Why is it worth studying native languages in the IB DP program?
Studying in the IBDP system offers, among other things, a wonderful opportunity to improve your English, which is the language of instruction in almost all subjects. However, there is one exception to this rule: the subject called Language A: Literature, which is taught in your native language. Education in the IBDP offers students currently living outside their home country the opportunity to learn and then take the final exam in their native language. It is a wonderful way for you to maintain a connection with culture and explore the literature of your home country, while taking full advantage of the IBDP programme.
Studying native literature in the IBDP is also worth considering if you are currently in your home country, as this program allows for a different approach to your native language than that provided by the national curriculum. The emphasis is not on learning the history of literature, but on developing literary competences.
During the course, students learn the distinctive features of various literary genres, forms, and conventions, and learn to analyse texts by identifying and interpreting the stylistic and rhetorical devices used within them. Learning the native language in the IBDP program is also more engaging for students, as it allows them to address topics that are truly important to them. This is achieved by conceptual learning during which students reflect on seven concepts, such as identity, perspective, and representation.
Furthermore, the IBDP system places great emphasis on ensuring that students become responsible citizens of the world. During the course, students discover that the texts they study address issues of global importance, and for the oral exam, they choose one such problem and discuss how it is presented in two works. This is made easier thanks to the fact, that the IBDP program does not have a single, fixed reading list. Instead, teachers, using IBO guidelines, independently select the texts for the students to read. The selection of some of the works from the latest literary production allows students not only to become familiar with contemporary literature but also to discuss some of the challenges we are now facing. However, the unique approach to literature in the IBDP ensures that the students find that also the historic literary works offer a remarkably timely commentary on the challenges of today.
Language A: Literature course requires students to read a substantially smaller number of works than is typically found in national curricula: instead of dozens of works, students read seven. This allows teachers to have significantly more time to discuss each text in-depth, as well as to choose from a greater variety of teaching methods.
Group work, class discussion, and sharing personal reflection are particularly important, as the IBDP places great emphasis on developing critical thinking skills. Thanks to the inclusion of the elements of the Theory of Knowledge, Language A: Literature lessons become an excellent opportunity to discuss such important issues as: what kind of knowledge does literature provide us with and how does literary studies differ from other disciplines?
