As we look ahead to 2019 and all the things that a new year may bring, not the least will be developments in the Group 1 courses. As you will know from previous posts, changes are very much afoot - and some fairly significant ones too; plenty of information will be forthcoming on this site as we work towards providing you with everything you will need to set about teaching the new literature course, but a few of the key elements (listed below) are worth mulling over as you prepare for the new term.

Happy Holidays everyone! Many of us now get to take a well-earned break after a long and gruelling term. As we do so, we can joyfully push thoughts of Written Assignments, IOCs and EEs to one side (at least for a week or two), put our feet up and, if you are like me, turn to a pile of unread books that has been steadily growing over the weeks since the last holiday.

This sample Standard Level response uses Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett and The Birthday Party by Harold Pinter to respond to a Paper 2 question on drama. The question used was from the May 2016 paper (TZ1):

Introductions to Paper 2 essays often fall short for various reasons. Sometimes they are too long and identify nitty gritty that really should be kept back for the main body or the essay; sometimes they are too short and/or fail to say very much that isn't obvious or self-evident; sometimes they fail to indicate proper understanding of the terms of the question. Some key reminders are presented below along with a range of introductions for discussion.

The final stage of the process is of course to start writing the actual assignment. As the supervisor of the essay, your role is to provide guidance and support - but to keep in mind at all times that the assignment must be the work of the student. Note that you are only allowed to provide feedback on one written draft, and you must not write notes on the draft itself. Suggestions for improvement...

Part 1 is assessed through the submission of one 1500 word coursework essay, and is assessed externally. However, the syllabus asks all students to approach the final essay through a particular series of steps which are designed to address a range of issues: 1. The need to address the various contexts in which the text was written and in which it is being read. 2. Provide students with guidance...

Marking the IOP can sometimes present difficulties, not least because there tends to be a lot less exemplar material 'out there', and also because it is often a task that individual teachers complete in isolation - making it difficult to moderate. It is important, therefore, to look for sample presentations (such as you will find below and/or on the Teacher Support Material of the OCC), as...

The first stage of the process that culminates in the writing of the 1500 word assignment focuses on the preparation and administration of an in-class 'interactive oral'. This discussion is prepared and facilitated by the students, and it leads to the writing of the Reflective Statement. Typically, students manage this activity quite well, and it can serve as a reminder to us that sometimes...

The Commentary – a rough guide for students What is a ‘commentary’? A commentary is a close analysis of a passage or a short work. More than a summary, it must investigate both the content and the language, i.e. WHAT the passage/poem achieves and HOW it achieves it, and the relationship they have with each other. It describes the writer’s intentions, effects and how he or...

What do examiners listen for? When examiners (which in this case is your teacher) mark the Individual Oral Commentary, they are of course on the look out for some key elements, as defined by the marking criteria: STANDARD LEVEL: A: Knowledge and Understanding of the extract B: Appreciation of Writer's Choices C: Organization and Presentation D: Language HIGHER LEVEL: A: Knowledge and understanding...