The English A component of the IB course is exciting and challenging; it concentrates on the study of a wide range of literature from cultures across the globe. We study five different ‘forms’: prose fiction, prose non-fiction, graphic novel, drama, and poetry. Works are selected from different periods of time, from different continents and at least four of the texts were originally written in a language other than English. This allows students to gain a solid grounding in all types of literature – from Shakespeare to Grace Nichols – while the texts in translation expand one’s frame of reference beyond English speaking cultures. All the texts on the syllabus will be studied in class. Students select the texts that they would like to be assessed on with guidance from and discussion with the teacher. Lessons include presentation of material by the students, essential in effective preparation for the oral examinations, and it is also expected that students will read around the texts, to learn something of the writers and something of the context in which the works were written. There are three compulsory components linked in different ways at both Standard (SL) and Higher Level (HL) with a fourth for HL.