IB English: Language and Literature SL (Block) - EN640A/B

IB English: Language and Literature SL (Block) - EN640A/B

Learning Recommendations: This course is taught in a block with US History (Block). Open to all students in 11th grade. No prior IB coursework is required. 

General Description: This one-year course introduces students to the study of language and literature at the IB Standard Level (SL), offering an accessible option for earning potential college credit in English during junior year. Students will investigate the dynamic and multifaceted nature of language and its role in communication, shaping perspectives, and reflecting cultural contexts. Through the analysis of various text types and literary forms, students will develop their critical thinking, analytical, and productive skills.

Content:

• Language and Communication:
  • Rhetorical and visual analysis of texts, including advertising and film techniques.
  • Exploration of language's role in shaping experience and influencing audiences.
• Literature Analysis:
  • Study of drama, novels, short stories, narrative essays, and poetry.
  • Close reading and critical interpretation of texts from diverse genres and cultural perspectives.
• Potential Texts:
  • Short stories by Edgar Allan Poe
  • Slave narratives by Harriet Jacobs and Frederick Douglass
  • The Great Gatsby, The Things They Carried, Fences
  • Poetry by Pablo Neruda
• Contextual Understanding:
  • Examination of how cultural belief systems shape interpretations.
  • Analysis of how visual and audio elements interact with written texts.

Homework: Minimal outside work. Homework primarily during literature units, including reading assignments.