IB English Individual Oral Topic Ideas

Are you an IB English student looking for inspiration for your Individual Oral task? Perhaps you’re finding it tricky to come up with a good global issue, or to find the right texts to analyse. You’ve made a good first move! You’re after some guidance, which means you’re taking it seriously. 

We'll review what’s involved, show you some strong global issues alongside examples of how to link your issue to actual texts. 

Key Takeaways

• Choose a focused, meaningful global issue that connects well with two texts

• Consider clear themes: identity, power, discrimination, technology, or environment

• Develop your IO global issue from topics that interest you

• Pick texts that connect to your issue and offer opportunities for rich analysis

What Makes a Strong IB IO Topic?

Your IB examiner looks for three key elements:

A clearly defined global issue 

It shouldn't be vague. Picking an issue like "racism" or "climate change" is too broad and general. Instead, narrow it down to something like "the erasure of indigenous cultural identity through colonisation" or "the impact of fast fashion on the natural world."

A meaningful connection between your texts

Your literary and/or non-literary works should connect to your global issue. Consider how both texts explore similar questions while approaching them from different angles. 

Rich opportunities for analysis. The best topics allow you to consider how language, structure, authorial choices, and cultural context present your global issue. If you're struggling to find examples from your texts or can't discuss them for 10 minutes, your topic might be too narrow.

How to Choose a Global Issue

Essentially, you want something global, but with a specific focus.

Ask yourself:

• What themes appear in both texts? Look for overlapping ideas around culture, identity, power, beliefs, or society.

• What real-world problems do these texts address? 

• Does this issue appear across different cultures and time periods? 

Your global issue could fit somewhere within these areas: 

• Culture identity and community

• Beliefs, values and education 

• Politics, power and justice 

• Art, creativity and the imagination

• Science, technology and the environment

Pro tip 1: Remember, your IO is about showing how the authors use specific techniques to explore your chosen global issue.

Pro tip 2: As you read through your texts, use sticky notes to mark moments that raise societal issues. Look for patterns that reveal global issues.

IO Topic Ideas by Theme

To inspire you, let's explore some concrete examples across different themes. We’ll also break this down by IB English course. 

English Language and Literature 

This course asks for a literary text and a non-literary body of work. 

Identity and Belonging

Topic: Loss of Cultural Identity Through Assimilation

• Literary work: Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

• Non-literary work: Documentary excerpt from In the White Man's Image (PBS)

• Non-literary work alternative: Newspaper article on indigenous boarding schools

• Why it works: Achebe's novel shows the destruction of Igbo culture through colonisation, using traditional proverbs and narrative perspective to highlight what's being lost. The documentary or article provides real-world evidence of similar cultural erasure. Discuss how both texts reveal the violence – physical and psychological – of forced assimilation.

Power and Oppression

Topic: The Use of Language as a Tool of Political Control

• Literary work: 1984 by George Orwell

• Non-literary work: Political speech by a dictator or authoritarian leader (with analysis of propaganda techniques)

• Why it works: Orwell's creation of Newspeak demonstrates how limiting language limits thought. Pairing this with a real political speech lets you analyse actual manipulation techniques – loaded language, emotional appeals, and deliberate vagueness. Both texts show how those in power use words to control populations.

Gender and Representation

Topic: Breaking Feminine Stereotypes in Traditional Societies

• Literary work: A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen

• Non-literary work: Feature article about women challenging gender roles in conservative cultures

• Why it works: Ibsen's play uses dramatic structure and symbolism (the slamming door!) to show Nora rejecting her prescribed role. A contemporary article proves these battles continue. Both texts explore the personal cost of defying societal expectations, giving you rich material for analysis.

Race and Inequality

Topic: The Perpetuation of Racial Stereotypes in Media

• Literary work: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

• Non-literary work: Film scene or television episode depicting racial stereotypes

• Why it works: Lee's novel explicitly challenges racist assumptions through Scout's narrative perspective and the trial structure. Analysing modern media shows how stereotypes persist or have evolved. Both texts let you explore characterisation, symbolism, and the gap between reality and representation.

Technology and Society

Topic: The Erosion of Privacy in the Digital Age

• Literary work: 1984 by George Orwell or The Circle by Dave Eggers

• Non-literary work: Article or infographic about data collection by tech companies or social media platforms

• Why it works: Orwell's telescreens or Eggers' surveillance culture find eerie parallels in modern data harvesting. The non-literary text provides concrete examples of how privacy disappears online. You can analyse imagery, tone, statistics use, and how both texts create a sense of unease about constant monitoring.

Environment and Sustainability

Topic: Human Exploitation of Natural Resources and Indigenous Displacement

• Literary work: The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

• Non-literary work: Documentary excerpt or investigative journalism piece about deforestation and indigenous communities

• Why it works: Kingsolver's novel uses multiple perspectives to show the Congo's exploitation during colonialism. Modern journalism reveals ongoing environmental destruction and cultural loss. You can analyse narrative structure, imagery, interview techniques, and how both texts connect environmental and human rights issues.

IB English Literature 

This course asks for two literary texts (one as a translated work). 

Power and Oppression

Topic: How oppressive public versus private settings affect the individual

• Literary Works: The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood (Canadian) + The House of Bernarda Alba by Federico García Lorca (Spanish - translated work)

• Why it works: Both texts explore how power controls people's lives, especially women. In The Handmaid's Tale, you see a future society where women have no freedom under a strict and fearful government. The House of Bernarda Alba shows a similar story within a Spanish family. Bernarda acts like a dictator over her daughters, locking them away from the world. You can discuss themes like surveillance, control of bodies, silenced voices, and rebellion.

Gender and Representation

Topic: Gender expectations across cultures (Victorian Norway vs. 1930s American South), and the supportive role of women

• Literary Works: A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen (Norwegian - translated work) + The Color Purple by Alice Walker (American)

• Why it works: These texts show women breaking free to find their own identity. In A Doll's House, Nora’s friend helps her realise she's been treated like a pretty toy her whole life - by her father, then her husband. The Color Purple follows Celie's journey from being silenced and abused to finding her own voice and independence with the support of a friend. 

Power and Oppression

Topic: How individual isolation becomes a tool of oppression 

• Literary Works: Animal Farm by George Orwell (English, British) + The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka (German, translated)

• Why it works: Both texts use allegory and transformation to explore how power structures dehumanise individuals. Animal Farm shows how revolutionary ideals become corrupted, and how language is manipulated to maintain control. In The Metamorphosis Gregor's transformation into an insect represents how capitalism and family structures can strip away humanity. You could explore how authors use non-human forms (animals, insects) to comment on human power structures.

Identity and Belonging

Topic: How the sense of being "different" or "displaced" aids self-understanding 

• Literary Works: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - Americanah (Nigerian author) and Rainer Maria Rilke - Letters to a Young Poet (German, translated work)

• Why it works: Both texts explore outsiders. Adichie's novel follows Ifemelu, who moves from Nigeria to America and struggles with questions like "Where do I truly belong?" Meanwhile, Rilke's letters discuss the loneliness of being an artist and finding your authentic self, disconnected from the world. They both suggest that belonging isn't about fitting in perfectly.

Race and Inequality

Topic: How society creates "outsiders" through prejudice and unfair systems

• Literary Works: Langston Hughes - Selected Poetry (American author, e.g., "I, Too," "The Negro Speaks of Rivers," "Harlem") +Albert Camus - The Stranger (French, translated work)

• Why it works: Hughes's poetry addresses racial discrimination and the African American experience. Camus's novel explores how society labels and judges people who don't fit its expectations. Meursault becomes an outsider because he doesn't react "normally," and the justice system treats him unfairly based on these judgements. 

Technology and Society

Topic: Does the idea of efficiency matter more than humanity? 

• Literary Works: Brave New World by Aldous Huxley + The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka (translated from German)

• Why this works: Huxley's Brave New World shows a future where technology controls everything. It explores how technology can strip away what makes us human, turning people into products rather than individuals. Kafka's The Metamorphosis pairs beautifully with this because Gregor's transformation into an insect mirrors how modern society treats people like machines. It captures how dehumanising systems (whether technological or bureaucratic) make people feel worthless when they can't be "useful".

Environment and Sustainability

Topic: The connection between cultural and environmental destruction

• Literary Works: Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe (originally in English, but explores translated Igbo proverbs and culture) + Silent Spring by Rachel Carson

• Why this works: Achebe's masterpiece shows the devastating impact of colonialism on the Igbo people's sustainable way of life. It's perfect for discussing how cultures that respect nature are often crushed by systems focused on exploitation and profit. Silent Spring addresses environmental destruction head-on – the Once-ler's greed destroys an entire ecosystem.

How to Develop Your Own Topic

Ready to create your own unique IO topic? Follow these steps:

Step 1: Choose your texts first. Make sure you pick ones you enjoy and understand well. You need to talk about them confidently for 10 minutes.

Step 2: Read closely and note themes. As you read, jot down themes: power, identity, love, loss, justice, freedom, etc. Don't overthink it at this stage.

Step 3: Look for overlap. Where do your texts share common ground? Even if they're from different time periods or cultures, they might explore similar human experiences or societal problems.

Step 4: Narrow to a specific global issue. Take your broad theme and make it precise. Instead of "identity," try "the loss of cultural identity through forced migration." Instead of "environment," consider "the representation of nature as disposable in consumer culture."

Step 5: Test your topic. Ask yourself: Can I find specific extracts from both texts to analyse? Can I talk about this for 10 minutes? Does this issue appear across different cultures and time periods? If you answered yes to all three, you've got something!

Step 6: Research your global issue. Understanding the real-world context will strengthen your analysis. Look up current events, historical background, or expert perspectives related to your issue.

Mistakes to Avoid When Choosing a Topic

Here are the most common pitfalls and how to sidestep them:

Mistake 1: Choosing a global issue that's too vague

How to fix it: Add specific details. Who is being discriminated against? What type of inequality? Where and how does it happen? 

Mistake 2: Forcing texts together that don't naturally connect

How to fix it: Be honest about whether your texts genuinely explore similar issues. If you're struggling to find connections, one of your texts might need to change. 

Mistake 3: Picking a topic without enough analytical depth

How to fix it: Before committing, find three extracts from each text to analyse in detail. If you can't, your topic might be too simple or your texts might not engage with the issue enough.

Mistake 4: Ignoring the "global" part of global issue

How to fix it: Think about how your issue appears in different contexts worldwide. Even if your texts focus on specific places, the underlying issue should have global relevance.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does my topic have to be unique?

Not at all! Topics like identity, oppression, and inequality are popular for good reason. What matters is the way you connect your chosen texts. Your examiner wants to see your thinking, not just originality for its own sake. 

What if I'm struggling to find a non-literary text?

Start by thinking about the type of non-literary text that would best complement your literary work. Could a speech show different rhetorical techniques? Would an article provide real-world context? Might a film scene offer visual analysis opportunities? 

Search online using specific keywords related to your global issue. News websites, academic journals made accessible for general readers, documentary clips on YouTube, museum websites, and published speeches are all goldmines for non-literary texts. Your teacher can also help point you towards appropriate sources.

Can I focus on two literary texts instead?

If you’re doing the English Literature course, yes. This is the requirement. 

For English Language and Literature, you’ll choose one literary and one non-literary text. 

Final Thoughts

Choosing your IB English Individual Oral topic doesn't have to be stressful. The best topics come from genuine curiosity and texts you care about.

Play around with different text combinations. Talk through your ideas with classmates, friends, or your teacher. Sometimes explaining your thinking out loud helps you realise whether a topic really works.

When you're genuinely interested in your global issue and excited about your analysis, that enthusiasm shines through in your oral – and that's what gets you those top marks.

Happy planning!

Have a look at our resources on the IB English courses: How to Revise for IB English Literature: Tactics That Work and How to Revise for IB English Language and Literature. 

References: 

Language and literature courses - International Baccalaureate® (opens in a new tab)