IB IB English Language and Literature 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: IB English Language and Literature belongs to which subject group in the Diploma Programme?
- Group 1: Studies in Language and Literature (Correct answer)
- Group 2: Language Acquisition
- Group 3: Individuals and Societies
- Group 4: Sciences
Correct answer: Group 1: Studies in Language and Literature
English Language and Literature is a Group 1 subject, which covers studies in the student's best language or the language of instruction.
Question 2: In IB English Language and Literature, the Individual Oral (IO) assesses students on:
- A prepared speech on a self-chosen topic
- An extract from a literary work and a non-literary body of work, linked to a global issue (Correct answer)
- A debate with another student on a language topic
- A reading aloud and commentary of a prescribed poem
Correct answer: An extract from a literary work and a non-literary body of work, linked to a global issue
The IO requires students to discuss an extract from a literary work and a non-literary body of work, both connected to a global issue, demonstrating literary and language analysis.
Question 3: Which component of IB English Language and Literature requires students to write a formal literary essay under exam conditions?
- Paper 1: Guided literary analysis
- Paper 2: Comparative essay (Correct answer)
- Higher Level Essay (HLE)
- Individual Oral (IO)
Correct answer: Paper 2: Comparative essay
Paper 2 requires students to write a comparative essay on two of the works studied in Part 3, responding to one of four essay questions.
Question 4: What distinguishes IB English Language and Literature from IB English Literature?
- Language and Literature studies only non-literary texts
- Language and Literature includes both literary and non-literary (language) texts (Correct answer)
- Language and Literature is only available at Standard Level
- Language and Literature does not require an Internal Assessment
Correct answer: Language and Literature includes both literary and non-literary (language) texts
English Language and Literature differs from English Literature by incorporating the study of non-literary language use alongside literary works.
Question 5: In IB English Language and Literature Paper 1, students are asked to:
- Write an essay comparing two works from the course
- Produce a guided literary analysis of an unseen text (Correct answer)
- Complete a close reading of a poem from the prescribed reading list
- Answer multiple-choice questions about language features
Correct answer: Produce a guided literary analysis of an unseen text
Paper 1 presents students with two unseen texts (one literary, one non-literary) and asks them to write a guided analysis of one (SL) or both (HL).
Question 6: The 'global issue' referenced in the IB Language and Literature Individual Oral must:
- Be chosen from a list provided by the IB
- Relate to one of the seven prescribed themes in the course
- Transcend the two texts and connect them to the wider world (Correct answer)
- Focus exclusively on language and power
Correct answer: Transcend the two texts and connect them to the wider world
The global issue chosen by the student must be something that extends beyond the texts themselves and connects to broader human concerns in the world.
IB IB English Language and Literature 1
IB English Language and Literature belongs to which subject group in the Diploma Programme?