Ever felt like you’re drowning in paragraphs, words, and metaphors? IB MYP Language and Literature can feel like that sometimes. Though it is a difficult subject, it is a fairly easy one to crack. IB MYP Language and Literature, or L&L, is a first language English subject in the IB MYP, which comprises both literary and non-literary texts. This guide is more MYP 4-5 year oriented, however, you can get a basic understanding of the subject from it.
Assessment Criteria
- Criterion A: Analyzing
You need to demonstrate your ability to interpret texts and analyze the author’s choices, themes, and techniques in this criterion.
Important Skills:- Understanding explicit and implicit meanings: you need to understand them, then analyse them, not by explaining or describing but by relating them to the message of the text.
- Analyzing literary devices: figurative language, metaphors, similes, limericks, and poem structures are some examples.
- Evaluating authorial choices: you need to be able to identify, analyse, and understand why an author made a creative choice and what that choice means for the text.
- Supporting ideas with textual evidence: Directly quoting specific lines, motifs, or timestamps works well here.
- Criterion B: Organizing
In this criterion, it is mainly about organizing ideas effectively in both written communication, with different text types, literary and non-literary.
Important Skills:- Logical structure: it depends on what type of text you are writing; a compare and contrast essay, or a dialogue. It should follow the conventions of each respective text.
- Clear introductions and conclusions: this is a general skill, however, it depends on the given text type.
- Paragraph development: each paragraph should flow into the other. You can do this by using linking sentences where the ideas overlap.
- Appropriate formatting and referencing: this is important for texts like diary entries and dialogue writing; always proofread twice for errors in this regard.
- Criterion C: Producing Text
Here, you need to apply knowledge from the first two criteria to create your own literary and non-literary texts.
Important Skills:- Creative writing: this type of writing is where your imagination and knowledge of literature are key. Descriptive language and imagery are key to help visualise the writing. For example, writing narrative scenes and excerpts requires you to master perspectives (first, second, and third person) as well as imagery and figurative language.
- Persuasive writing: this type of writing is where you need to convince the readers of something; a point, message, or idea. Here, the three pillars of Aristotle are key: ethos, pathos, and logos. For example, these techniques are important in speech writing, where the DAFORESTI method is used.
- Informative writing: this type of writing is rather straightforward, and you can use a clear structure here. There is no need for heavy metaphorical usage; clarity is more important. An example of this could be a compare and contrast essay.
- Audience awareness
- Criterion D: Using Language
Using appropriate and effective language here is important, with a variety of literary devices and descriptive words.
Important Skills:- Grammar and punctuation
- Vocabulary selection
- Sentence variety
- Style and tone
MYP eAssessment Exam Structure
The eAssessment is similar to every single L&L summative assessment combined. It follows a structure comprising the four criteria above. You have a duration of 2 hours and 5 minutes to finish the entire paper.
The Tasks:
- Analysis of texts (short answer questions) (Criteria A)
- Compare and contrast essay (Criteria A and B)
- Writing a literary text (diary entry, script writing) (Criteria C and D)
- Creating a non-literary text (dialogue, monologue, speech writing) (Criteria B, C, and D)
Preparing for the Tasks
Studying for the eAssessments is a challenge. Here are some ways that I find effective while studying for IB MYP L&L. As a general note, sticking to the word limits (if given) is good, but if you feel like you need to write more for a better answer, that’s okay too. Check in with your teacher as well for their input.
Tasks and their Methods:
- Analysis of texts: the study method I use here is PETER (Point, Evidence, Technique, Explain, Reader Effect). This is a great method for short answer questions because it covers most of the pointers required in command terms like analyse, explain, and evaluate. However, you need to read the command term first and then adapt this method for it to work effectively.
- Compare-and-contrast essays: this is the question you should spend the most time on in the exam. There are many methods to answer these questions, but I find this one works best: Introduction, Similarities, Differences, and Conclusion. This structure is simple and easy to follow. Another important thing to always remember is to add a thesis statement in the introduction. It can be like this: This essay aims to compare and contrast both texts through the lens of context, theme, technique, and audience.
- Literary text writing: Many different kinds of texts can be asked in this section. An important thing to keep in mind is not to repeat adjectives and words, and try to connect everything well so that the ideas are easy to follow. Always try to follow the conventions of the type of text asked as a general rule.
- Non-literary text creation: When writing non-literary text, it’s again very important to always follow the conventions of the text that is asked. It’s also very important to read the question carefully so that you know what you need to include, kind of like a mental checklist.
Notetaking Strategies
For this subject, it is important to understand that the writing style is the focus, not cramming in the context of the text… Therefore, your notetaking should reflect that focus.
You can create easy-to-understand formats for every type of text that you learn to write. For example, below is how I created my notes for how to write the introduction to a compare-and-contrast essay.
Next, you should make criterion-focused notes. I find this to be a very reliable strategy. For example, you can create formats in a section for Criteria A, and make notes on use of language (poetic devices, literary devices, prose) in Criteria D.
Tips for the Subject
- Keep a vocabulary and literary device list.
- Write down the conventions of every text type taught in class in simple pointers for reference.
- Memorise some key phrases, like idioms, metaphors, and similes, which you can blend into your writing where relevant.
- Ask your teachers for book recommendations. It helps you build your writing style.
Final Notes
In the end, L&L may be a seemingly easy-looking subject, but behind it is a lot of hard work and dedication. Careful practice, preparation, and most importantly, conceptual understanding, are the key to confidence in L&L!
