Students will focus exclusively on literary texts, adopting a variety of approaches to textual criticism. Students explore the nature of literature, the aesthetic function of literary language and textuality, and the relationship between literature and the world.
In the Language A: Literature course, students will learn about the various manifestations of literature as a powerful mode of writing across cultures and throughout history. They will explore and develop an understanding of factors that contribute to the production and reception of literature, such as:
• the creativity of writers and readers
• the nature of the interaction with the writers’ and readers’ respective contexts and with literary tradition
• the ways in which language can give rise to meaning and/or effect
• the performative and transformative potential of literary creation and response.
Through close analysis of literary texts in a number of forms and from different times and places, students will consider their own interpretations, as well as the critical perspectives of others. In turn, this will encourage the exploration of how viewpoints are shaped by cultural belief systems and how meanings are negotiated within them. Students will be involved in processes of critical response and creative production, which will help shape their awareness of how texts work to influence the reader and how readers open up the possibilities of texts. With its focus on literature, this course is particularly concerned with developing sensitivity to aesthetic uses of language and empowering students to consider the ways in which literature represents and constructs the world and social and cultural identities.
Distinction between SL and HL The model for language A: Literature is the same at SL and HL but there are significant quantitative and qualitative differences between the levels. SL students are required to study 9 works, while HL students are required to study 13. In paper 1, both SL and HL students are presented with two previously unseen literary extracts or texts from different literary forms, each accompanied by a guiding question. SL students are required to write a guided analysis of one of these, while HL students must write guided analyses of both literary extracts or texts. In addition, HL students will have a fourth assessment component, the higher level (HL) essay, a written coursework task that requires students to explore a line of inquiry in relation to a studied literary text or work. The outcome is an essay of 1,200–1,500 words in which HL students are expected to demonstrate a deeper understanding of the nature of literary study.
For more information regarding the various streams in the I.B. English programme, please review the following: Choosing Between SL and HL English
The aims of all subjects in studies in language and literature are to enable students to:
Engage with a range of texts, in a variety of media and forms, from different periods, styles, and cultures
Develop skills in listening, speaking, reading, writing, viewing, presenting and performing
Develop skills in interpretation, analysis and evaluation
Develop sensitivity to the formal and aesthetic qualities of texts and an appreciation of how they contribute to diverse responses and open up multiple meanings
Develop an understanding of relationships between texts and a variety of perspectives, cultural contexts, and local and global issues, and an appreciation of how they contribute to diverse responses and open up multiple meanings
Develop an understanding of the relationships between studies in language and literature and other disciplines
Communicate and collaborate in a confident and creative way 8. foster a lifelong interest in and enjoyment of language and literature.
1. Know, understand and interpret:
• a range of texts, works and/or performances, and their meanings and implications; contexts in which texts are written and/or received; elements of literary, stylistic, rhetorical, visual and/or performance craft; features of particular text types and literary forms.
2. Analyse and evaluate:
• ways in which the use of language creates meaning; uses and effects of literary, stylistic, rhetorical, visual or theatrical technique; relationships among different texts; ways in which texts may offer perspectives on human concerns.
3. Communicate:
• ideas in clear, logical and persuasive ways; in a range of styles, registers and for a variety of purposes and situations; (for literature and performance only) ideas, emotion, character and atmosphere through performance.
HL Internal Assessment (20%): Individual Oral 20%
HL External Assessment (80%): Paper 1 - Guided literary Analysis 35%; Paper 2 - Comparative Essay 25%; Higher level (HL) Essay 20%
SL Internal Assessment (30%): Individual Oral 30%
SL External Assessment (70%): Paper 1 - Guided literary Analysis 35% ; Paper 2 - Comparative Essay 35%
Readers, Writers and Texts
Time and Space
Intertextuality: connecting texts
The conceptual understandings help organize and guide the study of works across the 3 areas of exploration - constitute an essential part of a student’s investigation, and should be included in the discussion of each of the works studied:
Identity; Culture; Creativity; Communication; Perspective; Transformation; Representation
The learner portfolio is a central element of the Language A: Literature course and is mandatory for all students. It is an individual collection of student work compiled during the two years of the course. It provides a place for students to practice and develop the skills necessary for performing successfully in the course. It is a place for students to explore and reflect on literary texts, as well as establish connections between them and with the areas of exploration and the central concepts in the subject. It is not specifically assessed, but it is an important tool in helping students prepare for formal assessments.
Culture, Identity and community ; Beliefs, values and education ; Politics, power and justice ; Art, creativity and the imagination; Science, technology and the natural world
awareness and understanding of the self and how it relates to others
students gain an understanding of the ways in which different languages and literature represent the world and how these can reflect and help create diverse identities
awareness that representations of the world vary across cultures and consider the reasons why
different perspectives
value others’ experiences and viewpoints
value and reaffirm own culture when making connections between the student’s own culture and those of the text
direct connections to Learner Profile attributes
The IB approaches to teaching skills are:
1. based on inquiry
2. focused on conceptual understanding
3. developed in local and global contexts
4. focused on effective teamwork and collaboration
5. differentiated to meet the needs of all learners
6. informed by formative and summative assessment.
1. Thinking skills
2. Communications skills
3. Social skills
4. Self-management skills
5. Research skills
As IB learners we strive to be: Inquirers; Knowledgeable; Thinkers; Communicators; Principled; Open-Minded; Caring; Risk-Takers; Balanced; Reflective
- Connection to the construction of knowledge - how is meaning shaped in the text?
- Exploration of the nature of the human experience and of the ways in which personal views are constructed and communicated
- Critically examine how knowledge is shaped
- Critically reflect on own beliefs and assumptions
- Development of the capacity for empathy
- Development of critical thinking skills
- Ability to take a critical distance useful for CAS as students reflect on the effect of their experiences and projects had and subsequently plan for further action
- Global issue connection
- Undertake independent research into a literary or linguistic topic of special interest
- Freedom to explore preferred texts
- Promotes advanced research and writing skills, intellectual discovery, critical thinking and creativity