Response:
 I currently teach at a grammar school in the UK, but this summer I am moving to North Carolina and will be teaching at the British International School of Charlotte. 
  In my year as a trainee teacher, I worked in an international school here in England and completed my first year of teaching at that school, as well. I gained a little experience with IB teaching and observations, but do not yet feel confident with the many aspects of the course. I have heard excellent things about what the course has to offer, the amount of choice, and the depth of topics studied and I am looking forward to the discussions I will have with my students.

How are we affected by texts in various ways?
I believe we study language and literature to understand the world around us. It helps us see through different perspectives, engage with new ideas and connect to our fellow humans.

How does language use vary among text types, and among literary forms and genres?

Meaning is constructed through language use, syntax, punctuation, graphology and a million other ways. This varies based on the text type as the writer/creator will have to consider how the audience will perceive the information, and this reaction will depend on how the information is presented. Expectation plays a huge role in a reader's reaction and in the choices then made by the creator. 
 

How do texts offer insights and challenges?

As afore mentioned, we have different expectations for different text types and styles. When these expectations are met or subverted, readers will have a given reaction and a specific understanding. Texts offer insights to a particular way of thinking, which in turn can challenge the reader to consider things from a new perspective.

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Area 2: Time and Space

Context is very important to the production and reception of a text. A text can be created with the context in mind, but it is harder for a text to predict how it will be received in a different context, or how a context could be different at all (ie: when Shakespeare wrote Macbeth, he likely did not predict that the same society would eventually realise witches are not real!).

We try to understand the context and the culture, even though we can not adapt to it. Again, a play written in a time when the audience would have been frightened by witchcraft is something we can understand conceptually, but it is nearly impossible to put oneself into that position to actually believe that witches exist and thus feel the same reaction as the intended audience. This works this way with much more subtle cultural differences, as well. 

While texts do offer insight into another culture, some of the cultural aspects are subtle and assuming so that the reader may not even notice them. For example, when I read Harry Potter when I was younger, I mistook several food items and mannerisms as being from the wizarding world, when it was years later upon moving to England that I realised they were just simply part of British culture! Apart from actually physically being present in a new culture, I believe literature is the best way to understand a new culture, but there will inevitably be some gaps. 

While universal themes may remain timeless, meaning and impact of many aspects of a text can change. That is why it is important to try to understand the context of the text, so as to combat this loss of meaning. However, it is also interesting to discuss the changed meaning with a changed context, as intended meaning is not the only way of interpreting a text, but unintentional meaning is significant too. 

Texts can reflect what is important in a culture through the characters, graphology, and language. Texts can also inspire cultural practices. I believe it is a bit of a cycle and one feeds into the other (ie: texts reflect society, society engages with the text and develops the image that is reflected, and then texts reflect that new developed image and so on and so forth). 

Language can be used to represent accent, dialect, values and beliefs. It can be seen in what is said, how it is said, how it is presented, or even in what is omitted. 

AREA 3: Intertextuality 

Conventions exist for a reason and I believe that is become they create a shared understanding. Whether conventions are adhered to or deviated from, a literary text is able to construct meaning. 

Similar to my previous answers, I think as a society we are constantly refining how we view conventions, and thus the conventions change to clarify their meanings. Especially now, with social media and so many platforms where nearly anyone can create texts and content, conventions are changing more rapidly to keep up with shared knowledge and understanding. 

Diverse texts often do share points of similarity. This can be seen in the way they are constructed but also through their themes, especially those concerned with human connection. 

It is valid in that it is a text that has been studied by many people for many years, however it is not valid in that it is not necessarily superior or more important than a 'non-classic' text. 

Texts can offer multiple perspectives through the use of multiple voices. This can be done with different characters, changing narrators, contrasting visual aspects, or with a single perspective that is then questioned, forcing the reader to consider the alternative. 

Nothing in this world exists in isolation from everything else. All texts exist within a context and part of that context is the other texts that exist. Comparison helps us glean additional meaning relative to other meaning. It starts a conversation between multiple perspectives.

Paper 2 contains four questions of a general nature that require students to write a comparative essay referring to two works studied during the course. Students are required to answer one question only.

Paper 1 contains two previously unseen non-literary passages and students are instructed to write a separate guided analysis of each of these passages. A guided analysis in this context refers to an exploration of the passage supported by a guiding question that asks the students to consider a specific stylistic or formal aspect of the passages. The passages could be taken from any of the text types listed on page 21 of the paper. Each of the passages will be from a different text type.

The nature of the task
At HL, students are required to write a 1,200 to 1,500-word formal essay that develops a particular line of inquiry of their own choice in connection with a non-literary text, a collection of non-literary texts by one same author or a literary text or work studied during the course.

The HL essay offers students an opportunity to develop as independent, critical and creative readers, thinkers and writers by exploring a literary or language topic over an extended period of time, refining their ideas by means of a process of planning, drafting and re-drafting. The essay requires students to construct a focused, analytical argument examining the work from a broad literary or linguistic perspective. It also requires them to adhere to the formal framework of an academic essay, using citations and references.

Explanation of the task
The HL essay is based on the exploration the student has carried out in the learner portfolio. During this exploration process, the student will have investigated a number of works from a variety of different perspectives. In the lead-up to the drafting of the essay, the student must decide which text or texts to focus on for further investigation, and which topic to write about in connection with them. In choosing the topic, the student can consult the course’s seven guiding concepts. Any text or texts previously studied in class may be selected, with the exception of the texts used for the internal assessment and the works the student plans to use in paper 2.

Selection of text or texts
Candidates must select the texts and topic for their essay independently; however, consultation with the teacher is essential in this process. Care must be taken to make sure that the chosen non-literary text or texts or literary texts or works are rich enough to support a developed, focused and analytical argument.

In the case of a collection of short stories, poems, song lyrics or any short literary text, candidates may choose to use just one literary text from the work as their focus. However, students and teachers should remember that the assignment is a broad literary investigation rather than a more narrowly focused commentary task. It may be necessary to use more than one literary text from the work chosen in order to achieve this.

In the case of short non-literary texts, it may be necessary for the candidate to use more than one from the same text type by the same authorship, for example, the same creative advertising agency, cartoonist, photographer or social media user. In this instance, at least one of the texts should be studied in class. If using language texts in translation, these must be professional and published translations of the text.  

Determining the topic
The chosen topic should enable a broad literary or linguistic focus for the essay. In achieving this, the course’s seven guiding concepts may be a helpful starting point for students in generating or determining a topic for the essay. While students do not have to trace their essay back to one of the seven concepts, and the assessment criteria do not require it, working with one of the seven concepts will allow students to begin thinking about their topic as they refine their ideas and arguments. The seven concepts are briefly discussed here in relation to the assignment. The teacher support materials (TSM) has more specific examples for further guidance