IB English A Lang & Lit Interview: Example + Try It Yourself Notes

Annotated Example: Interview

1. Opening framing question: The interviewer opens with "You've spent two decades measuring Arctic ice loss. At what point did the data stop feeling abstract and start feeling like an emergency?" This question positions the scientist as a credible witness to crisis rather than a detached researcher, immediately establishing urgency.
2. Interviewee voice and authority: Dr Amara Osei responds: "The summer of 2019. We recorded melt rates three standard deviations above the century average. I remember standing on the ice and thinking: this isn't a projection anymore." The first-person anecdote lends emotional weight while the statistical reference maintains scientific credibility.
3. Follow-up and selective quotation: The interviewer quotes a government minister who called climate projections "alarmist", then invites Osei to respond directly. This technique uses selective quotation to introduce an antagonist without giving that position a fair hearing, shaping the interview's direction toward confrontation with policy inaction.
4. Closing question as call to action: The interview ends with "What do you want the reader of this magazine to do by the time they turn the page?" This direct-address closing shifts focus from expert commentary to audience responsibility, leaving the reader with a sense of personal obligation.

Examiner Commentary

1. Question framing: Each of the interviewer's questions carries an implicit argument about urgency, guiding Osei toward statements that confirm a crisis narrative. Strong candidates will identify this as a deliberate editorial choice that shapes the reader's sympathies before the interviewee speaks.