EE Criterion B: Knowledge & Understanding (6pts)

"Criterion B assesses the extent to which the research relates to the subject area/discipline used to explore the research question, or in the case of the world studies extended essay, the issue addressed and the two disciplinary perspectives applied, and additionally the way in which this knowledge and understanding is demonstrated through the use of appropriate terminology and concepts.” (IBO 2016:102)

• For all three categories of essay, supporting source materials should be chosen appropriately and used effectively and purposefully to demonstrate an understanding of the wider issues involved.

• Clarity and precision of communication in a studies in language and literature essay includes the correct use of language. Students should be able to convey their ideas fluently and articulately. They should also be able to use subject-specific terminology appropriate to the discipline and apply it to their chosen topic with discernment.

• For categories 1 and 2 literature essays, the context should be established succinctly and should not be an excuse for padding out an essay with a lengthy account of the historical or biographical context of a literary text: the quality of the student’s understanding of the primary text is the main concern. The use of secondary source materials is helpful in terms of establishing a wider framework for the discussion; however,s this should not replace the student’s personal engagement with the primary text(s).

• For category 3 language essays, the introduction of the essay should focus on the chosen topic and how it relates to existing knowledge of that subject and/or why it is of special interest to the target language and/or culture. The text(s) should be explored and understood through a critical consideration of their specific cultural and/or linguistic background. The student’s personal experience or personal opinion should only be included if relevant to a discussion of, for example, the target audience for the text, and not as unsupported assertion.

How to do a TOK presentation

From the Horse's Mouth

Examiner advice for Paper 2 (Eng A: Language & Literature)

Every year, the IBO releases examiner reports which offer valuable insights for teachers and students for each type of assessment.  These can be turned into a useful guide what to do and NOT do on exams.

What appeared difficult for candidates

• Not answering the specifics of the question was a problem for some candidates. For example, some candidates were able to identify examples of “foreshadowing” without really discussing the effect of such “foreshadowing”. 

• Structuring essays also continues to be an issue for many candidates and, while some of this is no doubt due to time pressure in an examination, terms are often lacking clear definition and a thesis statement is absent or submerged in a rambling introduction. This is linked to the way candidates frequently do not answer the questions as asked, often falling back on learned discussion of themes that clouds the task at hand.

• Some candidates appeared to have a “set/prepared” question in mind and attempted to force the question to fit that prepared response with limited success leading to vague generalizations without evidence.

• Some are still struggling to use the appropriate diction for the discussion of Poetry, Prose and Drama. Many do not see a difference created by these genre choices and plays are at times called novels and acts are called chapters etc.

• There was a very high prevalence of answers that appeared to have been prepared in outline prior to the exam where candidates were almost waiting for a question to “lock” onto that would allow them to use this material. As one examiner put it: “ [I received] many responses that were almost a stock response with little individuality or personal response to either book - a sense that notes and essay plans were learned rather than reading and discussing books.”   Formulaic responses lack the sense of real engagement and in particular the presentation of a reading of the text based on evidence selected by the candidates.

Where candidates appeared well-prepared

• Many candidates wrote very good responses that highlighted literary features and more importantly their effects on the reader. Specifically, these discussions led to a perceptive analysis of stylistic features and narrative structures, including poetic forms, points of view, symbolism, metaphor etc. The better essays were also able to discuss stylistic features that were specific to the genre of the work (visual imagery in Persepolis, or the use of stage directions in A Doll’s House).

• A large number of responses showed that candidates had been admirably well prepared using excellent language skills, giving detailed accounts of the texts and integrating the analysis of literary style so that it was relevant to their argument.

• Knowledge of context was also good though integrating this into the answer less assured. Most candidates were able to structure their essays though at times conclusions were often absent or very thin.

Recommendations to candidates

• Candidates should to be encouraged constantly to provide evidence for their ideas. There is still a tendency to generalize and assume.

• The excellent attention to the specific stylistic aspects of graphic novels should also be applied to drama and the prose works. 

• Candidates need to be more comfortable with the lexicon for discussing the different genres. 

• While it is important to have the appropriate vocabulary, candidates also need to be aware of the effect of authorial choices on the reader/audience.

• Candidates need to define (explain) the terms/topic/approach used in their question (preferably in the introduction or at least early on in the paper). Many lost focus because there was no clear direction established in the introduction and the conclusions were often only tacked on. 

• A good introduction and conclusion can give structure to an essay which otherwise may “drift”. A greater emphasis must be made to have candidates address literary conventions/ stylistic features in their responses (with specific focus on the effects these features have on the audience/reader) especially if the question does not specifically ask for it.

• More time must be spent on deconstructing/unpacking previous paper 2 essay questions, focusing on what aspects/features of the literary works are relevant to the chosen question. Often candidates begin the essay well enough but end up resorting to plot summary and whatever they can remember about the works they have allegedly studied. This can lead to a problem in developing the argument. Having candidates practice using cohesive phrases such as ‘in addition’, ‘however’, ‘consequently’ and ‘in conclusion’ would indicate to the examiner that the essay has a structure and a direction.

• Structuring responses could also be looked at with candidates, encouraging close focus on the nuances of the question, defining terminology clearly and structuring the flow of the essay so that the knowledge of the texts can serve the development of the argument, not vice versa.

Need practice for the Paper 2 exam? Contact us. 

From the Horse's Mouth

Examiner advice for Paper 2 (English A: Literature)

Every year, the IBO releases examiner reports which offer valuable insights for teachers and students for each type of assessment. The reports typically offer detailed observations on student performance in each criterion. These can be turned into a useful guide what to do and NOT do on exams

(Combined and adapted from the 2015-16 IB Subject Reports for SL/HL.)

General Comments

The study of a text is not the memorization of information (easily found on Wikipedia or in Sparknotes) about a text, not the isolated study of literary conventions, not the isolated study of particular contextual elements, nor the memorization of responses to possible questions, but consistent engagement of what and how a text means and how this might be significant. The best questions in paper 2 are authentic, interesting problems of literary study and the best responses in paper 2 seem to have a subtext that says, “what a surprising, interesting question that is even more interesting in relation to some of the particular complexities I have seen in the novels I have studied.” Examiners in this session remarked on a number of qualities in the responses of candidates. While there were many, and many types of, good responses, the best all shared qualities of being holistic, thorough responses attentive to the particulars of the question and the particulars of the works studied.

The areas of the programme and examination which appeared difficult for the candidates

Overall, the candidates are well prepared for the expectations of the exam. The candidates have clearly studied the works and they understand the expectations of the paper in relation to the criteria. Candidates have clearly received direct instruction in organization, comparison, evaluation and approaches to generic conventions. 

But here is where the candidates run into difficulty. 

Candidates struggle at times to approach the question and the task in an authentic way. In other words, some candidates have "learned" the texts so well that they are not able to approach the question itself. They spend most of the time struggling to fit set ideas into a new question (the American Dream in A Streetcar Named Desire into "flight"). Learning a variety of interpretations of a work does not necessarily lead to the ability to produce interpretations in relation to a question.  This is a similar problem with evaluation-- good evaluation amounts to evaluative interpretation, to getting at why the question actually matters to the works and to literature, to understanding why the problem might shed insight into the works. Since candidates have learned they must evaluate, some are reduced to the notion of "author x does this better than author y." This arises again with comparison. Candidates throw in words like "similar" when there is only a faint similarity, or "on the other hand" when the subsequent idea does not seem to be another hand. The same might be said for generic conventions. Candidates who have memorized a few key generic conventions struggle to fit these into an authentic answer to a text. What results is some sort of tortuous thesis that says "Williams shows us the exciting force in "Death of a Salesman" through diction, imagery and interesting set design in order to show the false promise of the American Dream" instead of getting at the question at hand ("In Death of a Salesman the return of Biff sets into motion...that not only shows tension between the characters but indicates that family itself... "). In much the same vein, a strict structure of organization, while sometimes helpful to students as a scaffold while learning, may not always serve them well in an exam and may take the candidates away from the "content" (the question) at hand. Another issue in terms of meaning and effect is the tendency for students to talk about the "relatability" of characters. This is an issue with some examiners (and literary critics). While we won't argue the use of the word relatability one way or the other, suffice it to say that many candidates begin and end their discussion of the effect of a generic convention or the meaning of a text with the fact that it somehow "affects" the reader and makes them closer to the character or situation. An opening, for example, might draw us in. A character going through hardship is "relatable" and the audience sympathizes with her. While we may recognize and forgive this sentiment or notion, it can only be a starting point. If sympathy is created we must wonder why and to what ends.

The areas of the programme and examination in which candidates appeared well prepared

In general, candidates are aware of the demands of the task and are well versed on their works, especially in relation to plot and character. Many candidates have an impressive array of textual detail at their disposal to use in response to the question. Once again, stronger responses use this detail in a flexible way in relation to the demands of the question while weaker responses tend to ineffectually force material—perhaps less well understood—to a question. The best responses have introductions that give evidence of significant thought in relation to question and a particular focus in relation to the texts themselves. These responses often read as if the candidate does not have nearly enough time to get at their thoughts on the complexities of the question or the nuances in comparison.

Recommendations and guidance for the teaching of future candidates

• Students should practise handwriting so that their scripts are legible.

• Focus on the work at hand is the most important element in preparation for paper 2. Students should be responding frequently to interesting, ambiguous and difficult elements of a work as opposed to learning accepted readings of a text.

• While literary conventions need to be studied, they should be considered as part of a discussion of what a text means and how meaning is generated rather than as isolated elements with a narrow range of effects.

• Structure is important in an essay but a particular structure is not mandated and the best essays read as reasonable arguments that consider necessary detail rather than as narrow discussions that follow formula. Formulaic introductions, reduction to three key themes or elements, quick tags to the question and broad or grand conclusions often seem empty as compared to essays in which form simply follows a desire to communicate an idea through a beginning, a middle and an end.

From the Horse's Mouth

Examiner Advice for the IOC (English A: Literature).

Every year, the IBO releases examiner reports which offer valuable insights for each exam and assessment type. The reports typically offer recommendations to candidates and teachers on how to improve and what to avoid.  What follows is advice for candidates preparing for this oral exam.

Candidate performance against each criterion

Criterion A:

As in the past, candidates who demonstrated a genuine sense of engagement with the poem as a literary text performed very well. They explored the content and form of the piece, showing how the two contribute to its meaning (s). They avoided the temptation to see the poem a springboard to talk about matters of biographical, cultural or social context; and they avoided the temptation to lapse into paraphrase and description in place of analysis and interpretation. As one moderator reports, ‘candidates who gave a convincing overview of the poem from the outset and proceeded to elaborate on this overview, examining the text and subtext of the piece normally conveyed their knowledge and understanding more convincingly.’ However, many candidates continue to deliver pre-learned biographical introductions; these are always unhelpful. Moderators are also concerned that although ‘context’ is no longer discretely rewarded, teachers’ subsequent questions continue to focus on this aspect instead of the poem itself.


Criterion B:

Candidates who showed a clear awareness of the poet’s techniques and their effect in shaping and giving meaning to the poem or extract tended to do very well. Overall, however, this remains the most problematic criterion with moderators and teachers disagreeing sharply in their marking. Some candidates tended to see the demands of the criterion as best served through reference to as many literary features as possible. As one senior moderator put it, “Selecting the few that generate the most impact, or play the most significant role, and wrestling with them in some detail, is a key way in which the sense of independent critical response can be generated.” In addition, many moderators observed that too often candidates relied on paraphrase coupled with reader response, rather than a clear awareness of techniques and their effects. In some cases, the teacher’s subsequent questions failed to focus the candidate on missing details in the analysis. In other cases, some candidates damaged their cause by making judgments that were vague, unsupportable or speculative, as exemplified by statements like “this helps the reader to visualise the scene” and “the colour red is usually associated with passion.”

Criterion C

There was a wide range in the organizational quality of the commentary. Excellent analyses demonstrated careful arrangement of points or ideas, with candidates progressing through each point with carefully integrated textual evidence to support their interpretations. Such candidates had very effective introductions in which they announced the intended focus of the analysis and they brought the commentary to a meaningful end through a concluding statement, however brief. This independent control of material was further evidenced in the ‘body’ of the analysis in which candidates produced a deliberate and persuasive response to the poem. However, many commentaries tended to rely on the kind of linear approach that easily invited paraphrase and ‘explanation’ in place of analysis and interpretation. To paraphrase one senior moderator’s report, candidates who organized their ideas around 3-4 broad concepts and who stuck to them were the ones who typically scored higher marks in this criterion.


Criterion D

Most candidates demonstrated adequate knowledge of the work. They knew the plot and characters and discussed them at length; however, many did not explore the implications of the work. As a result, they lost marks for not showing enough ‘understanding’ of the text. Responses which showed a good understanding of the conventions of the work tended to do well. Still, very often, the quality of the candidate’s response very much depended on the kind of questions asked by the teacher. For example, candidates who were simply confined to ‘interviews’ about the work did not score high marks. Similarly, weak responses were elicited by vague and unhelpful questions like ‘What can you tell me about this work?’ or equally inappropriate questions, like ‘Who was your favorite character?’ or ‘Which character would you like to hang out (sic) with?’ or ‘How enthusiastic were you about the beginning of the play?’ and so on. In some cases, candidates merely reproduced taught material as prompted by questions like “In class we discussed the underlying reasons why Myrtle (in The Great Gatsby) feels compelled to buy a dog. What are those reasons?” Answers to such questions hardly showed the candidate’s insights into the work.

Criterion E

Once again, candidate performance in this criterion very much depended on the teacher’s questions. Candidates who were engaged in a dynamic and spontaneous discussion about the work as a literary artefact, with the teachers asking pertinent and probing questions performed very well. Their answers were often independent, thoughtful and lively. As one moderator observes, it was unfortunate that teachers’ questions often led candidates’ responses into “territory that is speculative (e.g. ‘What would have happened if Okonkwo had not accidentally killed his kinsman in Things Fall Apart?’), unhelpfully personal or subjective or irrelevant (e.g. ‘As a person of color, how do you respond to Othello’s tribulations in this play?’).” Even weaker responses were those that talked about the characters in the works as if they were real people.

Criterion F

Most of the performances ranged from adequate to excellent. The most successful were candidates who expressed themselves clearly, cogently and fluently. However, many candidates seemed unaware that they were sitting an examination, which by definition is a formal undertaking. Consequently, the quality of their expression was dampened by the ubiquitous use of ‘like’ and equivalent fillers, resulting in loss of points.

Recommendations and guidance for the teaching of future candidates

As stressed in previous subject reports, teaching close analysis of short texts including poems throughout the diploma course has immense benefits for the student. Special emphasis needs to be placed on examining the different literary features of the text, how they collectively contribute to the meaning of the text and its effects on the reader. To quote one moderator, “Students should be encouraged to delve into elements of the poem that for them are the most significant , not to see them as a formulaic walk through a series of pre-determined check list of points – nor to think they have to cover everything.” Equally important is practising doing the oral commentary, with the teacher crafting suitable guiding questions for each text. In the latter case, one question should address the content of the text (e.g. theme) and the other some aspect of the language (e.g. a stylistic feature). For some teachers, it is also useful to remember that pre-set subsequent questions hardly ever help the candidate’s commentary. Please note that the Subject Guide requires the candidate to speak for 8 minutes, at which point the teacher should step in - even if the analysis is incomplete - and ask the subsequent questions. Moderators are instructed to take no account of any points made after the 10 minutes have elapsed, however strong.

It is important to distinguish between an interview and a discussion. Whereas it is acceptable to use some of the questions suggested in the subject guide and TSM, using them mechanically tends to limit the candidate’s ability to display their own insights into the work. Teachers who are always alert and interested in the response, asking pertinent follow-up questions, enable the candidate to reveal their strengths. To quote one moderator, “Understanding how to make the discussion work for the benefit of the student is particularly important. Questions should be appropriate, responses nurtured carefully and ideally developed, new topics brought up when a particular line of enquiry has been more or less exhausted.” Questions which focus on the ways in which people, events, settings and themes are presented in the work and which encourage students to make reference to the literary elements of the text help to produce quality responses. It is therefore important to avoid questions that invite speculation, generalization or simply memorized taught detail. Also, teachers are advised to refrain from asking whether a student was ‘satisfied’ with the ending of a work; instead, the teacher could ask about the extent to which things are resolved at the end so as to gauge the nature of the student’s understanding of the work. Further, it is never a good idea to lead students into discussion about politics or race relations. As one veteran moderator says,  ” Doing so removes focus from the text and encourages comments for which no marks can be awarded.”

From the Horse's Mouth

Examiner advice for IOC (Eng A: Language and Literature)

Every year, the IBO releases examiner reports which offer valuable insights for teachers and students for each assessment, providing detailed observations on student performance in each criterion. These can be turned into a useful guide what to do and NOT do on exams.

Comments by Criterion

Criterion A: 

• Candidates still fail sometimes to situate their extracts, or to indicate the significance of the extract to the work as a whole. This was particularly true for candidates with poems. Some candidates simply made comments that indicated that they expected the listener to know these points. Candidates need to be reminded that their commentaries are addressed to moderators as well as the teacher, and that the moderator has not been in the classroom

• The weakest candidates struggled to make sense of any part of their extract or fell to discussing the work in general and ignoring what was in front of them; the weaker candidates offered paraphrases or summaries of the extract.

• Adequate candidates showed satisfactory understanding of most of the extract and were able to see the significance of that extract in the larger work, e.g. that this scene is early in the work and the writer is just beginning to introduce the characters or to establish the setting, etc. and is able to discuss the lines of the extract in that light.

• The good candidates showed a clear understanding of almost the entire extract and were able to make comments based on a clear knowledge of the work.

• The excellent candidates were fully comfortable in their understanding of the extract and often brought more than one interpretation to bear, showing their understanding and appreciation for ambiguities or subtleties of the extract and for the extract in relation to the larger work.

Criterion B:

• As usual, moderators point to this criterion as the one least likely for the candidates to fulfill. A full array of responses occurred in this criterion, from no awareness of literary features at all, to incorrect spotting of devices or misinterpretation of them, to spotting of devices but failing to see their effects, to a full awareness of the presence of numerous authorial techniques and a discussion of their relevance in the shaping of meaning in the extract.

Criterion C:

• Some candidates were very clear in their introductions as to how they were going to approach the oral, offering three or four steps and then following that pattern.

• The choices as to what to cover and in what order varied in their effectiveness. Some decisions regarding topics led to the candidates failing to discuss several portions of the extract, thus impacting their knowledge and understanding mark. Some candidates clearly saw the key significance of the extract and developed their orals around ways in which this significance was borne out, offering a conclusion that effectively encapsulated the commentary.

• As always there were introductions that were much too long and offered too much information that was extraneous to the extract itself, such as irrelevant biographical or historical material.

• Fortunately, most candidates took this time to concisely situate the extract within the larger work, to establish why the extract was significant and to point out how they were going to address the extract. Conclusions, however, were more rare. Many candidates just stopped; and others offered a long repetition of what they had just said.

• In terms of the body of the response, many candidates simply chose to go through the extract line by line, which is acceptable and can even be effective, providing that the candidate ties the discussion to the significance of the extract and remains analytical. Unfortunately, too many candidates use this form of organization simply to paraphrase the extract.

• Almost all the moderators commented that careful signposting of topics or arguments during the body of the response was most helpful to the listener.

Criterion D

• Most moderators reported that the language was generally clear and the register appropriate.

• There was concern, however, that the language of literature has weakened. As this is a literary commentary, it is to be expected that the candidates have a vocabulary suited to the discussion of literature. A Shakespearian play should not be referred to as a novel, or stanzas as paragraphs. A firm understanding of terms such as irony, motif, symbol, image, metaphor, simile, theme, monologue, dialogue, soliloquy, rhyme, meter, etc. should be in place. Candidates might also be reminded that though their extract may be written in a casual register, their analysis of it should still be formal.

Recommendations for future candidates

• Many candidates seem to show the need for further practice in delivering a timed commentary.

• Teachers need to help candidates with the organization of their commentaries so that they know how to make effective choices that enable them to show a full understanding of the extract and its literary features.

• Candidates must discover the works for themselves, drawing their own insights and conclusions, and thus have "ownership" of the material that will give them confidence when discussing it.

Moderators also commented that a number of candidates failed to situate their extracts, or to indicate the significance of the extract to the work as a whole. This was particularly true for candidates with poems. Some candidates simply made comments that indicated that they expected the listener to know these points.

How to “PEE(L)”

Paper 2 questions (English A: Literature)

Questions are divided into 4 distinct genre-types, with three questions in each to choose from. You must answer one question only, using at least two of the part 3 works you studied in class. You will be required to compare and contrast these works in response to the question.

Answer one essay question only. You must base your answer on at least two of the part 3 works you have studied and compare and contrast these works in response to the question. Answers which are not based on a discussion of at least two part 3 works will not score high marks.

Drama

1. With reference to at least two plays you have studied, compare the means by which playwrights seek to direct our attention to particular moments in the dramas they have crafted, and explore the effects created.

2. Some characters in plays remain static: they don’t change. With reference to at least two plays you have studied, compare how static characters are used and to what effect.



3. It has been said that all drama teaches. With reference to at least two plays you have studied, compare the methods used to teach or educate the audience and consider their effects.



Poetry

4. Compare the means by which at least two poets you have studied have explored the power and significance of memory.



5. Many poets seem to employ deliberate ambiguity. Comparing the work of at least two poets you have studied, consider how ambiguity adds to the reader’s experience of the poems.



6. Comparing the work of at least two poets you have studied, consider their use of diction – grand, elevated, informal, subject-specific and so on – and discuss the effects achieved.



Prose: novel and short story

7. In the works of at least two authors you have studied, consider and compare the techniques used to make their fictional worlds believable.



8. Compare the methods chosen by at least two authors you have studied for the openings of their works, and the effectiveness of these choices in establishing contact with the reader.



9. Discuss the presentation and significance of physical action in the works of at least two authors you have studied.



Prose other than fiction


10. What Trollope said of fiction – that above all it must be readable, we must want to read on – is just as true of other types of prose writing. In at least two works of prose other than fiction you have studied, compare the means by which authors have made us want to keep reading.



11. Writers of prose non-fiction often employ physical, emotional or other barriers or obstacles. In at least two works of prose other than fiction you have studied, compare the presentation and effects of such barriers.



12. It has been argued that while some works of literature can be open to interpretation, non-fiction cannot. Comparing at least two works of prose other than fiction you have studied, discuss the elements used to make the work particularly closed – or open – to interpretation.

Tackling the Paper 2

Sample FOA (Speech - transcribed)

The sample FOA below fulfils the Part 1 (Text and Context) component of the course. It takes its inspiration from the inaugural speech of Nelson Mandela, who became the president of South Africa in 1994, after years of being imprisoned by apartheid governments. The further oral activity is followed by teacher comments and evaluation.

In this sample, the student pretends to be Antjie Krog, a prominent journalist and poet from South Africa, who most likely witnessed the speech first-hand in 1994. In the oral activity, the year is 2014 and she is speaking at an event of the African National Congress (ANC), the ruling political party of South Africa, upon the 20th anniversary of Mandela’s speech.

Link to speech

Sample further oral activity (SL)

Thank you members of the ANC for inviting me here today to speak to you on this 20th anniversary of Nelson Mandela's inauguration. Many of you know me and my work. You know me as a reporter from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in the 1990s. Many of you know my works of poetry written in both Afrikaans and English. And for those of you who do not know my works intimately, you know that the words and ideas of Nelson Mandela are dear to me. They have influenced my writing and shaped me. They have shaped us all. I stand before you today to tell you why I think Madiba's words still ring true today, twenty years later.
      I was only one of hundreds of thousands of people who came to Pretoria on 10 May, 1994. People of all races, from all corners of the world, queens, presidents, and local citizens came to hear his words on that day. It is therefore no wonder that of all the words he used in his speech, the word 'people' was used most frequently. In combination with this word, he spoke of 'humanity'. He appealed to our sense of national and global citizenship when he stated so clearly:

"Our daily deeds as ordinary South Africans must produce an actual South African reality that will reinforce humanity's belief in justice, strengthen its confidence in the nobility of the human soul and sustain all our hopes for a glorious life for all"

     He let us know that in our corner of the world, something great had happened to restore faith in all of humanity. On the very steps of the Unions buildings in Pretoria, where the concept of Apartheid had been conceived he invited the world to gather to celebrate diversity. Where he had devised a shameful state of disgrace, he drew a colossal crowd of hope. Where we had unjustly accused the innocent, he promised reconciliation. He captured this sharp juxtaposition of our country and times best in the final lines of his speech, where he said we had suffered the indignity of being the skunk of the world', and then immediately stated that 'the sun shall never set on so glorious a human achievement!' This was Madiba at his best. How symbolic that was. How moving and noble it was to see Madiba make that day -- a day that should have been about his personal achievement -- a day for the people of South Africa and a day for all of the oppressed people of the world.
       As a writer, I always want to know how one makes an audience feel a certain way. How did Madiba make us feel as one? How did he unite us? As I re-read his words of that day in 1994, I see much reference to the land and nature. He spoke of the soil of his country that we all share, the rich earth, the grass and blossoms. He reminded us of how we are interconnected through the seasons that affect our moods. He pointed out that 'that spiritual and physical oneness we all share with this common homeland explains the depth of the pain we all carried in our hearts as we saw our country tear itself apart in a terrible conflict.' I, as a farmer's daughter, Madiba, as the son of a tribal leader, and all of us, as children of Africa, knew the pain of seeing our homeland torn apart for decade after decade. He united us by tapping into that emotion. He united us by saying that 'the time for the healing of the wounds has come'.
      My questions as a writer, continue. It is one thing to unify us, speak of healing and draw the world's attention to our suffering, but how did he make us believe in a future that is brighter and full of more opportunity than today? I believe he did this by celebrating the achievements of others. In a style that was characteristic of our great leader, he quite humbly appointed F.W. de Klerk Deputy President giving credit to the man who began our country's great transition. He saluted the securty forces for organizing free and fair elections. Remember, many of these forces had a history of hunting down members of the ANC. He dedicated the day to the prisoners and freedom fighters, who for centuries tried to bring democracy and justice to Africa. And this brings me to my final point. Just as Madiba led by example, by honouring his predecessors, by showing humility and forgiving his enemies, we too must continue in this spirit. The dream of freedom is not yet entirely fulfilled in the townships of Johannesburg. There is not yet 'Peace for all' on farms where owners are chased off their land. The ideal of non-racial violence is not a reality where xenophobia exists between South Africans and Zimbabwians and Malawians. Nelson Mandela and the ANC received a mandate on 10 May 1994 'to lead our country out of the valley of darkness', as he said in his words. He warned us that there would be 'no easy road to freedom' and that 'none of us acting alone [could] achieve success'. The world's eyes are still watching South Africa. They do not only watch us when we host the World Cup for football or rugby. Oppressed peoples all over the world look to us as leaders, as pioneers in this field of democracy, diversity and human rights. Madiba has given us big shoes to fill, and we must fill them. we muse deliver on his promise that:
      'South Africans, both black and white, will be able to walk, talk without any fear in their hearts, assured of their inalienable rights to human dignity -- a rainbow nation at peace with itself and the world.
     Thank you ANC for inviting me here today on 10 May 2014. The words of our great leader are as relevant today as in 1994. And when we meet on this day for decades to come, I hope that we can say that this rainbow nation is at peace with itself and the world.

Teacher's Comments

The following assessment and comments are based on the oral presentation. On the whole, the student's performance is focused on Nelson Mandela's inaugural speech, which gave it a strong sense of purpose and coherence. It commented well on a text in its context.

Criterion A Knowledge and understanding of the text(s), subject matter or extract -- 9 out of 10

The student explores the ramifications of Mandela's speech in South Africa both in 1994 and in 2014. The students explains the effect of the words on Antje Krog and the rest of South Africans. The student explores several themes, such as humanity and unification. Mandela's words are also looked at in light of the current problems of South Africa, such as crime and poverty. The student is knowledgeable on the text, as there is reference to and explanation of the original speech.

Criterion B: Understanding of how language is used -- 9 out of 10

The student demonstrates an awareness of the meaning of Mandela's words and their effect on his audience then, in 1994, and now in 2014. Certain phrases, such as the skunk of the world and so glorious an achievement are singled out and explored further, in depth. The whole organizing principle of this speech -- a call to remember Mandela's words -- narrows the focus of this further oral activity down to the use of language in context. This is commended.

Criterion C: Organisation -- 5 out of 5

There is strong coherence in this student's speech as it continually returns to a guiding question: why do Mandela's words still ring true today? The student offers several explanations which are illustrated well with supporting quotations from Mandela's speech. There are signposts and markers for the audience, such as the questions and topic sentences that keep the piece coherent and effective.

Criterion D: Language 5 out of 5

The student's use of English is effective and appropriate. The student uses parallel constructions and strong phrases such as where the concept of apartheid had been conceived, he invited the world to gather to celebrate diversity. Where we had devised a shameful state of disgrace, he drew a colossal crowd of hope. Where we had unjustly accused the innocent, he promised reconciliation. The speech contains many of the main elements of good speech writing, as it appeals to the audiences emotions and sense of logic. What is more, the speech contains a good level and use of vocabulary with words such as mandate and xenophobia. This shows a command of the English language.

Topic, Motif, Theme: What's the Difference?

Students often find it hard to distinguish between ‘motif’, ‘topic’ and ‘theme’. This is understandable since the terms are connected and are often used interchangeably in everyday life, without any clear distinction.

In this post we'll help you understand the differences between these terms so that you use them correctly in your course and in your assignments.

What is motif?

This is the simplest one to define. A motif is a real concrete element of the text that actually appears written on the page. Motifs are repeated again and again throughout a text and through this repetition they begin to symbolise bigger ideas. Remember this idea of bigger ideas because it is important when understanding the relationship between motifs, topics and themes.

What can be a motif?

Basically anything that’s repeated in a text. Most often, however, motifs are repeated images, actions, phrases or objects.

Some examples?

Bernarda’s Rod in The House of Bernada Alba is a great example of a motif. It is a concrete real object that appears a number of times in the text. On it’s own the literal, obvious or basic meaning or Bernarda’s Rod is simply that it is the walking stick that Bernarda uses to support herself. However, through repetition and the way that Lorca makes Bernarda use it, the rod comes to symbolise the bigger ideas of repression and state control. In some ways it might also be symbolic of the scepter (basically a heavy golden stick) that kings or queens, certainly in England, have.

Windows and doors in The House of Bernarda Alba are another good example of objects used as motifs. The literal, obvious or basic meaning of a window or door is, simply, the thing that you walk through or look through. If they appeared only once or twice in the text they wouldn’t really be that important but because Lorca refers to them so often and so obviously they come to symbolise the bigger ideas of a longing for freedom and, by contrast, the restrictions and lack of freedom that the girls experience.

The repetition of ‘The One’ in the Matrix films is a good example of how a phrase can be used as a motif. By itself, ‘the one’ is nothing special. However, because it is repeated so many times in the film we begin to think of it in capitals as ‘The One’ and the phrase comes to suggest Neo’s uniqueness and almost saviour-like or Christ-like nature. Furthermore, the repeated use of bullet time when filming the fight sequences in which everything slows down and Neo is able to dodge bullets or punches is a good example of an action being used as a motif. Again this motif underlines the fact that Neo is unique and capable of things that normal mortals are not.

What is a topic?

This is the confusing one because we often use the term THEME when actually we should be using the term TOPIC. We have already seen that motifs can be used to suggest or symbolise bigger ideas. Essentially those bigger ideas are what we call a topic. If you had to sum up in one or two words what a text is ‘about’ or what the main issues it is dealing with are then those would be the topics of the text.

Topics can be expressed very simply, in just one or two words. Consequently, they are very general and don’t go into very much detail. It is this lack of detail that is important because this is what distinguishes a TOPIC from a THEME: THEMES have more detail.

Examples of topics are easy to come up with – they are the things that we would normally (and erroneously) call themes. For example:

• The role of women. 
• The constructed nature of social roles. 
• Appearance vs. reality. 
• Freedom. 
• Dictatorship 
• Social control. 
• Love. 
• Loneliness.

So, what's a theme?

If a TOPIC is a very general, big idea of what a text is ‘about’ then a THEME is a much more detailed development of what the text says about that big idea. A theme often expresses the writer’s perspective on some aspect of human life.  A theme is not quite the same as the moral of a story (if there is one) because the moral tells us what the world should be like whereas the theme tells us what the world is actually like. Themes are important because they contain a message or set of assumptions about the way the world is.

Because themes are more developed and more complex, they cannot be summarised in one or two words, but can be in one or two sentences. Generally, a sentence about a theme will take a TOPIC idea and develop it further. Obviously a text can have more than one theme. It would be a mistake to assert that a text is ‘about’ just one thing.

Below are some examples of things which are both themes and not themes to help make it clear what exactly a theme is.



‘Female Clothing’:

This doesn’t say anything about the world and is just an aspect of the text, something that we can find written down on the page. If this aspect is repeated enough then it might become a motif which could suggest a bigger idea. In Kiss of the Spider Woman Molina continually dwells on the details of clothing of the women in the films that he talks about; but in no sense is Kiss about female clothing.


‘The Role of Women in Society’

This is a good example of a topic. It is a big idea that a text might be ‘about’ at a very vague and general level. We can see also how a motif could help suggest this topic. In Kiss of a Spider Woman, Molina’s fascination with female clothing may suggest that society has very definite ideas about how a woman should dress.

This could be expressed in the following way:

‘Society constructs different roles for its members, both male and female. These roles are arbitrary but people who do not conform to them are treated as ‘perverted’, immoral, wrong and to be excluded.’

The difference between TOPIC and THEME should now be fairly clear.


We have gone beyond the simple idea that Kiss of the Spider Woman is just ‘about’ the role of women and developed the idea into something really interesting and something which applies to both sexes. Now we can interpret the text as being ‘about’ how society has excluded (by sending to prison) two characters who do not fit the normal rules of how people should behave — Molina because of his sexual behaviour and Valentin because of his political behaviour. Furthermore, the fact that the characters do not fixed remain within their roles as political revolutionary or helpless homosexual suggests the idea that the roles that society constructs for people and that some of those people have constructed for themselves are arbitrary, made up and shifting.

Over to you ...

To help you identify the themes in a work you can ask yourself the following three key questions:



1) The main character / hero is part of which group or groups?

• Consider: gender, race, age, ethnicity, religion, social / economic position, time period, job

• Once you have figured this out make a statement about that person as if it were true of all people in that position.


2) The opponent is part of which group or groups?


• Do the same for the enemy. Bear in mind that, while heroes are almost always individuals enemies can be things as vague as governments, businesses, societies or philosophies.


3) The setting is part of what kind of area?

• Consider: geographically, economically, historically, country or city

• Bear in mind that certain areas of the world have stereotypes associated with them, which may vary from person to person or culture to culture. For example, according to Hollywood, America is the land of the free where anything is possible, whereas the Middle East is a terrifying place where anything can happen and women have no freedom.


An Example: In Harry Potter the main character is a young, inexperienced, white boy of indeterminate wealth, religion or social position who continually manages to succeed against the vastly stronger, more experienced and powerful evil enemies he confronts. Importantly he has been abandoned by his parents and has suffered the cruelty of living with the Dursley’s for years until Hagrid turns up and takes him off to Hogwarts. Just look at Harry! He could be any white English / Western child. The vagueness of his wealth, religion and social position and the disrupted state of his family life mean that almost any child can aspire to be Harry. Although it is very interesting that he is both white and a boy. Indeed, apart from Hermione, girls play a fairly predictable role as objects of love (Cho Chang), mother figures (Professor McGonagall), whiny hopeless helpless things (Moaning Myrtle) or damsels in need of rescue (take your pick). Ethnic minorities are even more sidelined – the Patil twins get a brief outing in the Goblet of Fire where they are Harry and Ron’s last choice of dance partners and, along with Cho Chang, that’s about it for non-white characters. The enemy varies from book to book but they are all less powerful versions of Voldemort who represents selfishness, power, domination, control and ruthlessness. The setting could clearly be anywhere in England / the West / the world. The fact that it is magical just takes it out of the real world and means that it is no longer tied to a particular location.


So what’s the theme? That the pure of heart (exemplified by the young, inexperience but basically good Harry) can over come any amount of evil with courage, faith, bravery, hard work and friendship. Because Harry could be anyone and the wizarding world could be anywhere this applies to everyone. This is a theme that occurs again and again in movies and novels: in The Lord of the Rings the young and inexperienced Bilbo (& friends) defeat Sauron and in Spiderman the equally young and selfless Peter Parker uses super powers to overcome various fantastic villains. However, it doesn’t only happen in fantasy: in Maid in Manhattan Jennifer Lopez’s lowly, hard working, honest, single mother character eventually overcomes various obstacles (albeit not quite evil) to get the man in the end. The idea that ‘the pure and the good eventually come good’ is a massive theme in Western culture and is found almost everywhere. So much so that we often assume it to be true in real life. In one sense this theme is clearly rooted in the bible where eventually, even if life is bitterly cruel and unbearably harsh, the good and pure eventually gain the ultimate reward of heaven.

Here are some alternative questions which can help you identify theme:

What is the Goal of the Main Character?

• This is often first of all in an obvious physical form – the boy / girl, the job, the sports victory, the car, the house, the career, … etc. There is a basically unlimited number of these actual physical goals.

• However, this physical goal often represents a more abstract goal. These are much more limited in number. A character can desire a goal because it represents:

Success / power Love Recognition Revenge Loyalty Freedom Authenticity (being real, man!) Affirmation (to gain the approval of others) Confidence (to gain approval from themselves)


What are the Obstacles? Obstacles can come in a number of different forms:
• People: parents, teachers, policemen, priests, the boss, the stubborn horse, the little sister, …

• Objects: mountains, the sea, the cold, an animal, a trap, …

• Abstract: government, society in general, racism, poverty, nature, fate, God, ignorance, …

What is the Turning Point / Climax? There is often a point in the story where the main character discover something or has a revelation about his goal. There may be a speech at this point can reveal the themes of the text.


What are the Last Words? Often at the end of a novel or text an author can’t resist a very direct and obvious reference back to one of the major themes. This might be in the form of a direct statement or a symbol. A good example of a symbolic ending would be the death of Adela (who represents freedom and rebellion) at the end of The House of Bernarda Alba. Bernarda’s subsequent statement about silence reinforces the idea that society / the government / religion is crushing the freedom and individuality of people at the time in rural Spain. Obviously these things don’t have to actually be the final, final words in a text. In a long novel they might not even be in the last chapter.


What is the Title? The title can sometimes help identify a theme. It may do this in a number of ways:

• As a symbol – the Spider Woman, suggests entrapment and deviousness

• By using the main character to stand for the theme – Bernarda Alba represents repression

• By directly stating the theme – we will be together From Here to Eternity


If you are still having difficult identifying themes and motifs in your work, contact us. If you are new to our services, ask for your free trial session.

IOC Prep. Questions (English A: Lang&Lit)

As you review your key passages you should be asking two broad questions: i) what makes this passage "key" and ii) how does this passage convey thoughts and feelings? A focused, well-developed response will address both.

Use the questions below, arranged by genre, to help you think about each of your passages in a way that is conducive to the oral commentary. 

Prose: Novel and short story 

• How does the extract show the attitudes and emotions of the central character(s)?
• In what ways does the use of language reveal underlying tensions?
• How is the significance of the setting of the work revealed in the extract?
• How are the central ideas of the work conveyed through the extract?
• In what ways does the extract foreshadow subsequent developments in the work?
• How is the extract pivotal to the structure of the plot?

Prose other than fiction

• How does the point of view influence our attitude to the ideas being conveyed in the extract?
• In what ways is the extract central to the work as a whole?
• How is diction used to influence the reader?
• How is a strong sense of place conveyed in the extract?
• In what ways are rhythm and balance important elements in conveying the writer’s point of view?
• What does the extract reveal of the writer’s attitude towards the subject matter?

Poetry

• What use has the writer made of repetition to convey meaning and/or emotional effects?
• How does the use of a persona contribute to the dramatic force of the poem?
• How is symbolism used to convey meaning?
• In what ways does the final line/stanza change your understanding of the poem as a whole?
• In what ways does the poet use repetition to underline key ideas?
• How is rhythm used to complement the thought and feeling of the poem?

Drama

• How are gesture and action used to convey the state of mind of the character(s)?
• How is language used to show contrasts between the characters?
• In what ways does the extract show or hint at developing conflict in the play?
• How does the extract reveal the time and place of the action in the play?
• What does the extract reveal of the relationship between X and Y?
• In what ways is the extract significant in revealing a key idea of the play?

We will prepare you for every aspect of the interactive oral. Contact us.

Text-Types: Diary

“Diary” is a popular genre choice for the WT1; it is also one where unwary candidates tend to lose points in the final assessment. A precise understanding of the genre and its potential will help you avoid the most common blunders.
 

This is an excellent option for the written task, provided you have a good understanding of what is required!

Discussion

Before the age of Twitter and Facebook, the best way to keep track of your life was through a diary or journal. For most, a diary is a place of private introspection where one can transfer thoughts and feelings onto paper. In some cases, diaries are interesting documents that reveal a story of a certain time or place, like the diaries of Anne Frank and Samuel Pepys. 

Candidates should be forewarned: the diary is not the soft, generic, all-purpose option for your written assignment. A diary is not the same as a blog; nor is it a mere exercise in flow of consciousness!  Your choice of genre should be grounded on the same two questions that examiners will be asking themselves as they peruse your written task:

1) is the candidate familiar with the chosen text-type?
2) does the text-type matches purpose?  

The observations by examiners in their yearly report confirm the relevance of these two questions:

Candidates frequently lost marks as a result not only of choosing an unsuitable text type to fulfil their objectives (for example a private diary entry is hardly the best way of drawing the attention of the world to burning issues) but also because they assumed they were familiar with the conventions of a type when, actually, they were not.

Candidates should be aware that while some adolescents adopt the ‘Dear diary’ form of address, the vast majority of adults do not. The candidate who chooses to write the diary entry of an adult should be encouraged to read some diaries or at least an anthology of diary entries rather than make assumptions about this type of text.

It can be observed that the more inauthentic a task is, the more unsuitable it is.

The last point is worth noting. In practical terms: "Take care when matching your text-type with character or situation!" Characters known for their physical presence or highly active nature are unlikely to to keep a diary (e.g. Stanley in A Streetcar Called Desire). Likewise, not all characters will be introspective or capable of deep thought (e.g. Nelly in Wuthering Heights) and thus will be unsuitable for articulating complexities. Candidates also tend to forget, or ignore, some of the most obvious factors that disqualify a character from writing a diary. Huckleberry Finn, though intelligent and observant, is illiterate. The factory children in Oliver Twist could not possibly have the time or leisure to keep a diary: the environment militates against such activity. And so on and so forth.  Examiners will be sure to note these discrepancies, even if you do not.

These are just a few considerations, but you will notice already that some care is needed when matching purpose, genre and character.

Defining characteristics of the genre

A diary ...

• will use a generally informal register

• will include the date and/or day

• will use first person narration

• will have a closing statement to round off the entry

• will avoid self-evident explanatory phrases or sentences, e.g. will use “I saw Alicia”, not “I saw Alicia, my best friend”

• will employ stylistic features such as rhetorical questions, phatic communication, hyperbole, a personal, often intimate and even confessional tone. 

Some or all of these features will appear in the sample entry below. The extract is followed by a short commentary.

Thursday, 19 November 1942

Dearest Kitty,

Just as we thought, Mr Dussel is a very nice man. 

[...]

Mr. Dussel has told us much about the outside world we’ve missed for so long. He had sad news. Countless friends and acquaintances have been taken off to a dreadful fate. Night after night, green and grey military vehicles cruise the streets. They knock on every door, asking whether any Jews live there. If so, the whole family is immediately taken away. If not, they proceed to the next house. It’s impossible to escape their clutches unless you go into hiding. They often go around with lists, knocking only on those doors where they know there’s a big haul to be made. They frequently offer a bounty, so much per head. It’s like the slave hunts of the olden days… I feel wicked sleeping in a warm bed, while somewhere out there my dearest friends are dropping from exhaustion or being knocked to the ground. I get frightened myself when I think of close friends who are now at the mercy of the cruellest monsters ever to stalk the earth. And all because they’re Jews.  

--  Yours, Anne


Comment:  In her (here, abridged) entry, Anne Frank starts conventionally with a date, but also addresses her diary by name (Kitty). This would be unusual for an older, more mature diary writer. Anne, however, is a young adolescent writer, and justifies her choice in an earlier entry, explaining that she is alone in the world and has no friend in which to confide. Her diary serves as a surrogate friend. Note the tone, which is confiding and intimate -- even confessional. This is most evident in the last few lines, starting with "I feel wicked...". Her entry is based in what she learns that day about the outside world from a newcomer to the annex, Dussel.  Anne records the news of the day and shares her reactions.
This is entirely in keeping with the genre, where events are recorded as they come to pass and serve as a basis for intimate reflection. We see from her reactions that Anne is a very conscientious and engaging character.  She is also a very adept writer. This piece reveals a lot in a short space. Right from the start, we are privy to her isolation ("...the outside world we've missed for so long") and her yearning for news. Her confinement is real. We are also given a detailed account of historical events of World War 2 Holland, with the rounding up of Jews. Note in particular the literary qualities of this highly-worked passage, which makes Anne the accomplished and engaging writer that she is. The evocative Countless friends..dreadful fate; balanced repetition combined with alliteration night after night, green and grey ...; parallel structure If so .. If not ....; powerful metaphors cruellest monsters... ever to stalk the earth; escape their clutches; allusions/fruitful comparisons It's like the slave hunts of the olden days. A sense of dread pervades this passage; the precariousness of Anne's situation as a Jew in occupied Holland is palpable. The entry ends with a coda: "And all because they are Jews." which is normally sufficient for a diary, but here we note the final salutation, as in a letter. Here again, there is good reason for this writer to sign off this way. In an earlier entry, Anne explains that it is easier for her to write if she envisions her entries as letters to a dear friend. 

If you are in any way unsure about how to use this form within the context of the WT1, contact us.

A selection of diaries of famous people

Historical

The Diary of Lena Mukhina: A Girl's Life in the Siege of Leningrad 

Conversations with Myself (Nelson Mandela)

The Diary of Samuel Pepys. 

A Journal of the Plague Year (Daniel Defoe)

Anne Frank: Den Achterhuis / Diary of a Young Girl

The Diaries of Nella Last.

Literary 

A Writer's Diary - Virginia Woolf

Diaries, 1910 to 1923 - Franz Kafka

The Unabridged Journals of Sylvia Plath - Sylvia Plath

Reborn: Journals and Notebooks, 1947-1963 - Susan Sontag

The Diary of Anais Nin, Vol. 1: 1931-1934 - Anais Nin

In the Spotlight: Seamus Heaney

New to our Series: "Famous Seamus", popular Irish poet and Nobel Prize winner for Literature! His best known collection of poems are from Death of a Naturalist (1966) which are largely concerned with childhood experiences and the formulation of adult identities, family relationships, and rural life. 

Our Spotlight series offers ideas for assignments on a featured author or work. Use these as prompts - or take them straight as they are. Need some advice? Contact us.  

“Between my finger and my thumb

The squat pen rests; snug as a gun.”

FOA / IOP

Presentation: Heaney's relationship with members of his family as portrayed in "Digging", "Follower" and "Mid-Term Break" from the collection (Death of a Naturalist).

Presentation: Choose any three poems and discuss the contradictions that are an essential part of Heaney's poetry.

Presentation: Comment on Heaney's treatment of viking corpses and the bodies found in the bogs of Ireland and how he relates their history to his own time. "Bog Queen", "Punishment", "Viking Dublin: Trial Pieces".

WT1

Rework some of the poems into a passage from a memoir. This is a particularly suitable form, as it allows you to identify and focus on what is are key or memorable aspects of Heaney's early life in Ireland.

Using the form diary, you can not only demonstrate your understanding of this text-type, but also reproduce the tone, perspective, and reflection in some of Heaney's poems.

WT2

Q.1 How could  the text be read and interpreted differently by two different readers?

Many of Heaney's poems lend themselves very well to a Marxist critical interpretation which could be contrasted with a psycho-analytical reading of the same poems.


Q. 3 How and why is a social group represented in a particular way?

You could explore the representation of childhood in this collection of poems, looking in particular at narration, point of view and imagery.

Heaney makes frequent reference to labourers and those working the land. How are these figures treated in his poetry? Do they have any special significance?

Q.5  How does the text conform to, or deviate from, the conventions of a particular genre, and for what purpose?

Investigate Heaney's use of elegy and the pastoral in his poems.

EE

In The Redress of Poetry (1995), Heaney wrote: "[The] redressing effect of poetry comes from its being a glimpsed alternative, a revelation of potential that is denied or constantly threatened by circumstances." Investigate how his own writings conform to this idea.

Though never assuming an overtly political voice, Heaney’s work was never apolitical, and as an artist he kept an unbreakable faith in the ability of poetry to speak truth to power. To what extent can Heaney be called a voice of conscience (Irish, environmental, social)?

To what purpose(s) does Heaney draw on the pastoral in his poetry?

Compare and contrast Seamus Heaney and Robert Frost's use of nature in their poetry. You may decide to offer an evaluation of which poet is the more effective in this respect. *Note, this topic will conform to a cat. 1 (not cat.2) Language A essay. Category 2 is a comparison made between two works, one of which is translated.

IOC (exemplars)

1) student poem, performance 
2) Teacher exemplar "Digging"

Resources

Digging (Critical analysis)
Death of a Naturalist (analysis)
Death of a Naturalist (critical discussion)
Blackberry Picking (annotation)

The Written Assignment (WA) in a Nutshell

For many students, the WA will be the first formal, analytical essay that they submit to the IB and a rather unusual one for that, as it involves a series of stages, partly guided and partly independent.

Below we give all the necessary details of this assignment and the various stages of a process culminating in the final essay.

Need help with your WA? Contact us for a free session.


The Written Assignment is an analytical essay based on a work in translation studied in Part 1. It is worth 25% of the final mark in Literature A and is externally assessed. The essay is accompanied by a reflective statement.

In brief...

Work submitted Literary essay 1,200–1,500 words (assessed)
Relevant reflective statement 300–400 words (assessed)

Goal To produce an analytical, literary essay on a topic generated by the student and developed from one of the pieces of supervised writing

Assessment A combined mark out of 25 to be awarded for the reflective statement and the literary essay, based on five assessment criteria (A–E)

Process Four-stage process consisting of both oral and written tasks

Stage 1: The Interactive Oral

The interactive oral is a focused class discussion in which all students and the teacher participate. Each student should be responsible for initiating some part of the discussion in at least one of the interactive orals for one work. Students may participate as a group or individually, and teachers may organize the discussion in a variety of different ways.

The discussions should address the following cultural and contextual considerations:

• In what ways do time and place matter to this work?
• What was easy to understand and what was difficult in relation to social and cultural context and issues?
• What connections did you find between issues in the work and your own culture(s) and experience?
• What aspects of technique are interesting in the work?

Stage 2: The Reflective Statement

The reflective statement is a short writing exercise and should be completed as soon as possible following the interactive oral. Each student is asked to provide a reflection on each of the interactive orals. The reflective statement on the same work as the student’s final assignment is submitted for assessment.

The reflective statement must be based on the following question:

"How was your understanding of cultural and contextual considerations of the work developed through the interactive oral?"

A detailed guide to writing the reflective statement can be found here.

Stage 3: Developing the Topic -- Supervised Writing

Supervised writing is intended as a springboard to elicit ideas from the student. From these ideas the student develops a topic and the final essay. The ultimate goal of this stage of the process is to help students to produce good essays with appropriate topics. To this end students are required to respond to each of the works studied in a written exercise undertaken during class time.

For each work studied (two at SL, three at HL) one piece of writing produced during class time is required. The recommended time for each piece of writing is 40–50 minutes and the writing must be in continuous prose. At the end of the lesson the writing must be handed to the teacher and an unedited copy kept on file until the end of the examination session.

Stage 4: Production of the Essay

Each student is required to produce an essay of 1,200–1,500 words in length on a literary aspect of one work. The essay is developed from one of the pieces of supervised writing completed in class, with the guidance of the teacher.

From the Horse's Mouth

Examiner Advice for Paper 1 (English A: Literature).

Every year, the IBO releases examiner reports which offer valuable insights for each exam and assessment type. The reports typically offer recommendations to candidates and teachers on how to improve and what to avoid.  What follows will be of interest to candidates preparing the A: Literature, Paper 1.

The areas of the programme and examination which appeared difficult for the candidate

The biggest difficulty that many candidates had was analysing the stylistic devices and linking them to overall effect. Many could identify these features but lost marks for simply not commenting on them sufficiently. For example, detailed analysis of imagery and its effect and linking it with overall meaning was often lacking. Structural features such as sentence length was often identified, but analysis often got lost in summaries of the general situation. Some candidates offered analysis of stylistic features without substantiating their comments with direct references.

Candidates appeared to find it difficult to integrate into the commentary responses to the guiding questions. Too many either structured their answer into a) and b) sections, some actually writing a) and b) in the margin. Others seemed to ignore the guiding questions completely. Many candidates' scripts lacked organisation. Essays had obviously not been planned sufficiently, introductions were lacking, there was no sense of a logical sequence of points. 

The areas of the programme and examination in which candidates appeared well prepared

Candidates who had been taught the importance of planning were at an advantage. Good, clear introductions gave them a helpful lead into the commentary and many were able to establish a good understanding with insightful comments here. Indeed, the overall structure of the responses seemed better this year, with a competent use of paragraphs and linking devices, and clear conclusions. Some candidates had clearly been taught to read and annotate the text carefully, and these commentaries showed insight and a confidence in ranging over the text to gather references and ideas to support points.The better candidates linked stylistic features to effect and wrote fluent, cogent commentaries. Their responses suggest that they have been taught the value of a very careful reading of the text.

The strengths and weaknesses of the candidates in the treatment of individual questions

PROSE

Weaknesses: There was a tendency to paraphrase/explain events rather than analyse/appreciate stylistic features. Often, focus on individual words and their effect was lacking. Although many picked up on the discomfort/ awkwardness at the beginning of the passage, many missed elements such as the "looking back in time" idea or the sense of foreboding in the repeated "regret what it started" idea. Relatively few picked up on the idea of time travel and, of those who did, few developed it. Candidates often failed to link the narrator's changing perception of his father directly to events, as specified in guiding question a). Some candidates seemed to be limited by the guiding questions, failing to go beyond them to investigate more subtle elements of the extract.

Strengths: Many candidates had a good grasp of the situation, the relationship between the father and the narrator and were able to identify the narrator's tone and analyse how it developed. Many candidates were able to explore the significance of the descriptive language in the first section.


POETRY

Weaknesses: Candidates tried to make ideas jigsaw together when the poem did not necessarily lend itself to such "linking". Many candidates failed to understand what the term "tone" meant. Some candidates had difficulty connecting "physical beauty" with the "beauty" in the second half of the text. A surprising number mistook Banff, Alberta for the writer's name.

Strengths: Many candidates saw the link between the two "beauties" and dealt with it very well. Generally, stronger candidates gave excellent interpretations which were fully supported by relevant references, convincingly linking stylistic effects with meaning.

Recommendations and guidance for the teaching of future candidates

Candidates need to be taught how to plan – too many scripts had no plan whatsoever. They should be taught to allocate time to reading, annotating and planning before they start writing. The importance of a clear and focused introduction and a logical sequence of points supported by cohesive devices needs also to be emphasised.  

The idea of analysis of devices and how they are created to craft meaning needs to be reinforced; too many candidates just label features without analysing their effects or linking them to overall meaning.

They need to be warned not to narrate or simply explain what is happening in the text. Too many candidates tend to fall into a narrative overview of events.

The importance of directly referring to the text should be emphasised; some otherwise good analysis of stylistic features were spoilt by no substantiation with specific examples at all, while other weaker candidates simply did not make any direct references but gave vague generalisations.

Candidates need to be taught how to integrate quotes into the body of the commentary; many seemed to have no idea how to do this.

Candidates need to be taught how to manage their time more effectively. Some good scripts lost marks for not being complete or including a conclusion.

Teachers should make a point of advising candidates how to deal with the guiding questions, and how important it is to include focus on them in the commentary but not to structure it into two parts or include a) and b) in the margin.

More work should be done on the importance of punctuation for the cohesion and coherence of the commentary; the apostrophe for possession was frequently omitted.