IB English IO Introduction Guide

The initial sixty seconds of the IB English Individual Oral (IO) are critical. A well-structured introduction establishes the tone for the rest of your IO, and helps your teacher see that you are thoroughly prepared. In this post, we'll outline key tips on what you should include during the introduction of your IO.

IB English IO Introduction Guide

The Four-Step Structure

1. Introduce the Global Issue (15-30 seconds)

    

   Begin directly by introducing your chosen Global Issue (GI). Avoid generic topics - your GI must be specific and show a clear cause-and-effect relationship regarding human or societal behavior. Explain the significance of your global issue and why it interests you.

    

   Example: "Institutional power structures do not merely regulate public behavior. Instead, they actively damage the psychological well-being of marginalized communities. This topic is of interest to me, coming from a marginalized background myself. In this oral, I will examine how systemic oppression isolates an individual from both the collective culture and the self. "

    

    

2. Primary Text Introduction (15-30 seconds)

    

   Introduce your first text by stating the title, author, text type, and its direct relationship to the global issue. You must explicitly mention how this issue presents itself within both your specific extract and the work as a whole.

    

   Example: "To explore this paradigm, I will first analyze Marjane Satrapi’s graphic memoir, Persepolis. Satrapi utilizes sequential art to demonstrate how the fundamentalist regime's strict mandates isolate young citizens, which is a thematic thread that can be seen in the narrative structure of the larger work as well."

    

    

3. Secondary Text Introduction (15-30 seconds)

    

   Introduce your second text (the non-literary body of work for Language & Literature, or the translated/second literary text for Literature) by stating the title, author, text type, and its direct relationship to the global issue. Ensure you use transitional phrases that connect both texts through the shared global issue.

    

   Example: "Alongside Satrapi's work, I will evaluate a selection of anti-war editorial cartoons by political satirist Kevin Kallaugher. His illustrations critique how state-sponsored media campaigns alienate citizens from geopolitical realities, a critique central to his broader editorial portfolio."

    

    

4. Thesis & Outline (15-30 seconds)

    

   Conclude by stating your central thesis. Briefly outline what you will cover in your IO, confirming that you will allocate equal analytical weight to the close reading of both extracts and the evaluation of their broader respective works.

    

   Example: "Ultimately, both authors use distinct techniques to show that authoritarian systems compromise personal autonomy. This commentary will conduct a chronological analysis of the Persepolis extract before transitioning to a structural evaluation of Kallaugher's cartoon, linking each to its wider cultural context."