student to also explore texts from the author of the work that were not studied in class, provided at least one of the texts was covered in class.

In the case of short non-literary texts, candidates should refer to more than one non-literary text from the same body of work by the same authorship, for example the same creative advertising agency, cartoonist, photographer or social media user. In this instance, at least one of the texts must be studied in class. If using non-literary texts in translation, these must be professional and published translations of the text. Candidates must explicitly state, at the beginning of the essay:

• The line of inquiry, which may be expressed as a question.

• The work or body of work focused upon. This must be identified in terms of text type and author or

creator, for example, “Short stories, Katherine Mansfield” or “Photographs, Vivian Maier”. When the

work or body of work consists of only one extended text, the title must be provided, for example,

“Graphic novel, Alison Bechdel, Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic”.

Determining the line of inquiry

The chosen line of inquiry should enable a broad literary or linguistic focus for the essay. In achieving this, the course’s seven central concepts may be a helpful starting point for students in generating or determining a line of inquiry for the essay. While students do not have to trace their essay back to one of the seven concepts and the assessment criteria do not require it, working with one of the seven concepts will allow students to begin thinking about their line of inquiry as they refine their ideas and arguments. The seven concepts are briefly discussed here in relation to the assignment. The TSM has more specific examples for further guidance.

Identity

The student might be interested in an aspect of the representation of identity of a particular character or group of characters in the text, or on the way in which the text relates to the identity of the writer.

Culture

The student might be interested in an aspect of the representation of the culture of a particular place, institution or group of people, or on the way in which the text itself relates to a particular culture.

Creativity

The student might be interested in an aspect of the representation of individual or collective creativity, or lack of creativity, within the text, or on the way in which the text represents the creativity of the writer.

Communication

The student might be interested in an aspect of the representation of acts of communication, or failures in communication, in the text, or on the way in which the text itself represents an act of communication.

Transformation

The student might be interested in an aspect of the representation of transformation or transformative acts in the text, or on the way in which the text itself is a transformative act either of other texts through intertextual reference to them or of reality by means of a transformative effect on the reader’s identity, relationships, goals, values, and beliefs.

Perspective

The student might be interested in an aspect of the representation of a particular perspective or perspectives within the text, or on the way in which the text represents the writer’s perspective.

Representation

The student might be interested in an aspect of the way in which the text represents different themes, attitudes and concepts, or in the extent to which language and literature can actually represent reality.

For examples of how the line of inquiry can be generated from the central concepts and for examples of possible approaches to the exploration of a line of inquiry, please consult the TSM.

The learner portfolio and the higher level essay

The learner portfolio is not specifically assessed but it is an important tool in helping students prepare for formal assessment. It provides a platform for students to develop independent thinking when studying texts, reflecting on the ways their texts and responses explore cultural values, identities, relationships, and issues across a variety of topics.

In relation to the preparation of the HL essay, the learner portfolio provides an opportunity for students to:

• reflect on the ways in which each text they read relates to the seven central concepts of the course

• keep an ongoing record of themes and issues they find interesting in relation to each of the texts they read

• explore how key passages in the texts they have studied are significant in relation to those themes and issues

• trace the evolution of their thinking and planning in connection with their chosen line of inquiry

• record references for, and ideas and quotations from, secondary sources they might want to mention in their essay

• reflect on the challenges that the HL essay poses for them as individual learners.

Guidance and authenticity

Teachers are expected to guide students throughout the HL essay; from choice of line of inquiry to submission of the essay, monitoring and advising them on the process, giving feedback on plans, and helping them to stay on task by setting timelines and stages for the essay’s development. Help, guidance and support at the beginning of this process cannot be emphasised enough. At the same time, the student must have autonomy throughout; teachers should not assign works or lines of inquiry, but should give advice on the appropriateness of ideas, question students to clarify them and make suggestions for avenues which could be explored or ways in which they might adjust their approach. Teachers are expected to ensure that essays are students’ own work and address any academic honesty issues arising before submission of the assessment. It is the teachers’ responsibility to make sure that all students understand the importance of academic honesty, in particular in relation to the authenticity of their work and the need to acknowledge other people’s ideas. Teachers must ensure students understand that the essay they submit for this externally assessed component must be entirely their own work. While teachers should give regular feedback on students’ work, they should not edit or correct their work directly. As students draw close to the end of the writing process, teachers are allowed to give advice to students on a first complete draft in terms of suggestions as regards the way the work could be improved.

This could be done by annotating the draft through comments on the margin. These comments could consist in questions or prompts for further reflection and improvement. Under no circumstances can a teacher edit or rewrite the draft. The next version handed to the teacher after the first draft must be the final one.

Students should make detailed references to their primary source, using such references to support their broader argument about the text. The use of secondary sources is not mandatory. Any sources used must be appropriately cited. Essays must be students’ own work, adhering consistently to the IB policy on academic honesty.

For further guidelines about the HL essay and the role of the teacher in it, please consult the TSM.

The individual oral addresses the following prompt:

Examine the ways in which the global issue of your choice is presented through the content and form of one of the works and one of the bodies of work that you have studied.(Click here for the outline template)

Explanation of the task

The individual oral is based on the exploration the student has carried out in the learner portfolio. During this exploration process, the student will have investigated a series of non-literary bodies of work and literary works and a variety of global issues. In the lead up to the individual oral, the student must make a decision about which global issue and which body of work and work will be explored in the task. One work and one non-literary body of work must be selected. An extract of no more than 40 lines should be selected from each which is representative of the presence of the global issue in it. In forms or text types where the number of lines may not be applicable, teachers should be guided by the volume of text that can be discussed in sufficient depth in the time available. Selection of body of work, work and extracts

The work and body of work selected must have a clear connection with the global issue. The individual oral should be a well-supported argument about the ways in which both represent and explore the global issue. Students must select two extracts, one from the body of work and one from the work, that clearly show significant moments when this global issue is being focused on. Normally these extracts should not exceed 40 lines or present an unmanageable amount of material to be analysed. 

The extracts must be continuous:

there cannot be an interruption or an ellipsis in an extract. The source of the extracts must also be clearly stated including the names of the works chosen and the names of the authors. As the student brings clean copies (no annotations) of these extracts to the individual oral. Prose, literary and/or literary must have the lines numbered. The extracts should not be more than 40 lines;  extracts which are too lengthy may hinder their ability to effectively expand the discussion to the body of work or work as a whole. An extract may be a complete text in itself, for example a whole poem or an advertisement. An extract may not, however, include more than one text, even if each text is extremely short. 

If the extract is from a literary text which is part of a larger work studied, such as a short story, or if it is a complete text which is part of a work studied, such as a poem, students should discuss relevant aspects of the broader work as a whole in their individual oral.

If the extract is a complete non-literary text, students should discuss relevant aspects of the broader body of work of the author of the text. In the case of a photograph, for example, the broader discussion should refer to other photographs by the same photographer. If identifying the single author of a non-literary text is not

possible, students should use an ampler definition of authorship to broaden their discussion of the global issue. In the case of an advertisement, for example, students could refer to the other advertisements or commercials belonging to the same campaign, to other campaigns of the same brand or to other work produced by the advertising agency. In the case of an article, students could refer either to other articles by the same author, provided it had a byline, or to the general editorial line of the medium in which the article was published if it had no byline. In cases such as the latter two, students should make explicit what constitutes their definition of authorship.

The extracts are meant to help students focus their responses, remove the need to learn quotations and enable them to explore more precise issues, such as style, specific devices and other distinct techniques used by authors to present the global issue. The choice of extracts should show the student’s understanding of the relevance of the part to the whole and enable coverage of larger and smaller choices made by the writers to shape their perspectives on the global issue.

The distinction between the literary and the non-literary must be clearly established in the individual oral.

Students should be reminded that texts written by authors on the Prescribed reading list or by authors widely recognized as literary authors must be considered literary. If neither of these conditions apply, and when the text type itself could be considered either literary or non-literary, teachers must make an informed decision about the nature of the text. They should teach it accordingly, bringing out either its literary or non-literary qualities.

An oral which:

• focuses on two literary text types, for example a graphic novel and a collection of song lyrics, or

• focuses on two non-literary text types, for example a collection of music videos and a screenplay, or

• treats a text by a writer on the Prescribed reading list, or by a literary writer, as non-literary

will not meet the requirements of the task.

Determining the global issue

A global issue incorporates the following three properties:

• It has significance on a wide/large scale.

• It is transnational.

• Its impact is felt in everyday local contexts.

Students may look to one or more of the following fields of inquiry for guidance on how to decide on a global issue to focus their orals on. These topics are not exhaustive and are intended as helpful starting points for students to generate ideas and derive a more specific global issue on which to base their individual oral. It should also be noted that there is the potential for significant overlap between the areas.

Culture, identity and community

Students might focus on the way in which texts explore aspects of family, class, race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, gender and sexuality, and the way these impact on individuals and societies. They might also focus on issues concerning migration, colonialism and nationalism.

Beliefs, values and education

Students might focus on the way in which texts explore the beliefs and values nurtured in particular societies and the ways they shape individuals, communities and educational systems. They might also explore the tensions that arise when there are conflicts of beliefs and values, and ethics.

Politics, power and justice

Students might focus on the ways in which texts explore aspects of rights and responsibilities, the workings and structures of governments and institutions. They might also investigate hierarchies of power, the distribution of wealth and resources, the limits of justice and the law, equality and inequality, human rights

and peace and conflict.

Art, creativity and the imagination

Students might focus on the ways in which texts explore aspects of aesthetic inspiration, creation, craft, and beauty. They might also focus on the shaping and challenging of perceptions through art, and the function, value and effects of art in society.

Science, technology and the environment

Students might focus on the ways in which texts explore the relationship between humans and the environment and the implications of technology and media for society. They might also consider the idea of scientific development and progress.

In selecting the global issue for their oral, students must be careful not simply to select from the broad fields of inquiry above, but to determine a specific issue for discussion that can be reasonably explored in a 10 minute oral. The global issue chosen for consideration should be significant on a wide scale, be transnational in nature, and be an issue that has an impact felt in everyday local contexts. The issue should be clearly evidenced in the extracts chosen.

For example, within the field of culture, identity and community, the theme of gender in itself might be unsuitably broad for an individual oral. A student interested in this theme might explore instead how gender bias manifests itself in different contexts; how this can be evidenced in many ways in texts of different sorts; how different authorial choices will determine what is meant by gender bias; whether bias should be viewed positively or negatively, allowing the students to evaluate the writer’s choices and the impact they might have on the different readers’ or viewers’ understanding.

For further illustration of how to formulate a global issue from a field of inquiry please consult the “Incorporating global issues into learning and teaching” subsection of the “Delivering the courses” section of the Language A teacher support material.

The oral itself will only be concerned with the aspects of the global issue relevant to the two extracts chosen. The student should ensure the oral offers a balanced approach, giving approximately equal attention to both extracts and to the work and body of work they are extracted from. Thus, it is important that the student selects extracts and a work and a body of work that offer equally sufficient material for the discussion.

The learner portfolio and the individual oral

The learner portfolio is not specifically assessed but it is an important place for students to explore and reflect upon their works in relation to global issues.

In relation to the preparation of the individual oral, the learner portfolio provides an opportunity for students to:

• keep an ongoing record of the different global issues that could be related to each of the texts they

read

• explore links that could be established between different texts on the basis of common global issues

they address

• explore how key passages in the texts they have studied represent different or similar perspectives on

one global issue through both form and content

• trace the evolution of their thinking and planning in connection with the global issue and how its

cultural value, its definition and application to the texts they read have changed through their inquiry

• reflect on the challenges that the internal assessment poses for them as individual learners.

Conduct of the individual oral

Students have the flexibility to use any of the texts from their course of study up until the time of the assessment. It should be remembered that texts chosen for the individual oral cannot then be used for any other assessment component. Students should select their own oral topics. Teachers should monitor and guide students in their selection of viable global issues, relevant texts and effective choice of extracts, but they should not suggest topics to students nor tell them what to do. Though teachers play a critical role in helping students prepare, this must be a student inspired and created oral.

The oral may be conducted at any time after a significant number of the texts have been studied in the course. All of the texts used for the oral need to be featured as part of the teaching of the course. It is recommended that the oral takes place either in the last part of the first year or the first part of the second

year.

The place and time of the oral is chosen by the teacher. Teachers may conduct all the orals on one day or over several days. Students must be given adequate notice of when the oral will take place. Schools will be provided with a form for students to create an outline of their oral. Students should prepare this in advance as it will provide them with a springboard for their oral. Students should not read the outline as a prepared script. The form gives students a maximum of 10 bullet points to help provide structure to their oral.

Individual bullet points must not be excessively long. Schools will be required to keep all copies of the outline form until after the results are issued. In order to determine authenticity of student performance, schools may be required to submit these forms to IB.

Copies of the extracts chosen by the student must be provided to the teacher for approval at least one week before the individual oral assessment takes place. Teachers will have their own copies of the extracts during the assessment and these may help the teacher frame suitable questions for the student.

The extracts must be clean, unmarked copies; the student may only take the extracts and the outline into the room where the individual oral assessment will take place.

The individual oral takes place between the student and teacher. The teacher asks questions to probe further into the student’s knowledge and understanding of the extracts and the corresponding work and body of work, and their analysis of the choices made by the authors in relation to the global issue chosen. In the case of less confident students, teachers must encourage them to give them the opportunity to expand on unsubstantiated or inadequate statements.

The individual oral lasts 10 minutes, followed by 5 minutes of questions by the teacher.

The individual oral is internally assessed and externally moderated by the IB. Audio recordings of the oral, together with the relevant extracts, are required for the purpose of moderation. To this end, all materials and recordings must be clearly and accurately assembled and kept. Care must also be taken to provide asuitably quiet environment for the recordings.