IBDP Language A: Literature - Core Concepts & Assessment

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Areas of Exploration (AoE)

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The three core organizing principles of the course: 1) Readers, writers and texts; 2) Time and space; 3) Intertextuality: connecting texts. They guide the syllabus structure and form the basis for the Higher Level Essay.

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Close Reading

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The detailed analysis of a literary text, focusing on how the author uses language, style, and form to create meaning. It is the primary skill tested in Paper 1 (Guided Literary Analysis) and is essential for the Individual Oral.

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Intertextuality

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A literary concept describing the relationship between texts, especially how one text references, responds to, or transforms another. It involves the ways texts echo, adapt, or rework earlier works or other cultural texts.

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Paper 1: Guided Literary Analysis

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An external assessment where students analyze an unseen literary passage. SL students analyze one passage (1 hour 15 mins), while HL students analyze two passages (2 hours 15 mins), one of which is a comparative piece.

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Paper 2: Comparative Essay

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An external assessment requiring students to write a comparative essay based on two works studied in the course. Students respond to one of six general questions. (Duration: 1 hour 45 minutes for both SL and HL, but weighting differs: 35% SL, 25% HL).