Course Outline

SISQ aims to develop learners who are fulfilled, inspired and prepared.

Why do we study language and literature?

IB English A: Language and Literature is concerned with more than reading books or identifying techniques. Throughout the course, we investigate how meaning is created, communicated and interpreted.

We consider the relationship between three things:

Texts

Texts are the products of those choices. They include literary works, but also the enormous range of non-literary texts through which people communicate. This includes Photographs, posters, cartoons, comic strips...

Writers and creators:

Writers and creators make choices. They select language, images, structures, forms and perspectives in order to communicate and represent ideas. (A writer is any author of a text - so it could be the director of a film, or a photographer...)

Readers:

Readers interpret texts. Our experiences, knowledge, assumptions and contexts affect how we understand what we encounter.

What is the course?

Lan Lit guide.pdf

You can turn to the official course guide. This is made for teachers, however I am always of the mind that a good DP student will read through this themselves and make sure that they are covering the course. Language and Literature is not as content driven as other courses so it may be a little harder to navigate. The poster on the left reminds us of the ATLs that we aim to cover during your education at SISQ.

ATL-skills.pdf

Lit and Lang Crib Sheet

Finally there is my personal cribsheet. This is intended to keep the key elements of the course simply visible. This said, as I grow more familiar with the course it too changes and of course the texts will change. (I do aim to keep these up to date but please let me know if you see something I need to change.

Command Terms

Students should be familiar with the following key terms and phrases used in examination questions, which are to be understood as described below. Although these terms will be used frequently in examination questions, other terms may be used to direct students to present an argument in a specific way.

Analyze Break down in order to bring out the essential elements or structure.
Comment Give a judgment based on a given statement or result of a calculation.
Compare Give an account of similarities between two (or more) items or situations, referring to both (all) of them throughout.
Compare and contrast Give an account of the similarities and differences between two (or more) items or situations, referring to both (all) of them throughout.
Contrast Give an account of the differences between two (or more) items or situations, referring to both (all) of them throughout.
Discuss Offer a considered and balanced review that includes a range of arguments, factors or hypotheses. Opinions or conclusions should be presented clearly and supported by appropriate evidence.
Examine Consider an argument or concept in a way that uncovers the assumptions and interrelationships of the issue. Explain Give a detailed account, including reasons or causes.
Explore Undertake a systematic process of discovery.
Justify Give valid reasons or evidence to support an answer or conclusion.
To what extent Consider the merits or otherwise of an argument or concept. Opinions and conclusions should be presented clearly and supported with appropriate evidence and sound argument.

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