How to Ace your IB English IO (with Examples)
What is the Interactive Oral in IB English?
Combining what used to be the Individual Oral Presentation (IOP) and Individual Oral Commentary (IOC), the Interactive Oral (IO) is now the only presentation coursework component of IB English.
The IO is a short oral presentation of around ten minutes in which IB English students need to show that they can relate two texts of their choice to a global issue in a sophisticated and nuanced way.
For Literature students, one text will be in English, while the other will be a translated work; for Lang/Lit students, one text will be literary and the other non-literary.
Especially with the modifications to the 2021 and 2022 assessment structures, such as IB English Paper 2 being cancelled, the IO now constitutes a significant portion of the final English grade: for SL English Literature and SL English Lang/Lit students, for example, it is now worth 45% of the final grade.
What do I need for the perfect IB English IO grade?
The perfect IB English IO is all about sophisticated argumentation, analysis, and structure. After this, it’s all about formal expression and good presentation skills.
Here are a few tips to steer you in the right direction, for both IB English Literature and Lang/Lit students:
When choosing sources, make sure you choose ones you feel confident relating to a global issue.
A strong IO title will not be too broad. It will usually include the themes of your texts as well as the relevant global issue discussed throughout.
Come up with your thesis statement or line of argument before you break down exactly what you will cover in the IB English IO. This is a guiding statement that directs and relates your sources to the global issue, while also showing how the craft of each source contributes to this.
Analyse your extract alongside your thesis statement. Remember, the IB English IO is not a comparison task like Paper 2 is, even though comparison is allowed!
Plan ahead for possible questions your teacher might ask. After the presentation, your teacher will have 5 minutes to ask you questions about your topic.
How to structure the IB English IO
After you’ve settled on a thesis statement, structure for the IO is the next hurdle. To hit the top bands of the assessment criteria, the structure of your IO should be well-balanced and cohesive. Showing that you can succinctly relate the techniques in your sources to the themes and global issue is key.
When tutoring IB English students, we’ve found that it has been helpful to come up with topic sentences for each point, just as we would when writing essays.
This makes finding and filtering the strongest evidence easier too, and frames each point appropriately for interpretation and analysis.
Examples of IB English IO Titles: Strong vs. Weak
Example of a strong IB English IO title: ‘The impact of trauma on truth’
Global Issue: ‘Culture, Identity, and Community’
Sources: ‘Good Form’ from The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien and ‘Life While You Wait’ by Wislawa Szymborska
Example of a weak IB English IO tile: ‘What is the significance of Murakami’s use of metaphors and Gordimer’s use of tone in relation to global issues?’
As you may have noticed, the weak title does not specify a theme, idea, or global issue. Although stylistic techniques will be discussed in the presentation, highlighting 2 specific techniques in the title unnecessarily restricts the analysis of the IB English IO.
A strong title, like the example above, should make clear the thematic scope of the exploration and relate it to the global issue involved.
Need more help with the IB English IO?
The final hurdle for creating a great IB English IO is consolidating presentation skills, public speaking skills, and formal expression. Since students cannot read from a script and can only take in a sheet with 10 short bullet points, knowing how to articulate an argument in a clear and concise manner is usually something that requires the guidance of a tutor.
BartyED IB English tutors have helped numerous students to top grades in their IO, and with IB English in general. If you feel ready for individualised support from an experienced IB English tutor, feel free to reach out to us today!