ENGLISH AND WORLD LITERATURE
ENGLISH AND WORLD LITERATURE
GROUP ONE
English Literature is a mandatory element of the IB Programme . As such , all students pursue it and have a choice of opting for either Higher or Standard Level .
The IB English course is dynamic , varied and exciting . The most distinctive element is the international nature of the course : a significant number of texts are studied in translation .
Higher Level students study 13 texts in all . Standard Level candidates study ten texts . The programme is flexible , covering a comprehensive range of authors and literary traditions , from classical texts to contemporary novels , poetry , plays and literary non-fiction .
Departmental prescription ensures that Higher Level candidates study Shakespeare , and students cover a full range of genres and periods , so preparing them for English literature courses at university .
Candidates develop many skills during the course , enhancing their facility to write sophisticated essays , acquiring knowledge of specific texts , developing the quality of oral presentations , as well as honing the skills of literary insight and response .
Assessment involves a mixture of written and oral coursework and terminal exams , including Unseen Appreciation , and an in-depth study of set texts .
Ultimately , students who take IB English will benefit from an appreciation of literature which is both rigorous in its depth and international in its breadth and perspective .
12 THE IB AT SEVENOAKS | GROUP ONE