IB English A: Language & Literature: Individual oral
Global issues, extract choice, structure. 3 subtopics, 10 key terms.
Learn this topic properly. Interactive diagrams, worked examples, check questions and exam-style practice with mark schemes. Open “Individual oral” in FortyFive →
A 15-minute oral: 10 minutes of analysis + 5 minutes of teacher questions.
Extracts
One from a literary work and one from a non-literary body of work, each up to 40 lines.
Global issue
The focus linking both texts.
Criteria A–D
Knowledge and interpretation; analysis and evaluation; focus and organisation; language (10 marks each).
Weighting: SL 30%, HL 20%. Internally assessed, externally moderated. 40 marks in total.
The full notes, worked example and check questions for this subtopic are in the app.
Exam tip: Spend equal time on both texts. Imbalance is one of the most common reasons for lower Criterion C scores.
5.2Global issues and fields of inquiry
Key terms
Fields of inquiry
Culture, identity and community; beliefs, values and education; politics, power and justice; art, creativity and the imagination; science, technology and the environment.
Global issue
Significant, transnational, with local relevance: felt in different contexts.
Too broad / too narrow
“Love” is too broad; one specific local law is too narrow.
A good global issue is specific and arguable: “The impact of economic inequality on access to education”, not just “education”.
The full notes, worked example and check questions for this subtopic are in the app.
Exam tip: State your global issue in the first 30 seconds of the IO, then refer back to it in every section.
5.3Structuring and delivering the IO
Key terms
Signposting
Phrases that guide the listener (“Turning now to the non-literary text…”).
Bullet-point notes
Up to 10 points allowed: key ideas, not a script.
Wider work
Linking the extract to the whole work or body of work.
Suggested structure: introduction (global issue, both texts, thesis) ~1 min → literary extract ~4 min → non-literary extract ~4 min → conclusion comparing both ~1 min.
The full notes, worked example and check questions for this subtopic are in the app.
Exam tip: Signpost clearly; examiners listen once, so make your structure audible.