International Baccalaureate Diploma (IB) Group 1: Studies in Language and Literature (English A: Lang & Lit) Syllabus

Group 1: Studies in Language and Literature (English A: Lang & Lit) syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Group 1: Studies in Language and Literature (English A: Lang & Lit) in International Baccalaureate Diploma (IB), not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Areas of Exploration

   3 topics

   • Readers, Writers, and Texts
     • How language constructs meaning
     • Style, structure, and authorial choices
     • Reader response and interpretation
   • Time and Space
     • Cultural and historical contexts of texts
     • Texts as products of their time and place
   • Intertextuality: Connecting Texts
     • Comparison across works and forms
     • Genre conventions and transformation
2. 2

   Literary and Non-Literary Text Types

   3 topics

   • Literary Forms
     • Prose fiction: novel and short story
     • Poetry
     • Drama
   • Non-Literary Body of Work
     • Advertisements and infographics
     • Speeches, opinion columns, and editorials
     • Photography, cartoons, and digital media
   • Translated Works and World Texts
3. 3

   Conceptual Understandings

   3 topics

   • Identity, Culture, and Creativity
   • Communication and Perspective
   • Transformation and Representation
4. 4

   Assessment Components

   4 topics

   • Paper 1: Guided Textual Analysis
     • Analysis of unseen non-literary passages
     • Responding to a guiding question
   • Paper 2: Comparative Essay
     • Comparing two studied literary works
     • Responding to general questions
   • Individual Oral (IO)
     • Global issue and extract selection
     • Linking a literary and non-literary text
   • Higher Level Essay (HL only)

Group 1: Studies in Language and Literature (English A: Lang & Lit) flashcards for International Baccalaureate Diploma (IB)

25 of 51 cards from the Group 1: Studies in Language and Literature (English A: Lang & Lit) deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. In IB English A: Language and Literature, what are the three 'areas of exploration' that structure the entire course?

   1) Readers, Writers and Texts; 2) Time and Space; 3) Intertextuality: Connecting Texts.

2. What is the central focus of the 'Readers, Writers and Texts' area of exploration?

   The nature of language and literature, the relationship between texts and their readers, and how meaning is constructed, negotiated, and expressed through close attention to language and form.

3. What is the central focus of the 'Time and Space' area of exploration?

   How texts are products of their context (historical, cultural, social) and how that context shapes and is shaped by their production and reception across different times and places.

4. What is the central focus of the 'Intertextuality: Connecting Texts' area of exploration?

   The connections, similarities, and differences between texts—how texts relate to one another and to literary/cultural conventions, traditions, and movements.

5. What is a 'text' as defined in IB English A: Language and Literature?

   Anything from which meaning can be communicated and constructed—including written, spoken, visual, and multimodal forms—not limited to traditional literary works.

6. In Lang & Lit, what is the difference between a 'literary text' and a 'non-literary text'?

   Literary texts are works of literature (e.g. novels, poems, plays, prose fiction/non-fiction studied as literature); non-literary texts are body texts such as advertisements, speeches, blogs, cartoons, infographics, and articles studied for their use of language and meaning.

7. How many literary works must Standard Level (SL) students study, and how many at Higher Level (HL)?

   SL students study 4 literary works; HL students study 6 literary works.

8. How many distinct 'bodies of work' of non-literary texts must students study in Lang & Lit?

   A minimum of two non-literary bodies of work (e.g. two different authors, sources, or types of non-literary text).

9. What is a 'body of work' in the context of non-literary texts?

   A collection of non-literary texts by the same author/source or of the same type, studied together so students can identify recurring features, style, and purpose.

10. What are the three required selection criteria for the literary works studied (place, time, form)?

    Works must represent a range of literary forms, periods (time), and places/origins—including works in translation, and works originally written in the language studied.

11. How many of the literary works must be studied in translation at SL and HL?

    SL: at least 1 work in translation; HL: at least 2 works in translation.

12. How many literary works must be originally written in the language studied (English)?

    At least 1 work (SL) / 2 works (HL) must be originally written in English; the remainder offers free choice across the prescribed lists.

13. What are the four main literary forms recognized in the IB Language and Literature course?

    Prose: fiction (e.g. novel, short story); prose: non-fiction (e.g. essay, memoir, biography); poetry; and drama.

14. What is the PSCL/analysis question a reader asks under 'Readers, Writers and Texts'?

    How and why is language used to create meaning, and how do choices of form, structure, style, and technique shape the reader's response?

15. Define 'translated works and world texts' as used in the course.

    Literary works originally written in a language other than English, studied in English translation, which broaden students' exposure to diverse cultures and world literature.

16. Why does the IB require the study of works in translation?

    To expose students to perspectives, cultures, and literary traditions beyond their own language, fostering international-mindedness and intercultural understanding.

17. What is 'intertextuality'?

    The shaping of a text's meaning by other texts—through allusion, quotation, parody, genre conventions, influence, or response—so that texts are understood in relation to one another.

18. Name three common forms intertextuality can take.

    Allusion (reference to another text), pastiche/parody (imitation), and adaptation/appropriation (reworking a text in a new form or context). Other forms include quotation and genre conventions.

19. What does 'context of production' mean for a text?

    The circumstances under which a text was created—the author's time, place, culture, biography, and the social/historical conditions that influenced its writing.

20. What does 'context of reception' mean for a text?

    The circumstances in which a text is read and interpreted—the reader's time, place, culture, and assumptions—which can change a text's meaning across audiences and eras.

21. How is meaning understood to be created in this course (writer, text, reader)?

    Meaning is constructed through the interaction of writer's intention, the text's language/form, and the reader's interpretation—it is negotiated rather than fixed solely by the author.

22. Define 'identity, culture, and creativity' as a thematic concern in Lang & Lit.

    How texts construct, reflect, and challenge personal and cultural identity, and how creativity expresses individual and collective experience and values.

23. Define 'transformation and representation' as concerns in textual study.

    Representation is how reality, people, and ideas are constructed (not neutrally mirrored) through language and form; transformation is how texts can be reshaped into new forms, contexts, or meanings.

24. What does 'perspective' refer to when analyzing a text's communication?

    The point of view, stance, attitude, or ideological position from which a text is constructed, which shapes what is included, emphasized, or omitted.

25. List the seven key 'concepts' that underpin the Lang & Lit course.

    Identity, Culture, Creativity, Communication, Perspective, Transformation, and Representation.

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