Languages A Language & Literature
Please discuss the Language & Literature option ONLY here. Discuss Languages A: Literature in the parent forum.
596 topics in this forum
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- 12 replies
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So this new change from: Language A1 & Language A2 --> Language A: Literature, Language A: Literature and Language and Language A: Literature and Performance ... it's a bit confusing and I think especially confusing for people doing the new syllabus who aren't clear about what's going on in their own minds - and are now being extra-confused by seeing old content on this forum! So, read on and hopefully understand a bit more about what's going on... Quick Reference... 1. Background">Background 2. So what's happened to A2?">So what's happened to A2? 3. What's the difference between Lit&Lang and the old A1 course?">What's the difference between Lit&L…
Last reply by dora95, -
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Hello IBsurvival! first post, yay I am taking Swedish A L&L(I assume this goes under the A1 forums), and our first real IB assignment is to do a Further Oral Activity. This seemingly is a very creative assignment, which I think is making it difficult. Our teacher gave us 5 headlines which in some way had to do with Language history in Sweden, as that is the country we are from and Swedish is language we are studying. Since the syllabus is the same for every language it does not matter at all in which language you have done it. Anyway, me and two of my classmates have decided to research and lecture about the relation between language and power for an indigenous people…
Last reply by simply94, -
- 22 replies
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For those who have exams in 2013, the syllabus has changed. I don't see this mentioned a lot in the discussions of this subforum. That's why the purpose of this topic is to discuss the changes that come with the new syllabus. For example, we, 2013 exam students, have to do a written assignment that consists of interactive orals, reflective statements, and an essay. These are all based on works studied in part 1. One reflective statement and one essay is to be submitted for external assessment. Of course I'm not very sure how this works in other IB schools, but we have already done two sets of interactive orals and 2 reflective statements, but I still am not very clear on …
Last reply by khimberleigh, -
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Chronicle of a Death foretold, Heart of Darkness and Things Fall Apart?
Last reply by trollin., -
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I have a few questions. 1) I am in English A SL and we've been given the "Written Task 1" for next week. Can someone explain the details of it to me, or link me to a source? As far as I understand, we have to choose one of the poems we studied (by W. Owen) and write about the language he uses. We need 800-1000 words, I have no idea how I can manage that... Apparently it shouldn't be an essay, but can be e.g. a newspaper article. What are some other examples/ideas? I'd also appreciate if someone told me where I could find a sample paper. 2) We're being given only a week to do this, so is it like a practice one, will we have to do another Written Task 1? Also, will the IA c…
Last reply by carpediem, -
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To whomever it concerns, i desperately need a topic for my written task about 'A Doll's House' or 'A Streetcar Named Desire'.If anyone has some suggestion please do reply.
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Last reply by voh26, -
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I've decided to base my EE on Language and literature. The two books I've picked is The Catcher in the Rye and The Perks of Being a Wallflower. However, I am having a difficult time forming and EE question. My EE advisor suggested basing my EE on how The perks of being a Wallflower is a modern version of The catcher in the Rye, but we are afraid that the EE will go off the Lang and lit area and.focus more on culture. Please do give your thoughts on this idea and/or suggest a better question. Your help is very much appreciated, Thanks
Last reply by kw0573, -
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My class studied novels for our paper 2. I know that the layout of paper 2s has changed.... before you could pick from 2 questions under the "Novel and short story" category, OR you could also pick from 4 questions under the "General Questions on Literature" category, giving you a choice to answer 1 of 6 questions. Then, someone told me we still got to pick between 6 questions this year, except there are no longer any categories and everyone just chooses 1. NOW my friend is telling me that the teacher told her all the exams have changed, and this year you only get to pick between 3, per category, no more General Questions on Literature category.. so that means I only have…
Last reply by ibfederer, -
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Hey guys! By this friday, i hopefully need to have though of the topic of my IOP! Very Scary! I am thinking of doing mine on Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel, and thinking that it wont be one of the creative options (yeah im boring ) but like an explanation or something on the reversal of gender roles and what Esquivel is saying through that. Im thinking of perhaps focusing on the reversed gender roles of the females rather than talking about it from both sides (we need to make our topic specific apparently) and talk about not just characterization but also the structure of the book etc. What have you guys done in the past/are planning on doing/or can suggest i…
Last reply by Black Bird Lockheed, -
- 10 replies
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Hey guys, my IOP is in a week and my topic backfired! I need a new topic, can you please suggest some? the books i did are hamlet and train to pakistan. Thanks!
Last reply by luckymousey, -
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I've just read a similar topic in the languages B forum, and as I couldn't find a similar topic here I figured I'd start it myself. The school I'm going to apply to offers English literature HL, English language and literature SL and HL, German language and literature SL and HL, Hungarian literature SL and HL, and Russian literature SL.
Last reply by VildeJ, -
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So for my world lit paper, I need to create a topic about Ibsen's Ghosts. I have one, but I'm not sure if its any good. Feedback please? How does Ibsen use the themes, 'Society's Expectations' and 'Deceit and Denial' in his play Ghosts, to develop the characters Mrs. Alving, Pastor Manders, and Engstrand?
Last reply by CurlyCath12, -
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Hi, My written task focuses on "Language and gender," and our teacher said we can use any source as long as it relates to the focus (language and gender). I decided to do this on the movie (source) Fury and how it represents gender in the male gender- it shows how men in the male gender are influenced to be one way, and are not accepted if they are another way; so essentially a character in the movie is looked down upon by his teammates (other males) as he is not "manly" enough for them; this character throughout the film, through constant pressure by his teammates (to develop the manly characteristics), develops into the "man" his teammates consider to be a "man." So I…
Last reply by Sean HK, -
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For Paper 2 of English A: Language and Literature , would it be possible to use one text out of the two which has not been taught by the school to me, but rather I have self-studied it, as long as it fits the PLA?
Last reply by Sandwich, -
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Hello there! I'll start the IB Course in September and originally I wanted to do English B. The Student Adviser at my future school told me now, that I should take English L&L, because I want to study in the UK, but I'm from Germany. Because of this I'll have to do a test at the university to be admitted and they experienced that the students who took English B do not pass this exam. But they also told me that I should read some english literature to prepare for this course. It would be very nice, if you recommended me some books. Thank you!
Last reply by John Hoose, -
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hey guys, i really want to be able to analyse texts properly.. i know everyone also does, but anyway, is there a way to improve this skill? this question is kinda dumb but i just realised that i really need to be doing this nicely now.. gotta analyse all the robert frost poems and other stuff.. has anyone read 'waiting for godot'? i find that one really hard to analyse.. i need to find something to work on it, for my written assignment..
Last reply by YellowSpider, -
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Hello everyone! For a while now, I've been considering switching up to HL English L/L (and droping Geo to SL as that is a subject I hate incredibly much). I've been talking to my classmates and friends and they say that english HL is really difficult to score well in and that it isn't worth it (as Geo apparently is a lot easier to acheive high marks in). I talked to my english teacher about it and he said I should definitely do it, but since english isn't my first language and people who have english as their mothertongue say it's difficult I've just been getting a bit nervous. (background info: IGCSE results: A in English Language, A in…
Last reply by alexalexalex, -
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Hello I'm really stuck on studying for L&L paper 1 right now. I just don't know what I could possibly do to get a good mark on it. I don't know how to study for it and our teacher is terrible to put it frankly. How is everyone preparing for the English Language and Literature paper 1 exam? What resources would be helpful? Thank you in advance. Any input is appreciated considering I have my exams in a week.
Last reply by Angelil, -
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I am planning to do my FOA, which is this Wednesday.. on Gender and Language in the Big Bang Theory. I am still not really sure how I should connect Language with this thing. Although I did think of some things such as the register and style of the characters that can be related to their gender. Now I am a bit confused, does language affect gender or does gender affect language or some other relationship between them? Another thing is, how am I supposed to put it into cultural context?
Last reply by Blackcurrant, -
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Hello. Is there a major difference between English HL, and SL? I'm asking because I'm considering. I went to an "Enriched English" class during 9th grade, ended up with a B-. Didn't like the teacher very much, and found the topics quite... meh. Odysseus, for example. I don't think I had a lot of determination, and such. However, I went to GCSE level in 10th grade, and was the top student with an A+. My teacher recommended I go to IB. However, 9th grade has scarred me. If IB is boring, I don't think I could handle it, as well as group projects. I DREAD group projects. I love reading, though. I would just hope it would be interesting. Sorry for the long explanation. Is th…
Last reply by drserosa, -
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Hi, so I found out that someone in my class did their wit paper on the same exact topic as me. Is that bad?
Last reply by Yugalarex, -
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Hey guys! For the paper 2 comparative (HL student here), is it better to study two or three texts in preparation for the exam? I'm thinking of Great Gatsby vs A Streetcar Named Desire but I don't know if I should also study Master Harold and the Boys IN CASE it would be better suited to the paper 2 questions on the exam. Also, I really struggle with the Paper 2 as I've been consistently getting low 5s with the practice papers. I think it's because I struggle to come up with ideas relevant to the given questions while timed conditions so if you have any tips it would really helpful! Also as an HL student, are be in any way expected to use our HL text (…
Last reply by J O Y, -
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Guys, I am currently doing my written task and I am asked to write about the linguistic style of a poet. I have done it, but now I need to do my 200 words rationale. Can you guys explain to me about what I should write for the rationale? Like, why did I choose that poet and what else should I write?
Last reply by Nikita Choudhary, -
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So i heard there was something changed regarding the World Lit into something called the reflective statements or something I'm not really sure.. Can someone please help me out?
Last reply by BJD, -
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Hi guys, So I have been trying to write my Works in translation essay. I was going great with my introduction but, my brain just stopped when I came to write the main body. Even though I structured the paragraphs and gave each paragraph a specific topic, I still don't know how to begin the paragraph or how to write the topic sentence. Does anybody have any tips or advice ? Thanks
Last reply by ~Lc~, -
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I'm a sophomore, in the midst of IB course selections. One of my current problems i'm struggling over is as to whether I should take English Lit or Lang and Lit (both SL). Here's a bit about my current situation: I'm in an advanced English course, and earning fairly good results. My teacher says that I have a natural talent for English, and she's pushing me to take Lit. However, here's the catch: English, specifically literary analyzation, is not one of my interests. In addition, the current course i'm taking is VERY analysis based, and analyzes A LOT of literature (poems, prose, the whole lot). IB alumni from my school have said that the class i'm in right now is very si…
Last reply by ananya.agrawal95, -
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- 6 replies
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So I am fluent in Italian but have been brought up with English my whole life. I've decided to do IB because I really want to do languages later on. The only problem is I've never really analysed any Italian Literature texts before and if I would choose the subject I would have to self-study. As I'm technically not an italian native speaker would I find it hard even with a tutor? If I decide to do Italian Lit as my A Language would i be able to do it as a higher level subject?
Last reply by Annomous, -
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I am taking English A Language and Literature and our teacher has assigned us a further oral activity to do for part 1 of the course. Our topic assigned is multivocality. Since the teacher did not go into depth about how this activity actually works I am a little bit lost. Any previous experience and help would be greatly appreciated.
Last reply by Yugalarex, -
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Hello, fellow IBers! I have been taking the IB diploma for half a year now, and so far the only thing we have handed in is our first Written Task. We have been doing a lot of reading, so far we have read 3 out of the 6 literary works we are supposed to have read within these two years. Is this unusual? My teacher said it was difficult to grade us on the half-year report card because the only thing she had to look at was our Written Task 1.
Last reply by freezy19, -
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Hello everyone! I am doing my FOA pretty soon, and I am basing it on the presentation "A call to men" by Tony Porter in TED Talks. I was wondering if anyone had any tips about how to fulfil the first and second criteria for this task. How can I analyse a text properly and show it in my presentation? Thanks in advance!
Last reply by MainRostand, -
Which extracts will the teacher pick?
by Guest Viska- 6 replies
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When you know that you either will be picking Romeo and Juliet, Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe and Great Gatsby. However I know that there will be three extracts from each book. Can you people guess where the teacher will be picking from each book? I am very worried about Romeo and Juliet since the language is sooooooo complex. I will appreciate your help.
Last reply by Blackcurrant, -
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guys im quite confused as to how the reflective statement should look like...i know we are supposed to write it after the class discussion but does that mean we need to write it during the class? if so it means that it's supposed to be handwritten? apparently that's what my teacher thinks but since it's worth three marks and is sent to ib shouldn't it look more official? :/
Last reply by Gaby, -
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Hello guys, I feel kind of screwd cuz I'm writing my reflective statement in Swedish right now and have not the brightest idea about how to formulate or write it. We've already written two before but we cannot get any response from our teacher because 'IB says so' so I was wondering if you have any tips that I might use while writing a reflective statement
Last reply by FlynnBugnion, -
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Hey! I was looking for tips for the IOC (internal oral commentary) because we are going to do ours in a few weeks ( ) and I realized there are no threads with advice for it! I was wondering if someone could give me some tips on how to structure the IOC, and how much time I should aim to spend talking about the stylistic and literary devices in the 40-line passage itself.
Last reply by Erasmusrasmus, -
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Hi All, Our English teacher has started preparing us for our SL paper 1 (unseen commentary). There seems to be a dispute as to how long we get for the paper. Our teacher has suggested that we get 1.30 PLUS 20 minutes of planning time separate to that 1.30. It seems a little odd to me and my teacher refuses to confirm whether we do or not. Does anyone have any more information about it? Thanks!
Last reply by alefal, -
- 6 replies
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What is the best way to approach revision?
Last reply by mnmib, -
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So, I am stuck on choosing a proper written task topic for my imaginative piece. I want to write an opinionated column on a specific taboo topic (which I need help in finding) Can someone list the text types available, and GUIDE ME THROUGH THIS PLEASE?
Last reply by Erasmusrasmus, -
- 6 replies
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Hey everyone. So I've thought of a possible idea for my Written task 1 and I would appreciate any input or criticism. I thought about writing an autobiography, or, rather, an excerpt from an autobiography, of a rap star, detailing the evolution of rap culture. Any input at all, even if it's extremely critical, would be fantastic. Cheers!
Last reply by Talalwarsi5897, -
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- 966 views
Hi all, In HL ELL, we were given a PDF version of the book "Ghosts" by Henrik Ibsen to read. I really liked the book, so I decided to write my WT1 on it. So, my WT1 is on part 3 of the course, because my topic was to write the diary of one of the main characters in Ghosts. So, I tried to put myself in his shoes, wrote what he would write, spoke the way he did in the book, and tried to maintain his character as presented in the book. Now, my questions are the following: 1. Was my topic fit for a WT1 in part 3 of the course? My teacher said it was okay, but I would like confirmation since he is new to the IB. 2. I only have a single reference througho…
Last reply by voh26, -
- 6 replies
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My teacher's refusing to teach us paper 2 because she's mad at us but I really need help, I've never written a paper 2 before and the books we've chosen are 'Death and the maiden' and 'The Visit'. Can anyone PLEASE help with how to write a paper 2 essay.
Last reply by hk18, -
- 6 replies
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Hi! So I have my paper 1 on Friday afternoon and Paper 2 on the following Monday morning. How are you guys revising because there are no past papers and I have done the specimen papers? For paper 1, is it only going to be non fiction? And for paper 2, since I have a play and a novel, do I only have a choice from the general literature section? Thanks a lot and good luck for any exams left! Enora
Last reply by Enora Lereculey, -
- 6 replies
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I have my exams around the corner. And, this would be the first exam I'm writing. How much time would you recommend I spend making the structure + planning of the essays? I'd done a diagnostic before. Needless to say, I spent most of the time planning and I ended up not mentioning a lot of key ideas. The book we're having Paper 2 on is 'A Streetcar Named Desire'. Any suggestions on how I might study? Also, any other pointers would be appreciated. Cheers,
Last reply by joeking, -
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SO heres my topic: Strindbergs portrayal of misguidance and deception through Jean and Julie's relationship in "Miss Julie". I want to know how to tackle this topic What to avoid, what to include etc And other tips Thank you (I'm in English HL)
Last reply by the.shizz, -
- 6 replies
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Hello everyone! For the IOP part of my syllabus, our class has selected the books Like Water for Chocolate and Pride & Prejudice. I basically came up with the topic of how effectively satire is used in P&P, but food plays an extremely important role in the book LWFC, and I need to find a way to link the both of them together so I can compare and contrast the writing style of the authors. Any suggestions?
Last reply by Blackcurrant, -
- 6 replies
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I'm having trouble on finding the official IB guide for language A: Language and Literature which includes all the specifications of the course! I wanted to know all the specifications for the written tasks 1 and 2. Does anybody have it?
Last reply by DannyRodeck, -
- 5 replies
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Hey guys, How do you go about preparing for english lang&lit exams? I just had my exams and got a mark for the paper 1 lang&lit that is well below what I usually get on paper 1 practices. The main problem with my essay was that I seem to not understand the purpose of the text. The purpose that I sometimes write it usually almost right, but not quite. Is there any way to improve my text understanding, especially with the purpose of the text? Thanks Also, as I am applying to uni next semester, which is end of this year, do these y12 final exams play a huge role in y13 predicted grades? My teacher said that it's hard for y12's to get 7's at the end of the y…
Last reply by Djsporting, -
- 5 replies
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I have my FOA in English language and Literature next week and i have a really hard time deciding my topic. So i was wondering what you guys think would make a great topic in the section Language and Culture? To get some inspiration
Last reply by Haris587, -
- 5 replies
- 1.8k views
Hi There! I have my English IOC in just under 4 weeks. I am really nervous and I feel so unprepared! In my first IB year I did the Handmaid's tale and some poetry by Wilfred Owen for the IOC. I feel I like I know these texts quite well, however I have't even looked at the Handmaid's tale since last year! Now my class has a new teacher who has no experience with the IB and we have started reading the Crucible verrrryyyy slowly as our final text but we have only just reached act 2. I am so nervous as my teacher really seems very calm about the whole thing but she can't answer a single question about any of the IB assessments without looking in her little guide boo…
Last reply by fruitbowl, -
Help in English compare and contrast essay?
by Guest HairtUB- 5 replies
- 19.8k views
Hey guys, I'm desperate I have an English exam tomorrow where I have to compare and contrast two texts and I'm not really good at it. Do you guys have some helpful tips? Maybe regarding the structure of the essay? I don't really care about using sophisticated words and fancy phrases, I just want a simple structured, not confusing essay. That's good enough for me. So, just any tips you can think of? Thank you.
Last reply by Sandwich, -
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Hey guys I have recently switched my Language B (which I sucked in very much) to my second mother tongue German A L&L, however, to my surprise, I noticed that the language part of the syllabus was 100% overlapping with my English L&L course content, thus there was literally no need to revise anything from the so dreaded amount of workload I expected to catch up and work through so hardly. The stuff we cover in my German A course are just pretty much a revision of what we were doing in my English A course, thus I was even thinking of translating my Written Tasks into German and submitting them(which I ofc did NOT do). So can I ask you fellow 2013 pals who are study…
Last reply by funny10sport,
