Middle Years Program

Language A - English

International Baccalaureate

Course Aims

The aims of the teaching and study of language A are to encourage and enable the student to:

Ø        use the language as a vehicle for thought, creativity, reflection, learning self-expression and social interaction

Ø        develop the skills involved in listening, speaking, reading, writing, viewing and presenting in a variety of contexts

Ø        develop critical, creative and personal approaches to studying and analyzing literary and non-literary works

Ø        engage in literature from a variety of cultures and representing different historical periods

Ø        explore and analyze aspects of personal, host and other cultures through literary and non-literary works

Ø        engage with information and communication technology in order to explore language

Ø        develop a lifelong interest in reading widely

Ø        apply Language A skills and knowledge in a variety of real-life contexts.

Course Objectives 

The objectives of language A deal with language and literature.  The various language skills – listening, speaking, reading, writing, viewing and presenting – are all covered by these objectives.

At the end of the course students should be able to:

Ø        understand and analyze the language, content, structure, meaning and significance of both familiar and previously unseen oral, written and visual texts

Ø        understand and apply Language A terminology in context

Ø        analyze the effects of the author’s choices on an audience

Ø        compose pieces that apply appropriate literary and/or non-literary features to serve the context and intention

Ø        compare and contrast works, and connect themes across and within genres

Ø        express an informed and independent response to literary and non-literary texts.

Ø        create work that employs organizational structures and language-specific conventions throughout a variety of text types

Ø        organize ideas and arguments in a sustained, coherent and logical manner

Ø        employ appropriate critical apparatus

Ø        use language to narrate, describe, analyze, explain, argue, persuade, inform, entertain and express feelings

Ø        use language accurately

Ø        use appropriate and varied register, vocabulary and idiom

Ø        use correct grammar and syntax

Ø        use appropriate and varied sentence structure

Ø        use correct spelling (alphabetic languages) or writing (character languages).

Assessment

Teachers will use IBMYP assessment criteria by which they can assess the student's level of achievement in the learning aims and objectives outlined above.

Content

This criterion refers to how well the student:

·          understand and analyze language, content, structure, meaning and significance of both familiar and previously unseen oral, written and visual texts

·          compare and contrast works, and connect themes across and within genres

·          analyze the effects of the author’s choice on an audience

·          express an informed and independent response to literary and non-literary texts

·          compose pieces that apply appropriate literary and/or non-literary features to serve the context and intention

·          apply Language A terminology in context

Organization

This criterion refers to how well the student:

·          create work that employs organizational structure and language-specific conventions throughout a variety of text types

·          organize ideas and arguments in a sustained, coherent and logical manner

·         

employ appropriate critical apparatus

Style & Language Mechanics

This criterion refers to how well the student:

·          use appropriate and varied register, vocabulary and idiom

·          use correct grammar and syntax

·          use appropriate and varied sentence structure

·          use correct spelling/writing

·          use language to narrate, describe, analyze, explain, argue, persuade, inform, entertain and express feelings

·          use language accurately