Mastering the IB English Individual Oral (IO)

A step-by-step guide to structuring and delivering a high-scoring oral exam:

1. Understanding what the IO entails
2. The key to success using a structured approach
3. Marking rubric
4. Exemplar answer (40/40) with annotations

1. What is the IB English IO?

The Individual Oral (IO) is a 15-minute spoken assessment in IB English HL and SL:

Key Details

Exam Weighting

2. Choosing a Strong Global Issue

Your Global Issue (GI) is the foundation of your IO. A strong GI is:

1. Relevant to contemporary society
2. Applicable across cultures and countries
3. Complex enough for a 10-minute analysis

Suggested Themes for Global Issues

Although not mandatory, IB suggests five broad themes:

1. Culture, Identity, and Community
2. Beliefs, Values, and Education
3. Politics, Power, and Justice
4. Art, Creativity, and the Imagination
5. Science, Technology, and the Environment

Examples of Weak vs. Strong Global Issues

3. Selecting Your Texts & Extracts

1. Once you choose a Global Issue, select two texts that explore it in different ways.
2. For the English Lit IO, one work must be originally written in the language studied and one work must be studied in translation

How to Select Strong Extracts

Extracts should:

1. Clearly relate to the Global Issue
2. Feature literary/structural techniques for analysis
3. Be rich in meaning (allowing for deep discussion)
4. Be manageable (≤ 40 lines per extract)

4. Structuring Your IB English IO

Your IO speech should be clear, well-paced, and organized to maximize marks under Criterion C (Focus and Organization):

Recommended IO Structure (10 Minutes)

5. Writing a Strong Introduction (1 min)

Your introduction must clearly state your argument and set up the analysis. What to Include:

1. State the Global Issue → Provide a brief, clear definition.
2. Introduce the First Text → Mention title, author, type (literary).
3. Introduce the Second Text → Provide same details as above.
4. Briefly Connect Both Texts to the Global Issue → Explain their relevance.

6. Analyzing Your Texts (8 Minutes)

Your analysis should be balanced between Close Analysis and Wide Analysis.

Close Analysis (Like Paper 1)

1. Focuses on specific lines, words, and techniques within the extract
2. Similar to the detailed analysis in Paper 1

Wide Analysis (Beyond the Extract)

1. Discusses the text’s broader themes, motifs, or structure
2. Examines the author’s intention and historical/social context

7. Writing a Strong Conclusion (1 min)

Your conclusion should reinforce your argument and leave a lasting impression. What to Include:

1. Restate the Global Issue
2. Summarize the key insights from both texts
3. Emphasize the relevance of the issue today

8. Preparing for Teacher Questions (5 Minutes)

The Q&A session cannot lower your grade, but strong responses can boost your score.

Common Question Types

1. Further Explanation: “Can you elaborate on how Eggers’ use of irony critiques corporate control?”
2. Additional Examples: “Is there another passage in the novel that reinforces your argument?”
3. Authorial Intent: “Why do you think Snowden structured his talk around personal anecdotes?”

9. Literary Devices Guide

“7s” Vocabulary List

Tones

Writing Style

Literary Devices

Structure

Visuals

10. IB English IO Marking Criteria (40 Marks)

11. Model Answer

Individual Oral (IO) Script

1. Global Issue: The damaging impact of power imbalances in marriage on women
2. Texts: Othello by William Shakespeare and A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen

Introduction

Good morning. Today I will explore the global issue of patriarchal power imbalances in marriage and their damaging impact on women, focusing on Othello by William Shakespeare and A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen.

Across time and culture, marriage has often been shaped by unequal gender dynamics, frequently placing men in positions of authority and women in roles of subordination. This imbalance can manifest in physical, emotional, and psychological harm, as women are silenced, controlled, and even erased within the institution of marriage. While this issue remains globally relevant today—with domestic abuse, coercive control, and gender-based violence still pervasive—it also resonates powerfully through literature. Both Othello and A Doll’s House critique these patriarchal dynamics, though from different historical and cultural contexts. Shakespeare presents the tragic consequences of male possessiveness and violence, while Ibsen exposes the more subtle but equally damaging forms of emotional manipulation and infantilisation.

Text 1: Othello

I will begin by analysing Othello, focusing on a key extract from Act 5, Scene 2, shortly before Othello kills Desdemona in their marital bed. In this scene, Desdemona pleads, “Kill me tomorrow, let me live tonight.” The desperation and repetition of this line highlight her vulnerability and powerlessness in the face of Othello’s lethal authority. Her use of imperatives—“Kill me… let me live…”—ironically underscores her lack of agency. This becomes a chilling reflection of the power imbalance in their marriage, where Desdemona, though innocent, cannot escape Othello’s control.

Othello’s language throughout the play reveals a deeply patriarchal mindset. He refers to Desdemona as “my fair warrior” early on, blending affection with ownership. But as jealousy overtakes him, his tone shifts to one of violent certainty, stating: “She must die, else she’ll betray more men.” Shakespeare critiques the belief that a husband has moral authority over his wife’s life, illustrating how distorted notions of honour and masculinity lead to destruction.

Othello’s verbal abuse is public and degrading. In Act 4, Scene 1, he strikes Desdemona and calls her “devil” and “whore.” These slurs dehumanise her and signal a complete breakdown of respect and trust. Shakespeare links verbal dominance to physical violence, showing how patriarchal power can escalate to irreversible harm.

Context is crucial here. In Elizabethan England, wives were considered the property of their husbands. Desdemona’s tragic silence—even in her final line, “Nobody; I myself”—reflects her internalised subjugation. By taking blame for her own murder, she embodies the ultimate consequence of patriarchal conditioning: self-erasure.

Text 2: A Doll’s House

Turning to Ibsen’s A Doll’s House, I’ll focus on a critical moment from Act 3, when Torvald discovers Nora’s secret loan. He erupts, calling her “a hypocrite, a liar… no religion, no morals.” The intensity of this outburst reveals that his concern is not for Nora’s feelings or sacrifices, but for his own reputation. His moral superiority collapses into verbal condemnation, exposing the conditional nature of his love.

Throughout the play, Torvald’s power lies in emotional control. His repeated use of diminutive nicknames—“my little skylark,” “my squirrel”—may sound affectionate, but in context they reveal his paternalistic dominance. Nora recognises this, saying: “I have existed merely to perform tricks for you.” This metaphor positions her as a trained pet, a performative object, not a partner.

Unlike Desdemona, Nora eventually reclaims her autonomy. Her decision to leave her husband and children was radical for its time. The final stage direction—“[the door slams shut]”—is a symbolic rejection of patriarchal expectations. It also reclaims her identity beyond marriage, challenging the very foundation of the gendered household.

Ibsen’s use of stage directions further illustrates this power imbalance. Nora is often directed to move nervously, to hide things, or to respond with fear, showing how she is constantly performing under pressure. Even when Torvald offers her forgiveness, he says, “There is something so indescribably sweet and soothing for a man in having forgiven his wife.” His language continues to frame Nora as a subordinate, reinforcing the same hierarchy he claims to renounce.

Comparison and Conclusion

Comparatively, both Shakespeare and Ibsen use marriage to critique the institutionalised dominance of men over women, though through different literary forms and outcomes. In Othello, the imbalance leads to tragedy and death, as Desdemona is rendered voiceless. In A Doll’s House, Nora’s journey is one of awakening and resistance, culminating in self-liberation.

Both texts show how love is distorted by control, and how marriage, when shaped by patriarchal power, becomes a space of psychological confinement and loss. They expose how societal norms validate male authority and silence women, whether through overt violence or emotional coercion.

This global issue remains deeply relevant. Across the world, women continue to face legal, emotional, and economic barriers within marriage that compromise their freedom and safety. Through these two texts, we are reminded that literature does not simply reflect injustice—it challenges it, giving voice to those who have been silenced.

Thank you.

Preparing for Teacher Questions

Possible follow-up questions and responses:

1. You mention that Othello explores physical abuse while A Doll’s House focuses on emotional abuse. Do you think either form is more damaging
   1. Suggested Response: Both forms are damaging, though in different ways. Othello presents immediate, fatal consequences through physical abuse, while Ibsen shows how emotional and psychological control can slowly erode a person’s identity and self-worth. Arguably, A Doll’s House highlights the long-term psychological effects that are harder to detect but equally destructive. The two texts together offer a fuller picture of how power imbalance manifests in marriage.
2. How does context shape the way each author presents marriage and power?
   1. Suggested Response: Context plays a major role. Shakespeare was writing in a 17th-century society where male dominance in marriage was widely accepted, so Othello’s violence, while tragic, might not have been shocking to audiences. In contrast, Ibsen’s A Doll’s House, written in 1879, directly challenged 19th-century Norwegian gender norms. Nora’s decision to leave her husband was scandalous at the time, and Ibsen used the play to provoke discussion about women’s rights and autonomy. Both texts reflect and challenge their social contexts.
3. Do you think Desdemona and Nora are similar characters? Why or why not?
   1. Suggested Response: They’re similar in that both women suffer because of power imbalances in their marriages, but they respond very differently. Desdemona remains loyal and submissive, even as she faces death, which reflects the expectations of women in Shakespeare’s time. Nora, on the other hand, evolves over the course of the play—by the end, she asserts her independence and leaves the marriage. So while both women are victims, Nora’s arc is more empowered, highlighting the shift in attitudes toward women by Ibsen’s era.

Marking Criteria Breakdown with Annotations

Here’s a detailed breakdown of the marking criteria (A–D) with explanations of why this script meets the full marking criteria.

A: Knowledge & Interpretation (10/10) – Understanding of texts, engagement with the Global Issue

Why it scores full marks:

1. The script demonstrates deep engagement with the Global Issue (commodification of women) by exploring both real-world and fictional examples.
2. Both texts are analyzed in depth, showing a clear understanding of their themes and broader significance.
3. The script does more than just describe the texts—it interprets how each work presents the issue and evaluates its implications.

B: Analysis & Evaluation (10/10) – Literary techniques, impact of stylistic choices

Why it scores full marks:

1. The script thoroughly analyzes both close textual details (e.g., metaphors, color symbolism, fragmentation in advertising) and wider thematic implications.
2. The analysis includes both authorial intent and the effect on the reader, which is key to high-level evaluation.
3. It demonstrates a critical approach, considering alternative perspectives (e.g., counter-arguments in advertising and different interpretations of Offred’s oppression).

C: Focus & Organization (10/10) – Logical structure, clarity, flow

Why it scores full marks:

1. The introduction clearly establishes the Global Issue and introduces the two texts effectively.
2. The script follows a logical structure
3. There are clear transitions between sections, ensuring a coherent flow.

D: Language (10/10) – Formal tone, precision, vocabulary

Why it scores full marks:

1. The script uses precise literary and critical terminology (e.g., metaphor, color symbolism, fragmentation, passive body language).
2. The tone is formal and academic, appropriate for the IB English IO.
3. Sentences are clear and well-articulated, avoiding vague or informal phrasing.