The Individual Oral

Five Essential Ingredients

The Individual Oral is a 10-minute oral analysis of two texts. For IB Language and Literature
students this will consist of a literary and non-literary text. For IB Literature, the 10 minute oral
analysis will examine two literary texts - one in the target language of instruction and one in
translation. Regardless of the course you take, the 10 minutes will be followed with a 5-minute
question and answer session with your teacher. Your teacher will score the assessment and
upload it to the IB for moderation by an external examiner.

Five Essential Ingredients of a Successful IO

1. The Global Issue is the Backbone of the IO

○ Remember that the Global Issue should be narrowly focused and not too broad.
Aim to make your Global Issue clear, concise, and interesting. Don’t fall into the
trap of doing the same old tired topics. Follow your passions and choose an issue
you feel strongly about.

2. Show Deep Knowledge

○ This is the time to showcase your passion as well as your knowledge. Show that
you understand how the Global Issue presents itself in your extracts, but also in the
work or body of work as a whole. Link back to your Global Issue often. As Andrew
has said (far too) many times, it is the backbone of the IO.

3. Authorial Choices are the Focus

○ Remember that authorial choices is the name of the game. We need to understand
how authors and content creators make intentional choices and how those choices
impact the audience. Remember to discuss these key choices while examining both
the extract AND the work/body of work as a whole during the IO. Always link
these choices back to the Global Issue.

4. The IO Must be Balanced

○ You have plenty of time to prepare for this assessment, so make sure to build a
good balanced approach. Literature students need to balance time between
discussing the extracts and the two works as a whole. Language and Literature
students must balance the discussion between the two extracts with the lit work as
a whole, as well as the non literary body of work as a whole. Andrew and Dave
recommend these timings as approximations:
 i. Introduction (1 minute)
ii. Literary extract discussion (2 minutes)
iii. Literary work as a whole discussion (2 minutes)
iv. Non-Lit extract1 or Lit extract in translation2 (2 minutes)
v. Non-Lit body of work as a whole or Lit in translation work as a whole (2
minutes)
vi. Conclusion (1 minute)
vii. Teacher Q and A (5 minutes)

5. The IO Delivery Must be Engaging

○ This is not a time to write a script and try to hit it word for word! Think of the IO as
a performance or spirited conversation with your teacher. Engage your listener
with your style and with the power of your words. You chose this passage and this
Global Issue. Now it’s time to sell it in a convincing and persuasive fashion.

Be sure to check out the companion video to this

document: IO - Five Essential Ingredients. This will
enable you to further understand key concepts and
develop the critical skills necessary that lead to success
in IB English.

1
For IB Language and Literature students
2
For IB Literature students