IB Diploma | Italian Literature

Italian Literature at Leighton Park

Head of Department: Victoria Dovaston

Course Overview:  

IB Italian can be studied at Higher Level.

Italian A: Literature is a rich and intellectually stimulating course designed for students with a high level of proficiency in Italian. It is ideally suited to native or near-native speakers who wish to explore the depth and breadth of Italian literary heritage, while also developing their analytical, critical, and expressive skills.

The course encourages students to engage with a wide range of literary texts from different periods, genres, and cultures. Through close reading, discussion, and written analysis, students explore how authors use language to shape meaning, reflect culture, and provoke thought. The course fosters an appreciation of literature’s power to reflect and shape human experience.

Course description

Students will study 13 works at HL and 9 works at SL, selected from a combination of:

Works originally written in Italian, including poetry, prose, and drama
Translated works from other cultures and languages
Texts from different time periods, including both classical and contemporary literature
The course is structured around four central areas of exploration:

Readers, Writers and Texts – exploring the nature of literature and the role of the reader and writer.
Time and Space – considering how texts reflect and are shaped by their cultural and historical contexts.
Intertextuality: Connecting Texts – examining the relationships between texts and how meaning is constructed across them.
Independent Study (HL only) – students select a text of their choice to explore in depth, culminating in a written coursework essay.

Assessment

Assessment is both internal and external, and includes:

Individual Oral (SL & HL) – a 10-minute presentation comparing two texts (one originally in Italian, one in translation), focusing on a global issue, and 5-minutes of questions.

• Paper 1 (SL & HL) – a guided literary analysis of an unseen text.
• Paper 2 (SL & HL) – a comparative essay based on two works studied in class.
• HL Essay (HL only) – a 1,200–1,500 word analytical essay on a work of the student’s choice.

The course is ideal for students who:

• Are passionate about literature and fluent in Italian
• Enjoy reading, discussing, and writing about texts
• Want to deepen their understanding of Italian culture and identity
• Are considering careers or further study in literature, languages, journalism, law, or the humanities
• Italian A: Literature is a rigorous and rewarding course that develops critical thinking, cultural awareness, and sophisticated communication skills—qualities that are highly valued by universities and employers

To find out more about this course please contact Head of Department: Victoria Dovaston

To apply for our Sixth Form please see our Admissions page.