IB English Lang Lit SL key terms

A Paper 1 task in which you write an essay analysing one or two unseen texts, focusing on how language, structure and style create meaning for particular readers. You choose your own line of argument.

A text you have not studied before, met for the first time in the exam. Paper 1 gives you unseen texts, so your analysis must come from evidence in front of you rather than remembered context.

A Paper 2 essay that discusses two literary works you have studied, developing one argument that moves between both texts and weighs their similarities and differences.

The central claim of a Paper 2 essay, stated early, that names both works and asserts a specific relationship between them rather than listing separate points.

A shared feature such as theme, character, structure or style that lets you discuss two works side by side, forming the basis of a paragraph in a comparative essay.

A broad, real-world concern with significance beyond one text, such as inequality, migration or gender, used to frame the Individual oral. It must be genuinely present in both extracts you discuss.

A recorded spoken assessment in which you present an analysis of one global issue as it appears in two extracts, one literary and one non-literary, followed by teacher questions.

A short passage taken from a studied text, chosen for the Individual oral because it shows the global issue clearly and offers enough language and structure to analyse in depth.

A whole text such as a novel, play, collection of poems or graphic novel, studied as literature. Paper 2 requires comparison of two literary works, and the Individual oral uses one literary extract.

A text produced for a real-world purpose rather than as literature, such as journalism, advertising, speeches, blogs, infographics or memoirs. The Individual oral requires one extract from a non-literary body of work.

A collection of texts by one author or producer, studied together as a unit. For the Individual oral you may take your non-literary extract from a body of work.

The circumstances in which a text was made: time, place, purpose, audience, and the writer's situation. Understanding it helps explain choices without reducing analysis to biography.

The circumstances in which a text is read, viewed or heard, including the audience's values and the historical moment. Meaning can shift as reception changes across time and cultures.

A deliberate decision by a writer, such as word choice, structure, imagery or narrative voice. Analysis explains the effect of these choices rather than merely naming them.

The response a text invites, such as sympathy, discomfort, tension or persuasion. Strong analysis links a specific technique to a plausible effect on a particular audience.

The way a text places its readers or viewers, for example aligning them with a narrator or making them judge a character. It shapes how meaning is received.

The level and style of language suited to a situation, from formal to casual, technical to intimate. Shifts in register often signal changes in power, audience or tone.

The writer's choice of words, considered for connotation, formality and precision. Close attention to diction is a reliable starting point for Paper 1 analysis.

The associations and emotional colouring a word carries beyond its literal meaning. Connotations vary by culture and context, so claims about them need textual support.

The literal, dictionary meaning of a word, as distinct from its associations. Noticing a gap between denotation and connotation can expose irony or bias.

The attitude a text conveys towards its subject or audience, such as ironic, urgent or elegiac. Tone is built through diction, syntax and rhythm rather than stated directly.

The atmosphere or emotional feeling a text creates for its audience, often through setting, imagery and rhythm. Mood differs from tone, which is the writer's attitude.

Descriptive language that appeals to the senses, including visual, auditory and tactile detail. Imagery creates mood and can carry symbolic weight across a text.

The use of a concrete object, place or action to stand for a larger idea, such as a locked door suggesting confinement. Symbols gain meaning from repetition and context.

A recurring element, image or phrase that develops a theme across a text. Tracking a motif through a work shows how meaning accumulates rather than staying fixed.

A central idea explored by a text, such as ambition, loss or belonging, expressed through characters, structure and language rather than stated as a moral.

The point of view from which a story is told, such as first person, third-person limited or omniscient. It controls what the reader can know and whose view dominates.

The personality and attitude of the teller, shaped by diction, syntax and commentary. Voice can be distinct from the author and may be unreliable or ironic.

A narrator whose account the reader has reason to doubt, through gaps, contradictions or clear bias. Spotting unreliability invites analysis of why the text withholds certainty.

Whose perception filters the events of a narrative, which may differ from who narrates. A story told by one character can be focalised through another.

The arrangement of a text's parts, including order, pacing, chapter breaks, repetition and shifts in time or place. Structure shapes emphasis and reader expectation.

Placing two elements side by side so their contrast produces meaning, such as a scene of wealth followed by one of poverty. The effect lies in the comparison itself.

The speed at which a text moves, controlled by sentence length, scene breaks, dialogue and summary. Slowing or speeding up can direct attention and build tension.

The arrangement of words and sentences, including length, clause order and punctuation. Unusual syntax can create emphasis, urgency or a distinctive voice.

Specific quotations, references or described features from a text used to support a claim. Precise, brief evidence is more persuasive than long undigested quotation.

The developing claim that runs through an essay, connecting paragraphs into a single case. It differs from a topic list because each paragraph advances the same overall idea.

The way texts refer to, echo or respond to other texts, through allusion, parody, quotation or shared conventions. Recognising such links enriches interpretation of meaning.

An indirect reference to another text, event, myth or artwork that assumes shared knowledge in the audience. Allusions add layers of meaning and can signal values or critique.

An imitation of a style or text that exaggerates its features for comic or critical effect. Parody both depends on and comments on the original it mimics.

A spoken analysis of an extract delivered without a script, using notes. In the Individual oral it is followed by teacher questions probing your understanding.