Vientiane International School

Focus and purpose

This course at Higher Level is designed as academic preparation for students who intend to study literature (as a major, minor or special area of interest) at the university level.  As the IB Subject Guide defines it, “Literature is concerned with our conceptions, interpretations and experiences of the world.”  The study of literature, it follows, is the serious examination of “all the complex pursuits, anxieties, joys and fears that human beings are exposed to in the daily business of living.” In life, as in literature, we look at ourselves and interact with others as well as society as a whole and other peoples and other cultures. 

    The purpose of literary investigation, then, is to better understand ourselves, the human condition, the world and our place in the world, not only today but across centuries of civilization and countless human experiences.  Moreover, the study of literature allows us to explore and appreciate “more enduring fields of human creativity and artistic ingenuity,” and this endeavor “provides immense opportunities for encouraging independent, original, critical and clear thinking.”  In the process students also gain “a healthy respect for the imagination and a perceptive approach to the understanding and interpretation of literary works.”  The learning focus of the course is not only on development of reading competence but also on ability to discuss literature as an art which requires clear expression of ideas through astute communication skills both oral and written.

As with any Language A1 program, the English A1 course “encourages students to see literary works and their authors as craftsmen whose methods of production can be analyzed in a variety of ways and on a number of levels.”  To do this students investigate the different means by which authors convey their subjects and relate their insights.  This course purpose is reinforced by a comparative framework and approach to the study of a variety of works, authors, genres and cultural contexts.  To promote internationalism through the course syllabus, a variety of works (in different genres and from different time periods) from countries and languages across the globe are carefully selected and studied.  Outcomes from these pursuits include students developing a deeper and broader understanding of the English language, of its usage, varieties and potential, and their becoming more adept at using the language themselves.
        

Process

    
The instruction for this course will be delivered over the two year period for grades 11 and 12 as outlined in the IB Language A1 Subject Guide, covering the four compulsory parts listed below one at a time (two per school year) and the corresponding criteria-based selection of literary works each part comprises.  Selection of works for this course is made by consideration of syllabus requirements for Higher Level as well as global coverage and gender balance of authors; some degree of Asian regional focus and links possible to topics and issues to be studied in the IB History course.  The ordering of syllabus parts will also be based on coordination with the History teacher.
Part 1 – World Literature (3 works)
Part 2 – Detailed Study (4 works)
Part 3 – Groups of Works (4 works)
Part 4 – School’s Free Choice (4 works)

1. Standard Level will cover the four parts but three or four fewer works according to the SL syllabus description.

Different strategies and methods of instruction will be used in the process     of covering the course syllabus, with adequate time allowed for revision, repeat practice and other forms of reinforcement.  Classroom activities as well as outside assignments will be varied and designed to meet different learning styles, interests and abilities, and these will include (but not be limited to):  brainstorming; note-taking, outlining and writing exercises; formal and informal oral presentations, some involving IT; reading comprehension and interpretation tasks; paraphrasing and summarizing exercises; research; dramatization; pair and group work; problem solving and critical thinking activities; journaling; creative writing; literary devices application; analysis and criticism tasks; debates; and graphic displays.
                            

IB Assessment

End-of-semester Assessment

At the end of each semester over the two-year study period, cumulative and averaged marks will be calculated to determine and report grades based on the following assessment breakdown:
        
Class participation and Formative Classwork . . . . 15%
Written Work (e.g. essays, reports) . . . . . . . . . .20%
Oral Presentations  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20%
Research and other projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15%
End-of-semester Exam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30%

Final Assessment

The students are assessed at the end of the two-year course by the International Baccalaureate Organization.  The assessment has two components:  external (worth 70% of the final grade) and internal (worth 30% of the final grade).  This varies slightly for Higher Level and Standard Level as shown below.

VIS Assessment

The VIS grade will be based on the differentiation of tasks and assignments from the above list.  These differentiated tasks and assignments will be handed out with the course outlines at the beginning of the school year.