Weighting: 15%
- "Close reading is considered to be a core skill in the understanding and interpretation of literature. By looking closely at the detail of literary texts, students develop awareness of their rich complexities and the intricacies of their construction.
- Students are required to engage in a critical examination of a particular extract drawn from a work that has been studied in part 4 of the language A: language and literature course. The individual oral commentary allows students to analyse the relationship between formal elements and meaning in a particular literary text.
- The nature and emphasis of the commentary requires students to undertake a literary analysis of the extract chosen. In all cases, the student should aim to explore significant aspects of the extract, showing knowledge and understanding of the extract and its use and effects of literary features.
- A recording of the individual oral commentary is sent to the IB for external moderation. The maximum mark for the commentary is 30" (IBDP Language and Literature Guide).
Requirements
Students should be given a copy of the extract without any annotations or notes. The purpose of the preparation time is to enable students to consider all aspects of the text and to organize their commentary. Each student must prepare the IOC under supervision in a separate room. Students should make brief notes for reference, but must not read them as a prepared speech. During the prep time students should have with them only the blank text, the guiding questions, and writing materials.
What does a high scoring I.O.C look like?
A student scoring a 7 will:
- The preparation time is a maximum of 20 minutes
- The individual oral commentary should last 15 minutes
- Students are expected to analyse for 10 minutes with a 5 minute question/answer session with the teacher
Students should be given a copy of the extract without any annotations or notes. The purpose of the preparation time is to enable students to consider all aspects of the text and to organize their commentary. Each student must prepare the IOC under supervision in a separate room. Students should make brief notes for reference, but must not read them as a prepared speech. During the prep time students should have with them only the blank text, the guiding questions, and writing materials.
What does a high scoring I.O.C look like?
A student scoring a 7 will:
- Create a thesis statement at the beginning of the commentary
- Choose a few of the most important features and discuss them with detail
- Calmly quote lines, discuss the literary device, and explain/analyze the effect on the reader or the intent of the author/playwright/poet
- What is the topic or issue addressed in the passage?
- Identify 3-4 big ideas, themes, or aspects of the passage (generally stick to thematic elements, like consumerism, the fallacy of the American Dream, corruption, dreams, relationships between characters, elements of social class etc.)
- Write a thesis statement (What is the purpose of the passage? What is the writer communicating to the reader?)
- Write 3-4 topic sentences. How should you arrange the arguments? Does your final topic sentence have the "so what?" factor (the culminating/most important idea)?
Tools for Analysis and Feedback
HL Rubric IOC
![]()
|
IOC Success Criteria
![]()
|
Graphic Organizer
How to structure your IOC with guiding questions ![]()
Click: IOC structure for a POEM
|
Blank Graphic Organizer
For you to fill out when preparing for IOCs ![]()
|