Welcome to IB English!

1. Welcome to IB English!

2. The A1 English course is divided into 4 Parts… • PART 1: World Lit in translation (novels) • PART 2: Detailed study of Various genres • PART 3: Group of Works (Drama) • PART 4: School’s Free Choice

3. How is your knowledge of the set texts assessed? • Written Paper Component: 2x90 minute exams • World Literature assignment (2 at HL): Comparative coursework essay 1,000-1,500 words based on at least 2 out of 3 Part 1 texts • Individual Oral Commentary: 15 minute taped commentary based on an extract from one of the Part 2 works studied • Individual Oral Presentation: 10-15 minute presentation of a topic based on Part 4 text(s)

4. Written Paper Component:2 x 90 minute exams(worth 50% overall) • 2 Papers, each worth 25% of overall mark • Paper 1Written commentary on Unseen Poetry and another text (answer 1 question out of 2 choices) • Paper 2 Essay questions on Part 3 texts • (answer 1 question out of 2. Answer must be based on Part 3 text and possibly a Part 2 text of the same genre)

5. World Literature Assignment (worth 20% overall) • Comparative coursework essay 1,000-1,500 words based on at least 2 out of 3 Part 1 texts • You can compare themes, characterisation, settings, narrative techniques etc etc...your choice with guidance from teacher • Students must generate own title and work individually once the 3 texts have been studied in class • Teacher assistance during writing the essay is very strictly regulated

6. Individual Oral Commentary(worth 15% overall) • A commentary on an extract chosen by the teacher from one of the Part 2 works studied • 15 minutes long • Taped and sent off for moderation • At Standard Level, the extract is accompanied by guiding questions

7. Individual Oral Presentation(worth 15% overall) • 10-15 minutes long • May be recorded and sent off for moderation • Students choose a topic based on a Part 4 text

8. What are we studying this term? • The House of Bernarda Alba: Lorca (Spanish)PLAY (Part 4 text) • A selection of Poetry - Donne/Harwood/Browning (Part 4 text) • The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the SeaYukio Mishima (Japanese) NOVEL (Part 1 text) • The Handmaid’s Tale: Atwood (Canadian)/Gweillo - Booth (UK)

9. What is literature? Why study lies? • These are questions all students of literature should ask themselves; however, as with many literary issues, there are no easy answers! • It is important that you have some understanding of the issues and formulate your own opinion based on them. • This view will enrich your responses to the texts you study. • As you complete the task, remember that DISCUSSION is essential to your learning…

10. The Dating Game • Now that you have begun to form an underpinning view of what literature is and why we value it as human beings, let’s move on to some close reading and educated guess work! • Follow the instructions on the sheet and remember again to DISCUSS!

11. The Dating Game - Answers All extracts are from texts you are likely to encounter on the course: • John Donne, The Flea, Poem, UK, 1601-07 • Lorca, The House of Bernarda Alba, Play, Spain, 1936 • Swift, A Modest Proposal, Essay, Ireland, 1729 • Shakespeare, Othello, Play, UK, 1600-05 • Achebe, Things Fall Apart, Novel, Nigeria, 1958 • Browning, Porphyria’s Lover, Poem, UK, 1841 • Mishima, The Sailor, novel, Japan, 1965

12. Free Writing • Read the poem carefully at least twice and then 'free write' for around 15 minutes. • Free writing means spilling your thoughts and feelings on to a clean sheet of paper without being concerned about any of the usual Language A1 conventions (organization, critical vocabulary, paragraphs, quotations-to-illustrate-points etc). • You can make statements, ask questions, use sentences or notes/jottings or both. No-one will mark this. The purpose is to capture yourthoughts, your personal response before it vanishes!

13. Plenary • Write a 4 bullet point checklist of the most important things you have learned about the IB course today.