IB English: Higher and Standard Level

Students will study a range of literary texts and develop skills in reading and critical analysis. They will also have the opportunity to develop their communication skills both orally and in writing. The course covers a wide range of English and world literature.

In the world literature section of the course students will study three texts (two for Standard Level), mainly from European literature. For written examination they will study four novels (three at Standard Level). A further six texts are studied for oral assessment (five at Standard Level); these include a wide selection of poetry, prose and drama. In addition, throughout the course, students will read, discuss and write about a range of poetry and prose as a preparation for paper one of the final examination.

Assessment is by written examination (45%): paper one is a commentary on a piece of poetry or prose; paper two is an essay on the novels studied.

Course work (25%): one course work essay based on the world literature part of the programme is submitted for assessment by IB.

Oral assessment (30%): there are oral presentations and commentaries based on texts which have been studied in detail.

PART 1: WORLD LITERATURE

Coursework Essays 3 Texts:

• 'The Outsider' Albert Camus. (Year 1)
  
• ' Blood Wedding'
  
• 'Antigone' Jean Anouilh

Assessment: Two written assignments, internally set and externally assessed.

Assignment 1: 1000 - 1500 words. Comparative study of at least two Part 1 works

Assignment 2: 1000 - 1500 words. Based on the Part 1 text not used in assignment one or on another World Literature text from Part 3 or Part 4 of the programme. This could be a detailed study of an aspect of the text or an imaginative creative assignment.

PART 2: DETAILED STUDY

4 Texts:

• 'Othell'o William Shakespeare (Year 2)
  
• Metaphysical poetry (Year 2)
  
• Selection of poetry by the Romantic Poets (Year 1 & 2)
  
• The Gothic
  

Assessment: A range of oral activities internally assessed by the teacher and externally moderated by IB. An assessed Oral Commentary on Shakespeare or Metaphysical poetry is done in year 2 of the course.

PART 3: GROUPS OF WORKS (Prose: the novel and short story) Texts used for Paper 2 (Essay) of the written examination at the end of the course

4 Texts:

• 'Heart of Darkness' Joseph Conrad (Year 2)
  
• 'Wuthering Heights' Emily Bronte (Year 1/2)
  
• 'Madame Bovary' Gustave Flaubert: World Literature text. (Year 1/2)
  
• 'To the Lighthouse' Virginia Woolf (Year 2) or 'Perfume' Patrick Susskind

Assessment: Written Examination One essay, based mainly on Part 3 works, on a topic that requires the candidate to draw on two or three of the texts studied.

PART 4: SCHOOL'S FREE CHOICE

4 Texts:

• 'A Room with a View' E.M. Forster (Year 1)
  
• Student's own choice of Non-Fiction Text (Year 1)
  
• 'The Great Gatsby' F. Scott Fitzgerald (Year 1)
  
• 'The Cherry Orchard' Anton Chekhov (Year 1)

Assessment: A range of oral activities internally assessed by the teacher and externally moderated by IB. An assessed Oral Presentation on a topic chosen by the candidate based on one or more Part 4 works is done at the end of the first year of the course.

ASSESSMENT OUTLINE

Written Examination: 50% Paper 1: Commentary: 2 hours: Written commentary based on a previously unseen poem or prose extract. Paper 2: Essay: 2 hours: An essay on a topic based on texts in Part 3.

World Literature and Comparative Literature Component. (20%) Two written assignments internally set and externally marked, based on at least three of the five world literature texts studied in the programme.

Oral Component 30% Internally assessed and externally moderated; based on texts studied in Parts 2 and 4 of the programme.