HL IOA Structure1
What should you include when introducing the extract?
The name of the text and the author’s name.
How do you show strong conceptual understanding?
By explaining how the author uses language to convey meaning and relating that to the global issue.
Is it okay to memorize your entire oral?
No—notes are allowed, but you should speak naturally and fluently, not recite.
What should you mention in the outline of your presentation?
The characters and themes you will focus on.
Why is it important to explore universal issues from multiple cultural perspectives?
It builds empathy, challenges stereotypes, and helps students avoid seeing the world from only one cultural lens.
What are you expected to explain about the extract’s placement?
Whether it’s from the beginning, middle, or end of the story, and what event comes before/after it.
What language markers are useful when summarizing?
Sequencing words like “First,” “Then,” “After that,” “Finally.”
Why is it useful to prepare your outline before presenting?
It keeps your talk focused and organized.
What is the benefit of using signpost words?
They help the examiner follow your structure and reasoning easily.
How do we decide what makes an issue truly “global”?
An issue becomes “global” when it transcends one country or culture—when people in many places experience it or debate it. Global issues often involve human rights, ethics, and communication.
Why is contextualizing the extract important?
It helps the examiner understand the background and relevance of the scene.
How should you balance content and form in your analysis?
Discuss both what happens and how the author conveys it (language and structure).
What is the purpose of summarizing the extract?
To give a brief overview of the plot and actions in the extract before analyzing it.
Should your language be informal or academic in the oral?
Academic, clear, and analytical.
What are the parts of the 10 minute oral?
4 minutes: Analyze the literary extract.
6 minutes: Discussion with the teacher about the extract
Why is it important to mention the theme in your oral?
Because it links your analysis to broader, transferable ideas and the global issue.
What four steps must be included in a good analysis?
Pick important parts
Say what it means
Connect to the big picture
Use signpost words
What sentence frame helps close the presentation?
“In conclusion, this extract highlights [key idea] and provides deeper insight into [character/theme/moment].”
What sentence frame can help when starting your outline?
My presentation will be about the characters [name] and [name]. I will also speak about the theme of [theme].
How does the audience and purpose affect how I structure my oral?
The oral needs to be informative, analytical, and coherent—tailored to an academic listener. It must also balance clarity with depth, which means adapting tone and examples to suit the examiner.
What is the goal of the conclusion?
To summarize the key idea and show what insight the extract gives into the character, theme, or moment.
What is a mistake to avoid in step 5?
Only summarizing without analyzing or explaining deeper meaning.
What are examples of “signpost words”?
"This shows",” “For example,” “This suggests,” “Furthermore,” “As a result.”
What does “connect to the big picture” mean?
Linking the extract to overall themes or global issues.
How can comparing texts from different cultures help us explore global issues more deeply?
It helps us see the issue from more than one angle. For example, freedom of speech may mean one thing in Canada, and something very different in Venezuela or Iran.