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IB French A: Language & Literature (SL & HL) - Study Hub
A public revision hub for IB French A: Language and Literature at SL and HL — a skills course, not a body of facts. Learn the analysis toolkit, close reading of unseen non-literary texts for Paper 1, the comparative essay for Paper 2, the Individual Oral, and the HL essay, with worked model answers throughout.
Subject Group
Group 1 (Studies in Language and Literature)
Available on Aimnova
SL and HL
First assessment
Assessment
Paper 1 (guided analysis) · Paper 2 (comparative essay) · Individual Oral · HL essay (HL)
01—The course
What is IB French A: Language and Literature?
IB French A: Language and Literature is a Group 1 course for students working in French as their strongest language. It is a skills course rather than a fixed body of content: you learn to read closely and argue about how meaning is made — how a writer's choices of language, structure, and style shape an audience's response — across both literary works and non-literary texts.
The course is assessed by Paper 1 (a guided analysis of one or two unseen non-literary texts), Paper 2 (a comparative essay on two literary works studied), the Individual Oral (a global issue explored through one literary and one non-literary text), and — at HL — the HL essay. Aimnova covers French A: Lang & Lit across the analysis toolkit, non-literary text types, Paper 1, Paper 2, the Individual Oral, and the HL essay — so you build the technique vocabulary first, then apply it to real text types and exam-style tasks with model answers, all authored natively in French.
02—Assessment
IB French A: Lang & Lit SL & HL Assessment
Paper 1 — Guided textual analysis
A guided analysis of unseen non-literary text — one text at SL, two at HL — written in response to a guiding question. You show how the writer's choices of language, structure, tone, and style shape meaning for a particular audience and purpose — the core skill the analysis toolkit is built to support.
Paper 2 — Comparative essay
One comparative essay responding to a general question, drawing on two of the literary works studied. You build and sustain an argument that compares how both works treat an idea, technique, or effect — not a summary, but an analysis.
Individual Oral (Internal assessment)
A 10-minute prepared oral, followed by questions, exploring how a global issue is presented in one literary and one non-literary text. Marked on knowledge and understanding, analysis and evaluation, focus and organisation, and language.
HL essay (HL only)
A 1,200–1,500 word formal essay (20 marks) on a line of inquiry the student develops about one literary or non-literary work — or a body of work — studied on the course. HL only; it is what raises HL above SL and rewards sustained, independent critical writing.
03—Syllabus
IB French A: Lang & Lit Units
Unit 1Analyser les textes
Unit 2Les types de textes non littéraires
Unit 3Épreuve 1 : l’analyse guidée
- 3.1La méthode de l’analyse guidée3 sub-topics
- 3.2La banque de types de textes1 sub-topic
- 3.3Lire et annoter1 sub-topic
- 3.4Planifier l’analyse1 sub-topic
- 3.5Rédiger une excellente réponse3 sub-topics
- 3.6Gérer son temps1 sub-topic
- 3.7Erreurs fréquentes et remarques de l’examinateur1 sub-topic
- 3.8Analyses modèles de niveau 72 sub-topics
- 3.9Entraînement chronométré1 sub-topic
Unit 4Épreuve 2 : l’essai comparatif
Unit 5L’oral individuel
04—Resources
Free IB French A: Lang & Lit Study Resources
05—FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions about IB French A: Lang & Lit
What does IB French A: Language and Literature cover?
It is a skills course centred on the close analysis of both literary works and non-literary texts, studied in French. You learn to read closely and argue about how meaning is made — how language, structure, style, and context shape an audience's response — and apply an explicit toolkit of analysis techniques (tone, diction, imagery, structure, register, rhetorical appeal, and more) to unseen texts and studied works.
How is IB French A: Lang & Lit assessed at SL and HL?
SL has three components: Paper 1, a guided analysis of one unseen non-literary text (35%); Paper 2, one comparative essay on two literary works studied (35%); and the Individual Oral, an internally assessed exploration of a global issue across one literary and one non-literary text (30%). HL adds a fourth — the HL essay, a 1,200–1,500 word formal essay (20%) — and analyses two unseen texts in Paper 1. There is no multiple-choice: every task rewards a sustained, evidenced argument.
What is the difference between French A and French B?
French A (Group 1) is for students working in French as their strongest language, centred on the analysis of literary and non-literary texts. French B (Group 2) is a language-acquisition course for students learning French, focused on communicating accurately across five prescribed themes. French A expects fluent, independent analytical writing in French rather than language acquisition.
How should I revise a skills course like French A?
You cannot memorise your way through it — you practise. Learn the analysis toolkit first so you have precise vocabulary for what a text is doing, then rehearse the move from choice to effect to significance on many short passages. For Paper 1, drill guided analysis of unseen non-literary texts; for Paper 2, plan comparative arguments on your studied works; for the oral, prepare a clear global issue and evidence from both a literary and a non-literary text; and at HL, develop a focused line of inquiry for the HL essay.
Start revising IB French A: Lang & Lit with structure
Use the analysis toolkit, text-type breakdowns, and live study path to master the skills French A is marked on — Paper 1 guided analysis, the Paper 2 comparative essay, the Individual Oral, and the HL essay.
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