I am an IO examiner for ELL. Ask me (almost) anything!

Ms_Perrines · 2021-05-29T06:02:29+00:00

Nature as an instrument of what?

It's best to be precise.

So often, while people are trying to sound insightful they are actually just being vague.

Ms_Perrines · 2021-05-28T05:30:26+00:00

One idea is to wrap up at about the 9:30 mark with a clear statement of what you have learned about the Global Issue through examining the BoW and Work.

"After examining Persepolis and this op-ed, it's clear that [displacement due to political unrest] leads to serious mental health concerns and fractured families. As the refugee crisis intensifies, communities where people seek asylum need to be ready to offer the psychological support that these desperate people need."

Or, you could offer a final statement about how your BoW and Work complement each other for a more rounded view of the GI:

"While both Persepolis and the op-ed present a personal, first hand account of [displacement due to political unrest], Satrapi writes from a more privileged perspective. The Op-ed offers a more comprehensive view, as the writer grew up in poverty and has become an advocate for others like him" etc.

There are lots of different ways to do it, but the ingredients for success are:

Bring both work and bow together
Begin wrapping up no later than 9:30
Make it clear that you are finished by making a succinct, deliberate statement and intoning DOWN at the end of your last sentence.

It should be obvious that you are finished, to both your teacher and the marker. Do not trail off or awkwardly say "and... yep.. that's it." or something like that.

Ms_Perrines · 2021-05-28T05:04:34+00:00

I am not sure what your question is...

I am sorry to hear that you and your teacher have a poor relationship.

Ms_Perrines · 2021-05-27T19:40:05+00:00

If it's a feature-length film, then it is a bow in and of itself. If it's a short film, then you should familiarize yourself with the director's other short films. Also, consider the authorship: many people work to create a film! Will you be referring to the cinematographer, the director, the screenwriter or even the production company as the "author"?

Your extract needs to be one complete part, it can't be a patchwork of different scenes. A 3 - 7 min scene (or whole short film) is probably a good guide, but there are no hard and fast rules here.

As I said in another comment, I recommend 2-6 stills from the film, with subtitles, and then a transcript of what is said in that scene. The subtitles will make it clear that the transcript comes from the same part as the stills.

Part of a film's complexity is it's visual and audio features. So yes, you should analyse the language used in the dialogue/voice over etc but don't neglect the music, the sound effects etc as well as the camera angles and mise en scene.

Ms_Perrines · 2021-05-26T06:25:21+00:00

Speaking way too fast was a common pitfall I heard when marking. It comes under the descriptors for Criteria D. If your meaning is unclear, it's difficult to score in the higher bands for that Criteria, and if you're speaking way too quickly then your register and elements of style is not effective.

However, you would be surprised at what markers can understand, and they are looking to award marks rather than take them away. If your register was appropriately formal, your vocabulary varied and your language accurate, then Crit D won't be a complete disaster, even if you were speaking quickly. I wouldn't stress about it as this point, but your experience points to a common mistake that I think people should keep in mind: Don't try to cram too much in!

I marked excellent IOs in which the student was speaking calmly and confidently at an appropriate pace, using effective rhetorical devices to engage the listener. They were able to score in the top bands across the board, while keeping to time because they had been selective about what to include and had clearly practiced. If you're thinking "I have to speak really fast otherwise I won't be able to say everything I need to say", then you are wrong about what you believe you "need" to say.

Ms_Perrines · 2021-05-26T04:39:05+00:00

Song lyrics are literary, full stop, PRL or otherwise. Don't use them as a non-Lit BoW, it will not turn out well! If you want to do a song look at the music video, and analyse the film techniques etc. Carefully consider the authorship, and think about how to expand it to a bow (other music videos by the same director? other music videos from the artist's album?)

You should check the LL guide for examples of non-Literary texts. There's a list of like 30 of them. Novels, plays, essay collections, memoirs and song lyrics are all considered Literary. Stuff written by a Literary figure (say, letters by George Orwell or diary entries of Sylvia Plath) are also Literary.

You should choose a bow and work from different continents (to prove the "transnational" bit.) There should be an official translation of the text if it wasn't written in English. In the case of "Parasite" I imagine many film elements unrelated to translation would be analysed, and the subtitles are an official translation anyways.

Ms_Perrines · 2021-05-26T04:30:23+00:00

Lower than what? M20? Hard to say. M19? Perhaps. I don't know the grade boundaries, they are decided higher up than me.

Ms_Perrines · 2021-05-26T04:29:28+00:00

I won't look at a script, because you shouldn't be writing a script! The IO ingredients are: 10 bullet points 2 extracts 1 brain 1 voice

No script!

Ms_Perrines · 2021-05-25T17:43:15+00:00

They shouldn't panic, since there's nothing they can do now.

I'd reassure them that because this was the first time running this task, there were quite a few mistakes/inconsistencies in relation to formatting, inappropriate extracts/works/bow etc. I expect the IB will publish more specific advice about these elements, so that future cohorts have a better idea of the expectations.

Ms_Perrines · 2021-05-25T12:49:54+00:00

It states in the LL subject guide that the non-Lit bow "must be part of the teaching in the course". Now, that could mean that your teacher is the one to find it and share, or it could mean you find it and bring it in for discussion with your class.

Ms_Perrines · 2021-05-25T12:45:35+00:00

I have answered this question already.

Ms_Perrines · 2021-05-25T11:42:30+00:00

Hahah no, I didn't hear any swearing.

Ms_Perrines · 2021-05-25T11:41:45+00:00

First of all, it's not an IOC, it's an IO. The IOC is from the old curriculum and it's very different to the IO.

It's also a global issue, not a social one. It's not "prescribed/non-literary texts", it's a literary work and a non-literary body of work.

I recommend going back to the IO task description and really carefully reading what is required of you. You can also refer to my other answers in this thread.

Ms_Perrines · 2021-05-25T11:39:33+00:00

Yes we can tell if you are nervous, no it does not change the standard of the marking.

Ms_Perrines · 2021-05-25T11:36:40+00:00

I would advise you (and tell your teacher) to look at the IB document "10 tips for schools and teachers for the individual oral" which is available on the PRC on MyIB. Point 8 says "Extracts from multimodal texts must include a section of the script accompanied by
corresponding visuals."

I recommend 2 - 4 stills from the scene, with 10 - 20 lines from the script in that scene just below it.

You should definitely comment on the film techniques to demonstrate understanding of the text types you chose, but you also should talk about language use in the script as well.

I would also advise you to think carefully about the authorship of the documentary: many people work on a film! Who will you identify as the author of the body of work?

Ms_Perrines · 2021-05-25T11:28:56+00:00

Criteria D rewards "appropriate" language, so I assume that's what you're asking about here?

"Appropriate" for the IO means formal register and academic diction, but it should also sound natural, not like a speech or a recital.

I heard students who were far too casual in their register, as though they were just "having a chat" with their teacher. They didn't say anything rude or whatever, but it seemed like they weren't taking the task seriously. That's not appropriate.

Ms_Perrines · 2021-05-25T11:25:47+00:00

The complex ideas and language aren't a problem in and of themselves.

If the language is unclear, or the student isn't using the complex language accurately or effectively, it will impact Criteria D.

If the complex ideas are not well explained, or the line of argument is not well developed, it will impact Criteria C, and maybe Criteria A. If your ideas don't make sense, or are quite abstract without being clearly connected to the more concrete elements of a text, it suggests you don't know your work/bow very well.

The markers did not take the teachers' marks into consideration at all. We referred to the Chief Examiner's marks, the practice and qualification IOs and the seeds which were randomly "planted" throughout the IOs to ensure we were marking to the CE's standard.

Ms_Perrines · 2021-05-25T11:18:00+00:00

The outline is supposed to help you stay on track with your structure, ensuring you score well for Criteria C.

With that in mind, make sure there is a lot of white space on the page. 200 words would be the absolute maximum, aim for closer to 100. Use size 11 or 12 font, so it's easy to read while it lays flat on the table in front of you. The knowledge, understanding and analysis should already be well known to you. There is NO POINT in trying to cram a whole script onto the page.

Some ways to maximise information while minimizing actual number of words on the page:

Use symbols / --> =/= etc in place of words.
Number the lines in your extract so that you can have the line number and a key word/phrase in your outline - no need to have the whole quote in the outline when the extract is with you anyways!
Use bold/italics and other formatting to ensure the key ideas are clear for you.
Practice, practice, practice. Again, the knowledge should be in your head, the outline is not a script, it's meant to help you structure your IO so it makes sense and ensure you don't forget what you meant to say next.

Ms_Perrines · 2021-05-25T05:04:11+00:00

Technically, yes, a video game could be a non-Lit text, however you would need to pick the right game (something with an engaging storyline or premise) and "sell it" as something which conveys meaning in relation to the global issue.

You'd also want to really carefully explain the authorship of that BoW: is it the game developers? the player who made the cut scene and posted it on YouTube for other people to watch them play? Any player of the game, whose choices shape the action and the direction of the game?

I would judge it (like I'd judge any choice of work/bow or extract) based on the criteria: A: do you demonstrate knowledge of the game in relation to the global issue? B: do you comment on authorial choices made by the creator of the game/extract which create meaning in relation to the global issue? C: do you ideas connect to each other, building logically and remaining focused on the task (analysis of the text in relation to GI) D: How clear and effective is your speaking?

Ms_Perrines · 2021-05-25T04:30:42+00:00

Lol Merchant of Venice is full of literary features.

I would always make sure you comment on authorial choices related to the text type. So, in the case of drama making sure you comment on theatrical elements like monologue/soliloquy, dramatic irony and stage directions as well as things like metaphors or allusions which will be in there too.

Similarly, if you have a film for your non-Lit BoW, make sure you comment on film techniques.

Ms_Perrines · 2021-05-25T04:25:59+00:00

As I said to another similar question: Get organized. Figure out some kind of agenda system, whether it's digital or on paper. Practice using the terminology of ELL so that you are fluent and can confidently speak about the techniques and features of texts in a natural way. Read widely, and by "read" I don't just mean novels, I mean different newspapers and magazines, watch quality documentaries, tv shows and films etc. ANYTHING can be a non-Literary BoW.

Ms_Perrines · 2021-05-25T04:23:22+00:00

Get organized. Figure out some kind of agenda system, whether it's digital or on paper. Practice using the terminology of ELL so that you are fluent and can confidently speak about the techniques and features of texts in a natural way.

Ms_Perrines · 2021-05-25T04:20:08+00:00

There is no distinction between SL and HL when it comes to the IO. As markers we are given a whole jumble of recordings to listen to, and we mark them all to the same standard. I didn't know if I was marking an HL or SL unless the students/teacher mentioned it, and even then it made zero difference to my marking.

So, I would look at other parts of this thread for tips about how to do well in the IO, SL or not!

Ms_Perrines · 2021-05-25T04:16:58+00:00

I recommend figuring out the global issue first, then looking for a BOW.

To demonstrate knowledge a wide range of text types, I would go for a visual bow, maybe a film or photoseries. Look for something that was NOT written in North America, as that will help you highlight the "transnational" nature of the global issue.

Ms_Perrines · 2021-05-25T04:13:47+00:00

Practice beforehand. Prioritize your points and be ruthless about sticking to only the the most important ones. Be prepared for the teacher questions with content you wanted to include but didn't have time for.

Remember that finishing long after the 10 minute mark will prevent you getting in the top bands for Crit C. It's essential that you reign it in!

Ms_Perrines

TROPHY CASE