IB Turkish A: literature study, the assessments and how it is marked
A guide to IB Turkish A (language A): the Literature and Language & Literature options, HL vs SL, Paper 1 and Paper 2, the Individual Oral, the HL essay and analysis skills.
IB Turkish A is the group 1 (studies in language and literature) course for students working in Turkish as a primary language. Like English A, it comes as Literature or Language and Literature, and both reward close analysis of how texts create meaning — not plot summary. Success in the Diploma Programme comes from a sustained analytical argument. For one-to-one support see IB Turkish A tutoring.
The two options
Literature focuses on literary works across periods, forms and places, including Turkish and world literature (studied in translation). Language and Literature adds non-literary texts (advertisements, speeches, journalism), analysing how Turkish works across media as well as in literature.
HL vs SL
HL and SL share the assessment framework, but HL studies more works and adds the HL essay — a 1,200-1,500 word formal analysis of one text — requiring sustained independent analysis beyond the exams.
The assessments
- Paper 1 — guided textual analysis: an unseen Turkish text analysed under exam conditions, with a guiding question; the skill is close reading of the author's choices.
- Paper 2 — comparative essay: a comparison of two studied works in response to a prompt.
- Individual Oral (IO): a recorded oral analysing how a global issue is presented across studied texts.
- HL essay (HL only): an independent written analysis of one text.
Analysis skills that earn marks
- Analyse choices, not plot: examine how imagery, structure, diction and narrative technique create effect.
- Build a clear thesis: a developed argument beats a list of features.
- Use precise literary terminology: name techniques accurately and link them to meaning.
- Connect Turkish and world literature: comparative insight across cultures is rewarded in Paper 2 and the IO.