Individual Oral Commentary Notes...
You are required to undertake an individual oral commentary that involves presenting a formal literary analysis on an extract from two of the works studied in Part 2. The 10-minute oral commentary, immediately followed by a 10-minute guided discussion on another Part 2 work, are graded as one assignment and are worth 15% of your DP grade.
Extracts will be rich in detail and significance and give you every opportunity to show your:
Guiding Questions
The purpose of the guiding questions is to point you toward significant features of the extract. Questions will not give too much information because this would make it difficult for you to show your understanding.
Generic Guiding Questions
Prose: Novel and Short Story (The Thing Around Your Neck)
Prose Other than Fiction
Poetry
Drama
Conducting the IOC
Note: The IOC may only be conducted once for each student.
Non-negotiables
In Progress
Following the oral commentary
Conduct of the discussion
Prose: Novel and Short Story
As indicated by the level descriptors for this section of the assessment task, the aim of the discussion is to give students an opportunity to show their knowledge and understanding of a second part 2 work and to demonstrate their ability to engage in independent critical literary discussion. For example, to attain full marks in criterion D: knowledge and understanding of the work used in the discussion, the student needs to show “excellent knowledge and understanding of the content and the implications of the work discussed”. For criterion E: response to the discussion questions, the student is required to give “persuasive and independent responses to the discussion questions”.
Essentials
The marks for the commentary and the presentation are added together and then divided by two, and these are submitted to the IB. At that point the school will be asked to send a randomly selected sample of recordings for external moderation. Marks for the oral presentation are moderated through those provided for the oral commentary.
The Formal Oral Commentary is meant to assess your ability to:
Remember:
Examiners’ Reports – Formal Oral – Higher & Standard LevelUnderstanding:
Begin by briefly putting the passage into context by explaining how this extract fits in with the plot, characterisation, atmosphere, tone or theme of the rest of the text / other poems. The best uses of context, however, will point out how this extract illuminates ideas that run through the rest of the text or how it is crucial in terms of the development of a particular relationship, theme or idea. This kind of literary context is far more important than any social, cultural, autobiographical context that you might wish to include. Make sure that you cover all of the extract – if something is tough, don’t skate over it. Instead spend some time on trying to engage with it. Even if your interpretation is off the mark, you will get more credit for trying to do this than you will for just pretending the tricky bits don’t exist. In addition, you must remember to:
Interpretation:
While it is important to consider the effect of a wide range of literary features in your oral, the key thing is not just to point out that these features exist in the passage but instead to make it clear how they have been used by the author to create a given effect. The point of the oral is for you to demonstrate your understanding of how the writer has crafted this extract in order to evoke a particular response. Remember to focus on features like narrative perspective in prose and poetry or upon the visual and aural effects (the stagecraft) that would accompany the words in Shakespeare’s plays. In addition, you must remember to:
Presentation:
A third of the marks are available for this, so you must make sure that there is a clear structure to your oral. Avoid going through the passage line by line unless this particularly appropriate for the extract that you have been given. Instead use an organising principle (or series of them) to structure your oral as this will help make the structure of your oral relevant to the particular extract that you have been given. In addition you should remember to:
Language:
The examiners want to hear you talk about the literary conventions of each genre (prose, poetry, drama) so you should use words like narrator, persona, protagonist, subplot, foreshadowing. The also want to hear technical terms like: foregrounding, syntax, onomatopoeia, juxtaposition etc. but it is important that you sound comfortable with the terms that you are using. In addition you must remember to:
sample IOC #1
sample IOC #
Extracts will be rich in detail and significance and give you every opportunity to show your:
- Knowledge and understanding of the work
- Ability to analyse language, structure, technique and style.
Guiding Questions
The purpose of the guiding questions is to point you toward significant features of the extract. Questions will not give too much information because this would make it difficult for you to show your understanding.
Generic Guiding Questions
Prose: Novel and Short Story (The Thing Around Your Neck)
- How does the extract show the attitudes and emotions of the central character(s)?
- In what ways does the use of language reveal underlying tensions?
- How is the significance of the setting of the work revealed in the extract?
- How are the central ideas of the work conveyed through the extract?
- In what ways does the extract foreshadow subsequent developments in the work?
- How is the extract pivotal to the structure of the plot?
Prose Other than Fiction
- How does the point of view influence our attitude to the ideas being conveyed in the extract?
- In what ways is the extract central to the work as a whole?
- How is diction used to influence the reader?
- How is a strong sense of place conveyed in the extract?
- In what ways are rhythm and balance important elements in conveying the writer’s point of view?
- What does the extract reveal of the writer’s attitude towards the subject matter?
Poetry
- What use has the writer made of repetition to convey meaning and/or emotional effects?
- How does the use of a persona contribute to the dramatic force of the poem?
- How is symbolism used to convey meaning?
- In what ways does the final line/stanza change your understanding of the poem as a whole?
- In what ways does the poet use repetition to underline key ideas?
- How is rhythm used to complement the thought and feeling of the poem?
Drama
- How are gesture and action used to convey the state of mind of the character(s)?
- How is language used to show contrasts between the characters?
- In what ways does the extract show or hint at developing conflict in the play?
- How does the extract reveal the time and place of the action in the play?
- What does the extract reveal of the relationship between X and Y?
- In what ways is the extract significant in revealing a key idea of the play?
Conducting the IOC
Note: The IOC may only be conducted once for each student.
Non-negotiables
- A quiet room for conducting the oral and a nearby room for the 20-minute preparation period
- Good-quality recording equipment, preferably digital
- An envelop or bucket to hold the extracts from which the candidate will choose their own extract
- Clean copies of extracts with contextual information removed. Line numbers and poem titles are allowed
In Progress
- The student must be allowed to talk without interruption for up to 8 minutes.
- For 2 minutes, subsequent questions must be put to the student. These should give the student an opportunity to cover aspects they have missed (or have handled incompletely) in their commentary.
- If a student does not manage to speak for the full 8 minutes, 10 minutes should still be used, with the teacher asking questions.
- The focus of the task is detailed comment on the extract, not the whole work. Some contextualization is important to show understanding of how the extract is related to the work as a whole, but the main part of the commentary should be detailed literary analysis of the extract itself.
Following the oral commentary
- Where more than one teacher is conducting and marking the orals it is essential that time is spent on standardization
Conduct of the discussion
- The teacher’s role is to give the student every chance to show his or her ability to engage in an independent literary discussion. The ideal is an authentic literary exchange between the teacher and student, but prepared questions will be needed to get the discussion started.
- The questions are likely to be related directly to the work under discussion, so the examples given here (and in the subject guide) are intended to show the types of questions that should prompt an independent response from the student.
Prose: Novel and Short Story
- To what extent do you feel the writer is trying to persuade you to think about an issue or idea in a particular way?
- How well do you think the writer handles the transition between one time and another?
- Which character do you feel the writer relates to most closely? What makes you think that?
- What sort of techniques does the writer use to get you interested in the story and the characters? Do you think they are successful?
- Choose one part of the novel that you found particularly challenging, exciting or moving. What do you think prompted that response?
- Do you think the writer is particularly sympathetic towards one of the characters? What makes you think that?
- How well do you think the writer manages to use the stage to establish a strong sense of setting?
- What is your opinion about the closure in the last section of the play? Do you find it satisfying or frustrating?
- What do you feel is the central conflict in the play? How important are the underlying reasons for the conflict?
- How clearly is the writer able to convey a meaningful idea while keeping an audience entertained?
- In what ways does the writing produce a strong sense of the author?
- Do you feel that the style of writing is well matched to the ideas that the writer is trying to convey?
- How well does the work organize the events or ideas? Is there an effective division within and between sections?
- What aspect of the work do you find most convincing?
- Can you identify some of the features of the writer’s technique that you find to be particularly effective?
- Are there some ideas or opinions put forward in the writing that you feel particularly sympathetic or antagonistic towards? What do you think prompted such a strong reaction?
As indicated by the level descriptors for this section of the assessment task, the aim of the discussion is to give students an opportunity to show their knowledge and understanding of a second part 2 work and to demonstrate their ability to engage in independent critical literary discussion. For example, to attain full marks in criterion D: knowledge and understanding of the work used in the discussion, the student needs to show “excellent knowledge and understanding of the content and the implications of the work discussed”. For criterion E: response to the discussion questions, the student is required to give “persuasive and independent responses to the discussion questions”.
Essentials
- The discussion lasts for 10 minutes and must follow the oral commentary with no break in the recording.
- The discussion must be based on one of the two works other than poetry studied in part 2.
- The student must not know beforehand which “other work” is going to be chosen.
- The discussion should be allowed to develop as naturally as possible, although the teacher needs to ensure that it stays focused on the nominated work and prompts the student to explore implications and to give personal evaluation.
The marks for the commentary and the presentation are added together and then divided by two, and these are submitted to the IB. At that point the school will be asked to send a randomly selected sample of recordings for external moderation. Marks for the oral presentation are moderated through those provided for the oral commentary.
The Formal Oral Commentary is meant to assess your ability to:
- Develop a personal / individual understanding of the thoughts, feelings or ideas conveyed by the author in the poem / extract you have been given
- Comment, in detail, on the way the literary choices made by the author and the effect that these may have on the reader – you should consider features such as diction, tone, imagery, symbols, structure, etc.
- Structure an oral presentation in a clear, sensible and logical fashion
- Use language appropriate to a formal oral situation
- Work under high pressure time constraints
- Assess your understanding of the second text and your ability to respond to questions about this text in an informed and persuasive manner
Remember:
- One of the sections of the mark scheme where it is easiest to score highly is the organisation section. Using Organizing Principles to structure your oral and making sure you follow the steps laid out in the step by step guide is a good way of making sure you gain good marks in this section.
- In order to demonstrate excellent understanding of the poem or extract, you will need to go beyond the immediate extract you have been given. You will need to show an understanding of how this poem reflects (or contrasts with) the style or the concerns of other poems that we have studied. You may also want to comment on any relevant social / political / cultural or autobiographical context and how understanding this context can help to illuminate the text you have been given or allow us to see it in a different light.
- When examining the writer’s choices you need to really examine in detail the literary features of the text and comment on the effect that they have on the reader / audience. Commenting on a wide range of literary features (sounds, rhythm, structure, enjambment, etc…) not just on the connotations of the words used and how all of these different kinds of features work together to create an effect will help you gain good marks.
- An extract will be duplicated a random number of times among you, so just because someone else gets a certain extract it does not mean that it will not come up for you.
Examiners’ Reports – Formal Oral – Higher & Standard LevelUnderstanding:
Begin by briefly putting the passage into context by explaining how this extract fits in with the plot, characterisation, atmosphere, tone or theme of the rest of the text / other poems. The best uses of context, however, will point out how this extract illuminates ideas that run through the rest of the text or how it is crucial in terms of the development of a particular relationship, theme or idea. This kind of literary context is far more important than any social, cultural, autobiographical context that you might wish to include. Make sure that you cover all of the extract – if something is tough, don’t skate over it. Instead spend some time on trying to engage with it. Even if your interpretation is off the mark, you will get more credit for trying to do this than you will for just pretending the tricky bits don’t exist. In addition, you must remember to:
- avoid forcing characters or events to have one simple meaning – often a character will change and develop as you progress through an extract and a sensitive analysis will realise this and avoid forcing the character into an overly simple box
- include context in the body of your oral rather than just as part of the introduction
Interpretation:
While it is important to consider the effect of a wide range of literary features in your oral, the key thing is not just to point out that these features exist in the passage but instead to make it clear how they have been used by the author to create a given effect. The point of the oral is for you to demonstrate your understanding of how the writer has crafted this extract in order to evoke a particular response. Remember to focus on features like narrative perspective in prose and poetry or upon the visual and aural effects (the stagecraft) that would accompany the words in Shakespeare’s plays. In addition, you must remember to:
- avoid summarising or paraphrasing what happens in your extract
- try to demonstrate that you are engaging with the text by offering a personal interpretation of it or perhaps evaluating what you feel is particularly successful, effective or powerful – don’t just regurgitate what we have discussed in class
- remember to explore features such as rhyme, rhythm, voice, line-length, stanza form, variation in clause lengths, etc and the effect that these have on the reader
- create an overall integrated analysis or interpretation rather than a ‘patchwork’ of unrelated ideas of comments – one approach might be to begin by claiming that this extract is a microcosm of the poet’s whole work or is important because of x and then go on to demonstrate why and how this is the case
- avoid assuming that the poet is the same as the persona
Presentation:
A third of the marks are available for this, so you must make sure that there is a clear structure to your oral. Avoid going through the passage line by line unless this particularly appropriate for the extract that you have been given. Instead use an organising principle (or series of them) to structure your oral as this will help make the structure of your oral relevant to the particular extract that you have been given. In addition you should remember to:
- sound as enthusiastic, persuasive and engaging as you can
- leave yourself enough time to conclude – you will be cut off at 12 minutes
Language:
The examiners want to hear you talk about the literary conventions of each genre (prose, poetry, drama) so you should use words like narrator, persona, protagonist, subplot, foreshadowing. The also want to hear technical terms like: foregrounding, syntax, onomatopoeia, juxtaposition etc. but it is important that you sound comfortable with the terms that you are using. In addition you must remember to:
- avoid being reductive – for example by using phrases like ‘basically this means …’ or ‘what the writer is saying here is …’
- speak formally
- avoid trying too hard for sophistication at the cost of clarity
sample IOC #1
sample IOC #
Tips for the Oral Commentary Assessment
During the oral commentary, you are expected to show that you have mastered critical thinking when you discuss a passage. Evaluators are looking to see that you understand the subject matter, so your ideas need to be relevant and focused.
When presented with an excerpt from a text, discuss only that excerpt and not the entire text. Your presentation should be organized, fluent and coherent. Be sure to include examples to prove your arguments and use language that is accurate, fluent and varied instead of a series of unconnected points. Make sure that you enunciate in an organic manner and that your choice of register and style should be appropriate for the task. In other words, this is a formal presentation. Do not use slang or colloquialisms unless it is being used as a quoted example.
In the oral commentary try to include the following points:
Stylistic Features
Discuss words and phrases that seem important, create an image, indicate symbols or foreshadow events.
Identify/Discuss:
Plot
Talk about what happens, when and why. What conflict is presented?
Setting
How it contributes to the plot, theme or character's behavior.
Narrative Voice
Who is the speaker vs. who is the poet/author? What effect does the narrative voice create? (understanding, closeness, insight in the problems of the narrator, etc)
Point of View
Is is narration first, second or third person? Omniscient? Subjective? Objective?
Atmosphere/Mood
What is the mood? What atmosphere does the writer create? Could be mysterious, romantic, witty, etc.
Tone
Is the tone positive, negative or neutral and what words are used to convey the tone?
Diction
What is the author/poet's choice of diction and how does the diction reveal historical context, geography, character traits, tone, etc.
Symbols/Motifs
What are some recurring symbols and motifs and how are they important to the plot or theme?
Allusions
What allusions are used and why? What are the real-world connections or lessons?
When you begin your commentary, you should have an idea about what you are going to say. You will have time to jot down some notes, so make them count. Find and organize your arguments and build your commentary around these.
In order to be clear and coherent, you have to be organized and your presentation, structured. It is important to remember that you have to discuss how the author creates the effects of each device and how those effects reveal meaning.
When presented with an excerpt from a text, discuss only that excerpt and not the entire text. Your presentation should be organized, fluent and coherent. Be sure to include examples to prove your arguments and use language that is accurate, fluent and varied instead of a series of unconnected points. Make sure that you enunciate in an organic manner and that your choice of register and style should be appropriate for the task. In other words, this is a formal presentation. Do not use slang or colloquialisms unless it is being used as a quoted example.
In the oral commentary try to include the following points:
Stylistic Features
Discuss words and phrases that seem important, create an image, indicate symbols or foreshadow events.
Identify/Discuss:
- Key vocabulary
- Lines
- Imagery
- Tone
- Theme
- Character features
- Personal Connections
- Universal Connections
- Author's style and use of time
- Syntax
- Symbols
- Choice of words
- Repetitions
- Sounds
- Structure
Plot
Talk about what happens, when and why. What conflict is presented?
Setting
How it contributes to the plot, theme or character's behavior.
Narrative Voice
Who is the speaker vs. who is the poet/author? What effect does the narrative voice create? (understanding, closeness, insight in the problems of the narrator, etc)
Point of View
Is is narration first, second or third person? Omniscient? Subjective? Objective?
Atmosphere/Mood
What is the mood? What atmosphere does the writer create? Could be mysterious, romantic, witty, etc.
Tone
Is the tone positive, negative or neutral and what words are used to convey the tone?
Diction
What is the author/poet's choice of diction and how does the diction reveal historical context, geography, character traits, tone, etc.
Symbols/Motifs
What are some recurring symbols and motifs and how are they important to the plot or theme?
Allusions
What allusions are used and why? What are the real-world connections or lessons?
- What you're looking to discuss is whether there are any contrasts and what is the effect of these?
- What literary devices are used? How are they achieved? How do they influence the meaning?
- What rhetorical devices are used? What appeal do they create? What is the effect?
- What poetic devices are used? What is the effect on the poem?
- Discuss the author’s/poet's strengths and weaknesses.
- Discuss underlying or universal values and themes.
When you begin your commentary, you should have an idea about what you are going to say. You will have time to jot down some notes, so make them count. Find and organize your arguments and build your commentary around these.
In order to be clear and coherent, you have to be organized and your presentation, structured. It is important to remember that you have to discuss how the author creates the effects of each device and how those effects reveal meaning.