IB · ENG A LANG LIT SL

English A: Language & Literature SL

Global issues in literary and non-literary texts — Individual Oral

Name: ____________________Date: October 2, 2026

1.
Read the following original extract: 'The factory had taken his father's hearing, slowly, over twenty years, the way the sea takes a coastline — not all at once, but in a way that leaves nothing to give back.' (a) Identify the global issue most clearly raised by this extract. (b) Justify your choice with specific reference to the language used.
[3 marks] · no calculator
Marking points
- Identifies a global issue such as workers' rights, industrial/occupational health, or the human cost of industrialization.
- Justifies the choice by referencing the specific detail that the hearing loss occurred 'slowly, over twenty years' as a direct, quantifiable result of factory work.
- Justifies further by analysing the simile comparing this loss to coastal erosion ('the way the sea takes a coastline'), which frames the harm as gradual, irreversible, and almost naturalized/normalized rather than as a preventable injustice.
Examiner tip: A strong global issue identification always moves beyond naming a general topic (e.g., 'work') to a specific, debatable issue (e.g., 'the normalization of preventable occupational harm'), grounded in precise textual evidence.
2.
Marking analysis: A learner attempts the following task: “Read the following original extract: 'The factory had taken his father's hearing, slowly, over twenty years, the way the sea takes a coastline — not all at once, but in a way that leaves nothing to give back.' (a) Identify the global issue most clearly raised by this extract. (b) Justify your choice with specific reference to the language used.” Their response addresses only this point: “Identifies a global issue such as workers' rights, industrial/occupational health, or the human cost of industrialization.” Evaluate the response against the complete 3-mark task. Identify what earns credit and state every additional requirement needed for full marks.
[3 marks] · no calculator
Marking points
- Recognises credit for the stated point: Identifies a global issue such as workers' rights, industrial/occupational health, or the human cost of industrialization.
- Identifies the missing requirement: Justifies the choice by referencing the specific detail that the hearing loss occurred 'slowly, over twenty years' as a direct, quantifiable result of factory work.
- Identifies the missing requirement: Justifies further by analysing the simile comparing this loss to coastal erosion ('the way the sea takes a coastline'), which frames the harm as gradual, irreversible, and almost naturalized/normalized rather than as a preventable injustice.
Examiner tip: Treat each marking point as a separate requirement. Do not award the same idea twice, and do not infer work the learner did not show.
3.
Read the following original extract: 'They had crossed three borders by the time the youngest asked, for the first time, where home was. No one answered. No one knew anymore.' Identify the global issue raised, and explain how the final two short sentences contribute to the reader's understanding of this issue.
[3 marks] · no calculator
Marking points
- Identifies a global issue such as displacement, migration, or the loss of identity/belonging caused by forced movement.
- Explains that the short, blunt sentences ('No one answered. No one knew anymore.') create a stark, unembellished tone that mirrors the family's disorientation and loss.
- Explains that the absence of a direct answer to the child's question dramatizes the issue's human cost more powerfully than an explicit statement about displacement would, letting the silence itself convey the loss.
Examiner tip: When a text withholds a direct answer or explanation, consider why — silence, refusal to answer, or an unresolved question are often more powerful ways of conveying a global issue's emotional weight than explicit statement.
4.
Marking analysis: A learner attempts the following task: “Read the following original extract: 'They had crossed three borders by the time the youngest asked, for the first time, where home was. No one answered. No one knew anymore.' Identify the global issue raised, and explain how the final two short sentences contribute to the reader's understanding of this issue.” Their response addresses only this point: “Identifies a global issue such as displacement, migration, or the loss of identity/belonging caused by forced movement.” Evaluate the response against the complete 3-mark task. Identify what earns credit and state every additional requirement needed for full marks.
[3 marks] · no calculator
Marking points
- Recognises credit for the stated point: Identifies a global issue such as displacement, migration, or the loss of identity/belonging caused by forced movement.
- Identifies the missing requirement: Explains that the short, blunt sentences ('No one answered. No one knew anymore.') create a stark, unembellished tone that mirrors the family's disorientation and loss.
- Identifies the missing requirement: Explains that the absence of a direct answer to the child's question dramatizes the issue's human cost more powerfully than an explicit statement about displacement would, letting the silence itself convey the loss.
Examiner tip: Treat each marking point as a separate requirement. Do not award the same idea twice, and do not infer work the learner did not show.
5.
Read the following original extract from a speech: 'We measure progress in skyscrapers and stock prices, but never in the number of children who can still name the birds that used to live here.' Identify the global issue raised, and explain the rhetorical effect of contrasting 'skyscrapers and stock prices' with 'children who can still name the birds'.
[4 marks] · no calculator
Marking points
- Identifies a global issue such as environmental degradation/biodiversity loss, or the tension between economic development and environmental sustainability.
- Explains that 'skyscrapers and stock prices' represent conventional, materialistic measures of economic success and progress.
- Explains that 'children who can still name the birds' represents an alternative, ecological measure of a healthy relationship with the natural world, one being lost as development proceeds.
- Explains that the contrast challenges the reader to question conventional definitions of 'progress', suggesting that what is gained economically may come at the cost of something less visible but equally valuable.
Examiner tip: Speeches raising environmental or social issues often juxtapose a conventional measure of success against an alternative, humane or ecological one — identifying both sides of this juxtaposition, and what each represents, is key to a strong global issue analysis.
6.
Marking analysis: A learner attempts the following task: “Read the following original extract from a speech: 'We measure progress in skyscrapers and stock prices, but never in the number of children who can still name the birds that used to live here.' Identify the global issue raised, and explain the rhetorical effect of contrasting 'skyscrapers and stock prices' with 'children who can still name the birds'.” Their response addresses only this point: “Identifies a global issue such as environmental degradation/biodiversity loss, or the tension between economic development and environmental sustainability.” Evaluate the response against the complete 4-mark task. Identify what earns credit and state every additional requirement needed for full marks.
[4 marks] · no calculator
Marking points
- Recognises credit for the stated point: Identifies a global issue such as environmental degradation/biodiversity loss, or the tension between economic development and environmental sustainability.
- Identifies the missing requirement: Explains that 'skyscrapers and stock prices' represent conventional, materialistic measures of economic success and progress.
- Identifies the missing requirement: Explains that 'children who can still name the birds' represents an alternative, ecological measure of a healthy relationship with the natural world, one being lost as development proceeds.
- Identifies the missing requirement: Explains that the contrast challenges the reader to question conventional definitions of 'progress', suggesting that what is gained economically may come at the cost of something less visible but equally valuable.
Examiner tip: Treat each marking point as a separate requirement. Do not award the same idea twice, and do not infer work the learner did not show.
7.
Explain why, when preparing for the Individual Oral, a student should choose a specific, narrow global issue (such as 'the erosion of workers' rights under automation') rather than a broad topic (such as 'technology').
[2 marks] · no calculator
Marking points
- Explains that a broad topic like 'technology' is too general to analyse meaningfully within the time constraints of the oral, and does not point to a specific debatable issue or stance.
- Explains that a narrow, specific issue allows the student to make a focused, well-supported argument, selecting precise textual evidence that connects directly to that specific issue rather than scattering attention across many loosely related ideas.
Examiner tip: A useful test for whether a global issue is specific enough: it should be possible to state it as a debatable claim or tension, not just a subject area — 'technology' is a subject, while 'automation displacing traditional skilled labor' is an issue.
8.
Marking analysis: A learner attempts the following task: “Explain why, when preparing for the Individual Oral, a student should choose a specific, narrow global issue (such as 'the erosion of workers' rights under automation') rather than a broad topic (such as 'technology').” Their response addresses only this point: “Explains that a broad topic like 'technology' is too general to analyse meaningfully within the time constraints of the oral, and does not point to a specific debatable issue or stance.” Evaluate the response against the complete 2-mark task. Identify what earns credit and state every additional requirement needed for full marks.
[2 marks] · no calculator
Marking points
- Recognises credit for the stated point: Explains that a broad topic like 'technology' is too general to analyse meaningfully within the time constraints of the oral, and does not point to a specific debatable issue or stance.
- Identifies the missing requirement: Explains that a narrow, specific issue allows the student to make a focused, well-supported argument, selecting precise textual evidence that connects directly to that specific issue rather than scattering attention across many loosely related ideas.
Examiner tip: Treat each marking point as a separate requirement. Do not award the same idea twice, and do not infer work the learner did not show.
9.
Read the following original extract: 'The hospital waiting room had one working chair for every four patients, and a sign — freshly painted — that read WELCOME.' Identify the global issue raised, and explain the ironic effect created by pairing the detail about the chairs with the freshly painted welcome sign.
[3 marks] · no calculator
Marking points
- Identifies a global issue such as inequality in access to healthcare, or the gap between institutional appearance and institutional reality.
- Explains that the specific statistic (one chair per four patients) provides concrete evidence of genuine resource shortage and systemic neglect.
- Explains that juxtaposing this shortage with a 'freshly painted' welcoming sign creates irony, exposing a gap between superficial presentation and the institution's actual failure to meet basic needs, implicitly critiquing performative care over substantive investment.
Examiner tip: Irony built from a contrast between surface appearance (fresh paint, a welcoming sign) and underlying substance (inadequate resources) is a powerful and common technique for critiquing institutions — always name both halves of the contrast explicitly.
10.
Marking analysis: A learner attempts the following task: “Read the following original extract: 'The hospital waiting room had one working chair for every four patients, and a sign — freshly painted — that read WELCOME.' Identify the global issue raised, and explain the ironic effect created by pairing the detail about the chairs with the freshly painted welcome sign.” Their response addresses only this point: “Identifies a global issue such as inequality in access to healthcare, or the gap between institutional appearance and institutional reality.” Evaluate the response against the complete 3-mark task. Identify what earns credit and state every additional requirement needed for full marks.
[3 marks] · no calculator
Marking points
- Recognises credit for the stated point: Identifies a global issue such as inequality in access to healthcare, or the gap between institutional appearance and institutional reality.
- Identifies the missing requirement: Explains that the specific statistic (one chair per four patients) provides concrete evidence of genuine resource shortage and systemic neglect.
- Identifies the missing requirement: Explains that juxtaposing this shortage with a 'freshly painted' welcoming sign creates irony, exposing a gap between superficial presentation and the institution's actual failure to meet basic needs, implicitly critiquing performative care over substantive investment.
Examiner tip: Treat each marking point as a separate requirement. Do not award the same idea twice, and do not infer work the learner did not show.
11.
Read the original extract: 'The village library had become a phone repair shop; the old books were sold by weight.' Identify a global issue raised and explain how the detail 'sold by weight' supports it.
[3 marks] · no calculator
Marking points
- Identifies a global issue such as the loss of cultural heritage and access to education through technology-driven change.
- Explains that 'sold by weight' reduces books to worthless material, showing knowledge undervalued.
- Explains that replacing a library with a repair shop symbolizes commercial needs displacing community learning.
Examiner tip: Ground the issue in a precise image, then say what it implies about values.
12.
Marking analysis: A learner attempts the following task: “Read the original extract: 'The village library had become a phone repair shop; the old books were sold by weight.' Identify a global issue raised and explain how the detail 'sold by weight' supports it.” Their response addresses only this point: “Identifies a global issue such as the loss of cultural heritage and access to education through technology-driven change.” Evaluate the response against the complete 3-mark task. Identify what earns credit and state every additional requirement needed for full marks.
[3 marks] · no calculator
Marking points
- Recognises credit for the stated point: Identifies a global issue such as the loss of cultural heritage and access to education through technology-driven change.
- Identifies the missing requirement: Explains that 'sold by weight' reduces books to worthless material, showing knowledge undervalued.
- Identifies the missing requirement: Explains that replacing a library with a repair shop symbolizes commercial needs displacing community learning.
Examiner tip: Treat each marking point as a separate requirement. Do not award the same idea twice, and do not infer work the learner did not show.
13.
Read the original extract: 'The advert asked for strong candidates, and the interviewer's gaze slid past Leila to the man behind her.' Identify the global issue and explain how the language conveys it.
[3 marks] · no calculator
Marking points
- Identifies gender discrimination in employment.
- Explains that the verb 'slid past' conveys dismissal without any explicit statement of prejudice.
- Explains that the ambiguity of 'strong' implies bias is hidden in supposedly neutral criteria.
Examiner tip: Subtle discrimination is often shown through gesture and implication rather than direct statement.
14.
Marking analysis: A learner attempts the following task: “Read the original extract: 'The advert asked for strong candidates, and the interviewer's gaze slid past Leila to the man behind her.' Identify the global issue and explain how the language conveys it.” Their response addresses only this point: “Identifies gender discrimination in employment.” Evaluate the response against the complete 3-mark task. Identify what earns credit and state every additional requirement needed for full marks.
[3 marks] · no calculator
Marking points
- Recognises credit for the stated point: Identifies gender discrimination in employment.
- Identifies the missing requirement: Explains that the verb 'slid past' conveys dismissal without any explicit statement of prejudice.
- Identifies the missing requirement: Explains that the ambiguity of 'strong' implies bias is hidden in supposedly neutral criteria.
Examiner tip: Treat each marking point as a separate requirement. Do not award the same idea twice, and do not infer work the learner did not show.
15.
Read the original extract: 'The farmers measured the year in missed rains.' Identify the global issue and explain the effect of this unit of measurement.
[3 marks] · no calculator
Marking points
- Identifies climate change, drought and threats to farming livelihoods.
- Explains that measuring time by what is absent (missed rains) reflects a life defined by loss and scarcity.
- Explains that replacing a calendar with rainfall shows nature's rhythms governing human survival.
Examiner tip: An unusual metaphor or measure can carry the whole issue; explain what it replaces and why.
16.
Marking analysis: A learner attempts the following task: “Read the original extract: 'The farmers measured the year in missed rains.' Identify the global issue and explain the effect of this unit of measurement.” Their response addresses only this point: “Identifies climate change, drought and threats to farming livelihoods.” Evaluate the response against the complete 3-mark task. Identify what earns credit and state every additional requirement needed for full marks.
[3 marks] · no calculator
Marking points
- Recognises credit for the stated point: Identifies climate change, drought and threats to farming livelihoods.
- Identifies the missing requirement: Explains that measuring time by what is absent (missed rains) reflects a life defined by loss and scarcity.
- Identifies the missing requirement: Explains that replacing a calendar with rainfall shows nature's rhythms governing human survival.
Examiner tip: Treat each marking point as a separate requirement. Do not award the same idea twice, and do not infer work the learner did not show.
17.
Read the original extract: 'Every doorway in the city now had an eye, and no one remembered agreeing to it.' Identify the global issue and explain how the final clause shapes the reader's response.
[3 marks] · no calculator
Marking points
- Identifies surveillance and loss of privacy and consent.
- Explains that the metaphor 'an eye' personifies cameras as watchful and invasive.
- Explains that 'no one remembered agreeing' suggests gradual, unnoticed erosion of freedom, prompting the reader to question consent.
Examiner tip: Look at where an extract places its sharpest idea; the final clause often delivers the critical stance.
18.
Marking analysis: A learner attempts the following task: “Read the original extract: 'Every doorway in the city now had an eye, and no one remembered agreeing to it.' Identify the global issue and explain how the final clause shapes the reader's response.” Their response addresses only this point: “Identifies surveillance and loss of privacy and consent.” Evaluate the response against the complete 3-mark task. Identify what earns credit and state every additional requirement needed for full marks.
[3 marks] · no calculator
Marking points
- Recognises credit for the stated point: Identifies surveillance and loss of privacy and consent.
- Identifies the missing requirement: Explains that the metaphor 'an eye' personifies cameras as watchful and invasive.
- Identifies the missing requirement: Explains that 'no one remembered agreeing' suggests gradual, unnoticed erosion of freedom, prompting the reader to question consent.
Examiner tip: Treat each marking point as a separate requirement. Do not award the same idea twice, and do not infer work the learner did not show.
19.
Read the original extract: 'Their balcony garden fed three families; the hotel's rooftop pool held more water than the village used in a month.' Identify the global issue and explain how the structure of the sentence creates its effect.
[3 marks] · no calculator
Marking points
- Identifies inequality in access to resources such as water and food.
- Explains that the balanced two-part sentence, joined by a semicolon, sets modest necessity against luxury waste.
- Explains that the concrete comparison (a pool versus a village's monthly use) makes the injustice measurable and striking.
Examiner tip: Balanced sentence structures often enact contrast; comment on the form as well as the content.
20.
Marking analysis: A learner attempts the following task: “Read the original extract: 'Their balcony garden fed three families; the hotel's rooftop pool held more water than the village used in a month.' Identify the global issue and explain how the structure of the sentence creates its effect.” Their response addresses only this point: “Identifies inequality in access to resources such as water and food.” Evaluate the response against the complete 3-mark task. Identify what earns credit and state every additional requirement needed for full marks.
[3 marks] · no calculator
Marking points
- Recognises credit for the stated point: Identifies inequality in access to resources such as water and food.
- Identifies the missing requirement: Explains that the balanced two-part sentence, joined by a semicolon, sets modest necessity against luxury waste.
- Identifies the missing requirement: Explains that the concrete comparison (a pool versus a village's monthly use) makes the injustice measurable and striking.
Examiner tip: Treat each marking point as a separate requirement. Do not award the same idea twice, and do not infer work the learner did not show.
21.
Read the original extract: 'Grandmother's words had no translation, so the children simply stopped asking.' Identify the global issue and explain what 'simply stopped asking' implies.
[3 marks] · no calculator
Marking points
- Identifies language loss and the erosion of cultural identity across generations.
- Explains that 'simply' presents the loss as quiet and unremarkable, with no dramatic moment of rejection.
- Explains that the broken chain of questions suggests knowledge ending when it is no longer passed on.
Examiner tip: Quiet understatement can intensify a serious issue; explain what is left unsaid.
22.
Marking analysis: A learner attempts the following task: “Read the original extract: 'Grandmother's words had no translation, so the children simply stopped asking.' Identify the global issue and explain what 'simply stopped asking' implies.” Their response addresses only this point: “Identifies language loss and the erosion of cultural identity across generations.” Evaluate the response against the complete 3-mark task. Identify what earns credit and state every additional requirement needed for full marks.
[3 marks] · no calculator
Marking points
- Recognises credit for the stated point: Identifies language loss and the erosion of cultural identity across generations.
- Identifies the missing requirement: Explains that 'simply' presents the loss as quiet and unremarkable, with no dramatic moment of rejection.
- Identifies the missing requirement: Explains that the broken chain of questions suggests knowledge ending when it is no longer passed on.
Examiner tip: Treat each marking point as a separate requirement. Do not award the same idea twice, and do not infer work the learner did not show.
23.
Read the original extract: 'The shirt cost less than the bus ride home, and somewhere a girl had sewn it for less than that.' Identify the global issue and explain how the comparison builds the critique.
[3 marks] · no calculator
Marking points
- Identifies exploitative labour and the hidden human cost of cheap consumer goods.
- Explains that the cascading comparison (shirt cheaper than the bus, wage cheaper still) exposes how low value is placed on the worker.
- Explains that 'somewhere' implies distance and invisibility between consumer and producer.
Examiner tip: Name the group affected and the system responsible, using precise quotation.
24.
Marking analysis: A learner attempts the following task: “Read the original extract: 'The shirt cost less than the bus ride home, and somewhere a girl had sewn it for less than that.' Identify the global issue and explain how the comparison builds the critique.” Their response addresses only this point: “Identifies exploitative labour and the hidden human cost of cheap consumer goods.” Evaluate the response against the complete 3-mark task. Identify what earns credit and state every additional requirement needed for full marks.
[3 marks] · no calculator
Marking points
- Recognises credit for the stated point: Identifies exploitative labour and the hidden human cost of cheap consumer goods.
- Identifies the missing requirement: Explains that the cascading comparison (shirt cheaper than the bus, wage cheaper still) exposes how low value is placed on the worker.
- Identifies the missing requirement: Explains that 'somewhere' implies distance and invisibility between consumer and producer.
Examiner tip: Treat each marking point as a separate requirement. Do not award the same idea twice, and do not infer work the learner did not show.
25.
Explain why identifying a global issue in a text requires evidence from the writer's language and not just a statement of the topic.
[2 marks] · no calculator
Marking points
- Explains that naming a topic (e.g. 'inequality') is only a label, and does not show how this text presents or judges it.
- Explains that quoted words and techniques show the writer's stance and distinguish this treatment from a generic one.
Examiner tip: Claim, evidence, explanation: every statement about an issue needs a quotation and a comment on how it works.
26.
Marking analysis: A learner attempts the following task: “Explain why identifying a global issue in a text requires evidence from the writer's language and not just a statement of the topic.” Their response addresses only this point: “Explains that naming a topic (e.g. 'inequality') is only a label, and does not show how this text presents or judges it.” Evaluate the response against the complete 2-mark task. Identify what earns credit and state every additional requirement needed for full marks.
[2 marks] · no calculator
Marking points
- Recognises credit for the stated point: Explains that naming a topic (e.g. 'inequality') is only a label, and does not show how this text presents or judges it.
- Identifies the missing requirement: Explains that quoted words and techniques show the writer's stance and distinguish this treatment from a generic one.
Examiner tip: Treat each marking point as a separate requirement. Do not award the same idea twice, and do not infer work the learner did not show.
27.
Explain why the choice of extract matters when preparing the Individual Oral, and state one quality of a strong extract.
[2 marks] · no calculator
Marking points
- Explains that the extract must contain rich language and ideas that clearly connect to the global issue, giving enough to analyse in the time available.
- States a quality such as a short, focused passage with several techniques directly tied to the issue.
Examiner tip: A strong extract is chosen for what it lets you say about the issue, not just because it is a favourite scene.
28.
Marking analysis: A learner attempts the following task: “Explain why the choice of extract matters when preparing the Individual Oral, and state one quality of a strong extract.” Their response addresses only this point: “Explains that the extract must contain rich language and ideas that clearly connect to the global issue, giving enough to analyse in the time available.” Evaluate the response against the complete 2-mark task. Identify what earns credit and state every additional requirement needed for full marks.
[2 marks] · no calculator
Marking points
- Recognises credit for the stated point: Explains that the extract must contain rich language and ideas that clearly connect to the global issue, giving enough to analyse in the time available.
- Identifies the missing requirement: States a quality such as a short, focused passage with several techniques directly tied to the issue.
Examiner tip: Treat each marking point as a separate requirement. Do not award the same idea twice, and do not infer work the learner did not show.
29.
Read the original extract: 'The post was shared four thousand times before anyone checked whether the flood had happened at all.' Identify the global issue and explain how the sentence structure reinforces it.
[3 marks] · no calculator
Marking points
- Identifies misinformation and the speed of false information on social media.
- Explains that the sequencing with 'before' places mass sharing ahead of verification, mirroring the real order of events.
- Explains that the final phrase 'at all' conveys the absurdity of acting without checking the basic facts.
Examiner tip: Show how word order and emphasis support the critique, not only what the sentence says.
30.
Marking analysis: A learner attempts the following task: “Read the original extract: 'The post was shared four thousand times before anyone checked whether the flood had happened at all.' Identify the global issue and explain how the sentence structure reinforces it.” Their response addresses only this point: “Identifies misinformation and the speed of false information on social media.” Evaluate the response against the complete 3-mark task. Identify what earns credit and state every additional requirement needed for full marks.
[3 marks] · no calculator
Marking points
- Recognises credit for the stated point: Identifies misinformation and the speed of false information on social media.
- Identifies the missing requirement: Explains that the sequencing with 'before' places mass sharing ahead of verification, mirroring the real order of events.
- Identifies the missing requirement: Explains that the final phrase 'at all' conveys the absurdity of acting without checking the basic facts.
Examiner tip: Treat each marking point as a separate requirement. Do not award the same idea twice, and do not infer work the learner did not show.