Master analysis and writing in IB English SL/HL with 1:1 lessons
One-on-one IB English (SL / HL) tutoring programme. In a free initial consultation we assess your level and agree the plan and the exact price together. Parents and students are both welcome to reach out.
What is the IB English (SL / HL) exam?
IB English is a subject in the studies in language and literature group of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, offered at Standard Level (SL) and Higher Level (HL). It is often taken as a course that studies literary and non-literary texts together; students analyse, interpret and compare texts of different types. SL and HL share the same core skills; HL studies more texts and includes an additional essay specific to HL.
Diploma candidates must take at least one subject from the studies in language and literature group, and in international schools that subject is often English. The course develops critical reading, comparative analysis and academic English writing. A strong English grade is concrete evidence of both language proficiency and analytical thinking on an application file.
Why prepare for IB English (SL / HL) with Studrise?
Exam-focused expert tutors
Every lesson is taught by expert tutors who know the IB English (SL / HL) format inside out and focus on exam strategy.
A plan built around you
After your level assessment, we build a personal roadmap around your strengths and weak spots.
Flexible 1:1 schedule
Lessons run online and one-on-one on days and times that suit you — no clashes with school.
A clear start
It starts with a free initial consultation: level, plan and price are settled before the programme begins.
How it works
Free initial consultation
A short call and assessment to clarify your current level, your goal and your exam date.
Personal roadmap
We build a topic-by-topic weekly study plan and match you with the right tutor.
Reach your goal with 1:1 lessons
Start one-on-one lessons with your tutor and track progress with regular practice tests.
IB English (SL / HL) exam format
IB English A: Language and Literature assessment is made up of external exam papers, an oral Internal Assessment and an HL-specific essay:
Paper 1
Guided textual analysis of unseen non-literary texts · one text at SL, two at HL
Paper 2
Comparative essay on two of the studied literary works
Individual Oral
Oral analysis of a global issue through one literary and one non-literary text · Internal Assessment
HL Essay
HL only · individual essay based on a studied text
IB English (SL / HL) topics
The topic areas on the exam and their weight. Lessons don't follow this order — we start from the area that will move your score the most.
Non-literary text types
Half of Paper 1 · knowledge of text types
- Advertisements and posters: visual–verbal interplay, target audience
- Columns, editorials, essays: tone and rhetoric
- Speeches, interviews, blogs and social-media texts
- News, infographics, brochures: layout and reader guidance
- Cartoons, graphic novels and multimodal texts
Literary works
SL 4 works · HL 6 works
- Novels and short stories: narrator, character, structure
- Poetry: imagery, sound, form
- Drama: stage, dialogue, dramatic irony
- Works in translation and cultural context
- Learner-portfolio notes for every work
Three areas of exploration and seven concepts
The backbone of the course
- Readers, writers and texts: close reading
- Time and space: context and culture
- Intertextuality: connections between texts and genre
- Identity, culture, creativity, communication, perspective, transformation, representation
- Global issues: text–issue matching for the IO
The language of analysis
The focus for non-native speakers
- Effect rather than device name: "through … the writer creates … in the reader"
- Command terms: analyse, evaluate, compare, discuss
- Academic connectives and paragraph transitions
- Integrating quotations and close paraphrase
- Vocabulary for tone, register and audience
IB English (SL / HL) question types and strategy
Each question type has its own approach. In lessons we work on these strategies alongside the content.
Paper 1 — guided textual analysis
Unseen non-literary text(s) with a guiding question. SL: one of two texts, 75 min, 20 marks. HL: both texts, one analysis each, 135 min, 40 marks. Four criteria: understanding and interpretation, analysis and evaluation, focus and organisation, language.
Name the text type in the first sentence and refer to its conventions (an advertisement's audience, an editorial's tone). A thesis that answers the guiding question; each paragraph technique + quotation + effect. Analyse visual elements (layout, typography, colour) too.
Paper 2 — comparative essay
One of four general questions, comparing at least two literary works; 105 min, 30 marks, same at SL and HL. Works are not taken into the exam.
Two prepared work pairs and comparison axes are adapted to the question; both works side by side in every paragraph. Rely on specific scenes and character decisions rather than memorised quotations; return to the question in every paragraph.
Individual oral (IO) and the HL essay
IO: presenting a global issue through 40-line extracts from one literary and one non-literary text; 10 + 5 min, 40 marks; 30% at SL, 20% at HL. HL essay: a focused 1,200–1,500 word essay on one text or work, 20 marks, 20%.
In the IO define the global issue narrowly and give the two texts equal weight; at least three recorded rehearsals. The HL essay's research question should focus on one angle ("the representation of the female body in the … campaign"); submit by October of year 2.
Scoring and target scores
IB English is graded on a 1–7 scale, where 7 is the highest. The subject grade combines the Paper 1 and Paper 2 external exams, the Individual Oral Internal Assessment and, at HL, the HL Essay as well. Grades from six subjects, plus extra points from Theory of Knowledge and the Extended Essay, make up the total diploma score out of 45. A 6 or 7 is considered strong, and English-intensive or overseas programs often expect a high grade in this subject.
IB English is taught across the two-year Diploma Programme, and exams are held twice a year, in the May and November sessions. Because analysis and writing skills develop over time, reading texts regularly and practising writing is the most effective approach. One-on-one lessons are especially useful for analysing unseen texts, structuring the comparative essay and preparing the Individual Oral. Working through past papers before the exam strengthens writing fluency and time management.
What we cover in IB English (SL / HL) lessons
Analysis of literary and non-literary texts
Global issues and comparative study
Individual Oral preparation
HL Essay guidance
Paper 1: guided textual analysis
Paper 2: comparative essay
What sets the price of IB English (SL / HL) tutoring?
There is no single list price; the fee depends on the programme. You get a clear quote in the consultation — nothing is added later.
Lessons per week
One, two or three lessons a week — set by the time until the exam and the score gap.
Total duration and package
Lessons are priced as a package; longer programmes lower the per-lesson cost.
Scope
One section (say, Math only) or the whole exam? A narrower scope means a shorter programme.
Tutor and level
The tutor you're matched with and your starting level shape the plan, and therefore the fee.
Adding coaching?
Coaching and application counselling is an optional, separately priced programme.
Every lesson you pay for is 1:1
No crowded classroom, no idle hours. Keep that in mind when comparing with group-course prices.
In the free initial consultation we assess your level, draw up the plan and give you the exact price. No surprises.
IB English A: Language and Literature structure and SL/HL
Literature and media texts in one course; the Group 1 English course most often chosen by non-native speakers.
IB English A: Language and Literature is the most common Group 1 choice for English and studies literary works (4 at SL, 6 at HL) alongside non-literary texts (advertisements, columns, speeches, infographics, social media). The course is built around three areas of exploration and seven concepts; global issues sit at the centre of the individual oral.
| Component | SL | HL |
|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 — guided textual analysis | 75 min · 1 text · 35% | 135 min · 2 texts · 35% |
| Paper 2 — comparative essay | 105 min · 35% | 105 min · 25% |
| HL essay (1,200–1,500 words) | — | 20% |
| Individual oral (IO, 15 min) | 30% | 20% |
In recent years the share of 7s has been around 10–13% at HL and 8–11% at SL. For Turkish students who are not native speakers, a realistic HL target is 5–6, with a 7 for strong readers; the language criterion (Criterion D) is only 5 of the 20 marks, the rest going to interpretation and analysis — so a student with imperfect English but strong analysis can score highly.
- Who should take HL: students aiming for law, communication, international relations, literature or marketing with C1-level English; the HL essay is evidence of academic writing in English, and some universities accept English A HL in place of IELTS.
- SL suits: students building a science- and maths-heavy programme; English A SL is also accepted as proof of English proficiency at most universities.
- How it differs from English B: English B is a foreign-language course (Group 2) with little literature; English A demands literature and media analysis at first-language level. UK and US universities read English A as the stronger signal.
For the Turkish Group 1 course see IB Turkish A; for the AP counterpart see AP English Language.
A two-year IB English A support plan
Text-type knowledge and analysis language in year 1, IO and HL essay early in year 2, paper practice January to April.
- Year 1, September–January: text types and analysis language. One non-literary text a week (advertisement, editorial, speech) for genre conventions and the language of effect; portfolio notes for the school's works. Analysis sentence templates ("through … the writer …") are settled in this period.
- Year 1, February–June: work pairs and IO preparation. Two work pairs for Paper 2; one literary and one non-literary text plus a global issue for the IO. First timed Paper 1.
- Year 2, September–December: IO + HL essay. Recorded IO rehearsals, the HL essay by October; the remaining works. One full Paper 2 before the school mocks.
- Year 2, January–April: one timed paper a week (Papers 1 and 2 alternating), self-assessment against the four criteria, review of text-type and work cards, error log.
- May: exam-week routine.
One or two lessons a week plus 3–4 hours of reading and writing is enough. For non-native speakers the first three months go to analysis language; that investment produces the fastest grade gain in Paper 1.
Round out your IB English (SL / HL) prep with coaching
Tutoring teaches the material; coaching manages the process. Your Studrise coach brings your study routine, goals and application timeline into one plan alongside your IB English (SL / HL) lessons — so what you learn in class turns into results.
Weekly plan & check-ins
A study plan with regular progress check-ins.
Data-driven strategy
Targets and plans updated from practice-test results.
Motivation & test anxiety
Support with time management, motivation and exam nerves.
Aligned with applications
Planning built around your university and program goals.
ADD-ON PROGRAMME
How do I get started?
Coaching is a separately priced programme alongside your lessons. In the initial consultation we agree its scope and price and build a coaching plan that fits around your lesson schedule.
Initial consultation is free
Our tutors
SAT, IELTS, AP, IB and more — you'll work with experienced, exam-focused tutors in every subject.
Addison Bunch
English Teacher
10+ years of experience
Burçak Gökmen
Biology Teacher
20+ years of experience
Buğra Gökmen
Computer Science Teacher
7+ years of experience
Ela Pehlivanoğlu
Chemistry Teacher
10+ years of experience
Gözde Top
History Teacher
6+ years of experience
Lara Deniz Alper
Math & Economics Teacher
7+ years of experience
Mesut Mızrak
Physics Teacher
26+ years of experience
Şule Çağlın
Physics Teacher
7+ years of experience
Frequently asked questions
Start working toward your IB English (SL / HL) goal today
Fill in the form; in a free initial consultation we settle your level, programme and exact price together. No crowded classroom, no idle hours: every lesson you pay for is one-on-one.