Group 1
Language A: Literature – School-Supported Self-Taught
Continue or take up studies of a language you speak very well but that is not offered as a class at FKG. Available at Standard Level only.
What is this course about?
This course gives you the opportunity to continue or take up studies of a language you speak very well but that is not offered as a class at Felix-Klein-Gymnasium. You will develop analytical and academic writing skills and a deeper understanding of the culture of the language community through its literature. The Language A: Literature SSST course can be taken at Standard Level only.
How does a self-taught course work?
You work independently and at your own pace, at home or in the school library. You will need to find a mentor who is a native or very good speaker of the language; FKG can support you in this. You will have regular meetings with your mentor (in person or online), discuss the text choices (including works in translation), discuss the works after reading them, and practise analysis, including essay writing.
If there are other Language A: Literature SSST students in your cohort, you should meet up and discuss methods, study skills and exam preparation; you can even choose the same literary works in translation. If another student studies the same language, you can form a study group and share a mentor.
Exams, costs and Group 1 requirements
Do I take exams? You take the same exams as any student in a school-taught Language A: Literature course, with slight modifications for the oral exam. You write the final exams in school (Paper 1 and Paper 2), following the official IB exam schedule, and conduct the final oral exam (the Alternative Individual Oral) in school with the IB Coordinator or your homeroom teacher, who do not need to speak the language you study.
Are there extra costs? The school does not pay for your mentor's services; fees are subject to agreement between you or your family and the mentor. You need to purchase the works you study.
Do I have to do another Group 1 course? The Language A: Literature SSST course can count as the mandatory Group 1 course if you are a German B student (see the enrolment form for details), but we recommend doing another Group 1 course to support you in studying literature at an academic level.