The menu
In the oral commentary you are expected to show critical thinking. You have to show that you understand the subject matter and your ideas have to be relevant and focused.
You will receive about 40 lines of text from a work studied. Talk about the extract and not about the whole text. Your presentation should be organised and coherent. It should not be a series of unconnected points. The maximum time is 10 minutes.
It is important that you use examples to prove your arguments. Your language should be accurate, fluent and varied. Your choice of register and style should be appropriate (i.e. formal!).
You will receive about 40 lines of text from a work studied. Talk about the extract and not about the whole text. Your presentation should be organised and coherent. It should not be a series of unconnected points. The maximum time is 10 minutes.
It is important that you use examples to prove your arguments. Your language should be accurate, fluent and varied. Your choice of register and style should be appropriate (i.e. formal!).
The introduction
Briefly state what happens in the scene you are going to discuss.
Place your extract in its context. Where is it in relation to the plot of the play or novel.
Who are involved in the scene? Which themes are prevalent in the scene? Identify only major ones that you will come back to in the Main Body.
State the significance of the scene and why it is significant (purpose). When identifying the purpose, don't forget to mention audience.
Place your extract in its context. Where is it in relation to the plot of the play or novel.
Who are involved in the scene? Which themes are prevalent in the scene? Identify only major ones that you will come back to in the Main Body.
State the significance of the scene and why it is significant (purpose). When identifying the purpose, don't forget to mention audience.
The main body
Identify different aspects of the text, especially cultural references and stylistic/literary devices with which the author or playwright tried to achieve his/her purpose and reach his/her audience.
In the oral commentary you can discuss the following points. However, don't just list them: discuss them (how they are achieved and what is their effect?)
Work & Author
Plot
Put the extract into context. Is there any foreshadowing? What about Conflict? Don't summarize the text, however!
Setting
Characters
Themes
How does the extract relate to the themes of the work studied? Are there themes present in the extract that come back several times in the work? How do these themes tie-in to the work as a whole?
Motifs
Narration
Who is the narrator? What effect does this have on the text?
Tone & Mood
(click here for link to document on describing Tone & Mood) Is the author successful in his/her attempt to create a particular atmosphere? Why?
Structure
e.g. dialogue, monologue, description, poetic forms, short/long, chapters, parts, etc.
Language
e.g. simple, sophisticated, expansive, technical, colloquial, scatological, etc.
Register
e.g. formal, academic, informal, slang/jargon, etc.
Literary elements
e.g. Imagery (sensory, figurative, symbol, metaphor, simile, allitertation) Rhetoric (logos - listing, pathos - loaded language, ethos - duty, guilt) intertextuality, etc.
Work & Author
Plot
Put the extract into context. Is there any foreshadowing? What about Conflict? Don't summarize the text, however!
Setting
Characters
Themes
How does the extract relate to the themes of the work studied? Are there themes present in the extract that come back several times in the work? How do these themes tie-in to the work as a whole?
Motifs
Narration
Who is the narrator? What effect does this have on the text?
Tone & Mood
(click here for link to document on describing Tone & Mood) Is the author successful in his/her attempt to create a particular atmosphere? Why?
Structure
e.g. dialogue, monologue, description, poetic forms, short/long, chapters, parts, etc.
Language
e.g. simple, sophisticated, expansive, technical, colloquial, scatological, etc.
Register
e.g. formal, academic, informal, slang/jargon, etc.
Literary elements
e.g. Imagery (sensory, figurative, symbol, metaphor, simile, allitertation) Rhetoric (logos - listing, pathos - loaded language, ethos - duty, guilt) intertextuality, etc.
The conclusion
Make sure your short presentation has a conclusion. In this conclusion you can state that the language used was very effective as shown before and that this scene ties into a later scene where the audience or characters acquires more knowledge or insight.
Extra Information
What the IB says:
- Candidates should not use this activity as an opportunity to discuss everything they know about the whole text.
- Candidates are encouraged to integrate responses to the guiding questions into the commentary/analysis.
- The teacher should act as no more than a sympathetic listener, and should not attempt to rearrange the commentary/analysis. The teacher should only intervene if candidates seem to need positive encouragement, are finding it difficult to continue or fail to comment on the text.
- When the commentary/analysis is completed, the teacher is expected to engage in a discussion with the candidate in order to give him/her the opportunity to expand on doubtful or inadequate statements. The teacher should also check the candidate’s understanding of specific words, phrases and allusions