The aims of MYP language and literature are to encourage and enable students to:

• use language as a vehicle for thought, creativity, reflection, learning, self-expression, analysis and social interaction

• develop the skills involved in listening, speaking, reading, writing, viewing and presenting in a variety of contexts

• develop critical, creative and personal approaches to studying and analysing literary and non-literary texts

• engage with text from different historical periods and a variety of cultures

• explore and analyse aspects of personal, host and other cultures through literary and non-literary texts

• explore language through a variety of media and modes

• develop a lifelong interest in reading

• apply linguistic and literary concepts and skills in a variety of authentic contexts.

The objectives of any MYP subject state the specific targets that are set for learning in the subject.

They define what the student will be able to accomplish as a result of studying the subject.

The objectives of MYP language and literature encompass the factual, conceptual, procedural and metacognitive dimensions of knowledge.

Objective A: Analysing

Through the study of language and literature students are enabled to deconstruct texts in order to identify their essential elements and their meaning.

Students should be able to:

i. analyse the content, context, language, structure, technique and style of text(s) and the relationships

among texts

ii. analyse the effects of the creator’s choices on an audience

iii. justify opinions and ideas, using examples, explanations and terminology

iv. evaluate similarities and differences by connecting features across and within genres and texts.

Objective B: Organizing

Students should understand and be able to organize their ideas and opinions using a range of appropriate conventions for different forms and purposes of communication.

They should be able to:

i. employ organizational structures that serve the context and intention

ii. organize opinions and ideas in a sustained, coherent and logical manner

iii. use referencing and formatting tools to create a presentation style suitable to the context and intention.

Objective C: Producing text

Students will produce written and spoken text, focusing on the creative process itself and on the understanding of the connection between the creator and his or her audience

Students should be able to:

i.produce texts that demonstrate insight, imagination and sensitivity while exploring and reflecting critically on new perspectives and ideas arising from personal engagement with the creative process

ii. make stylistic choices in terms of linguistic, literary and visual devices, demonstrating awareness of impact on an audience

iii.select relevant details and examples to develop ideas.

Objective D: Using language

Students are required to use accurate and varied language that is appropriate to the context and intention.

Students should be able to:

i. use appropriate and varied vocabulary, sentence structures and forms of expression.

ii. write and speak in a register and style that serve the context and intention.

iii. use correct grammar, syntax and punctuation.

iv. spell (alphabetic languages), write (character languages) and pronounce with accuracy

v. use appropriate non-verbal communication techniques.

Concepts express understanding that students take with them into lifelong adventures of learning. They have an important place in the structure of knowledge that requires students and teachers to think with increasing complexity as they organize and relate facts and topics. The MYP structures sustained inquiry in language and literature by developing conceptual understanding in global contexts.

The MYP conceptual understanding is framed by prescribed key and related concepts.

 Key Concepts promote the development of a broad curriculum, and represent big ideas that are relevant within and across subjects.

Communication

Communication requires a sender, a message and an intended receiver. Effective communication requires a common “language” (which may be written, spoken or nonverbal).

Through exploring texts, we exchange, express, analyse and transform information, facts, ideas, meanings and opinions.

Communication is the essence of this discipline.

 Connections

Linguistic and literary connections exist across time, texts and cultures. Due to the universal nature of language and literature, connections and transfer exist within and across narratives. This allows for the exploration of language and relationships between text, creator and audience.

Creativity

In MYP language and literature, creativity is the process of synthesizing ideas with language that is a vehicle for

creativity. This process is difficult to define and difficult to evaluate. It rests, however, on an appreciation of the process with which the individual engages, and the impact of the final product on the audience.

Perspective

Perspective influences text, and text influences perspective. Through students’ language and literature studies, multiple perspectives and their effects are identified, analysed, deconstructed and reconstructed.

An understanding of this concept is essential in order to develop in students the ability to recognize and respond to over-simplistic and biased interpretations.

(Other key concepts can also be important in language and literature; including identity, culture, form, time, place and space).

Related concepts are grounded in specific disciplines and are useful for exploring key concepts in greater detail. Inquiry into related concepts helps students develop more complex

and sophisticated conceptual understanding. These may arise from the subject matter of a unit or the craft of a subject—its features and processes.

Global contexts direct learning towards an independent and shared inquiry into our common humanity and

shared guardianship of the planet.

 Using the world as the broadest context for learning, MYP language and literature can develop meaningful explorations of:

Identities and relationships

Who we are: 

An inquiry into the nature of the self; beliefs and values; personal, physical, mental, social, and spiritual health; human relationships including families, friends, communities, and cultures; rights and responsibilities; what it means to be human.

Orientation in space and time

Where we are in place and time: 

An inquiry into orientation in place and time; personal histories; homes and journeys; the discoveries, explorations, and migrations of humankind; the relationships between, and the interconnectedness of, individuals and civilizations, from local and global perspectives.

Personal and cultural expression

How we express ourselves: 

An inquiry into the ways in which we discover and express ideas, feelings, nature, culture, beliefs and values; the ways in which we reflect on, extend, and enjoy our creativity; our appreciation of the aesthetic.

Scientific and technical innovation

How the world works: 

An inquiry into the natural world and its laws; the interaction between the natural world (physical and biological) and human societies; how humans use their understanding of scientific principles; the impact of scientific and technological advances on society and on the environment.

Globalization and sustainability

How we organize ourselves: 

An inquiry into the interconnectedness of human-made systems and communities; the structure and function of organizations; societal

decision-making; economic activities and their impact on humankind and the environment.

Fairness and development

Sharing the planet:

 An inquiry into rights and responsibilities in the struggle to share finite resources with other people and with other living things; communities and the relationships within and between them; access to equal opportunities; peace and conflict resolution.

ATL skills provide valuable support for students working to meet the aims and objectives of Language and Literature.

Each unit explicitly identifies ATL skills around which teaching and learning is focused, and through which students authentically demonstrate what they are able to do.

These skills are grouped into five categories and we can identify discrete skills in each category that can be introduced, practised and consolidated in the classroom and beyond.

Service and Action requires that students are able to build authentic connections between what they learn in the classroom and what they encounter in the community. Experiencing a service-learning approach within an academic class is a critical and essential process for students. It is a shared commitment towards a common goal. The choices about what community issues to address extend directly from the curriculum, after brainstorming in the class. 

Student sample for service through Language and Literature curriculum:

Creating a Class Newspaper –

MYP 2 study the unit Reading Newspapers. 

For Service and Action, the students of MYP 2 undertook the task of creating and editing their own newspaper to create awareness of a modern-day issue related to human impact on the environment- social or physical.

There was brainstorming and discussion in the class to

i.  Choose a topic

ii. Form groups to work in various areas of the topic chosen for the newspaper.

The topic chosen was Discrimination- to spread awareness of this malaise which pervades and affects us, and the lives of all in society, thus impacting the social environment. 

The editorial team under the guidance of the facilitator planned the layout and content of the paper and each student contributed according to their area of interest.

The newspaper (soft copy) was circulated to all the MYP students and parents to create an awareness of the issues addressed.

A hard copy of the newspaper has been kept in the library.

Develop international-mindedness through global engagement, multilingualism, and intercultural understanding:

The students took up the global implications of the topic for the special edition. They researched and studied the issue from the area's cultural and historical aspects.

Consider the ethical implications of their actions:

The newspaper was a special edition dedicated to an issue that has pervaded the whole world in various forms. The students had to keep in mind the ethical implications of their reports- which had to be balanced, keeping in mind the culture and conventions of the people of the place from where they are reporting.

The MYP structures sustained inquiry in language and literature by developing conceptual understanding in global contexts. The facilitators and students develop a  Statement of Inquiry and use inquiry questions to explore the subjects. Through their inquiry, students develop specific interdisciplinary and disciplinary approaches to learning skills. 

Command  Terms

Command words tell you how to answer a specific question or complete an assessment task. Some Language and Literature specific command words are listed and explained below. 

Exemplar

Sample Term Paper- MYP 2

Sample  Term  Paper -MYP 1

Language and Literature Guide 2014

MYP: From Principles into Practice 2014