50 IB Global Issues for the English Individual Oral (Sorted by Field of Inquiry)

Quick answer: IB global issues are the topics students build their English A individual oral (IO) around. The IB says a global issue must do three things: matter on a large scale, cross national borders, and show up in everyday local life. The IB also gives five "fields of inquiry" to help you find one: culture, identity and community; beliefs, values and education; politics, power and justice; art, creativity and the imagination; and science, technology and the environment. Below are 50 ready-to-use global issues, 10 per field, each written as a specific statement you can present in a 10-minute oral.

Most pages that rank for IB global issues give you a list of five categories and a handful of vague ideas like "war" or "gender". That is not enough. A category is not a global issue, and "war" is too broad to analyse in 10 minutes. This guide gives you 50 specific issues, tells you which kinds of texts each one works with, shows you how to narrow a broad idea into a usable one, and explains how the IO is marked. Educifly's IB English tutors have coached individual orals since 2018, so we also share the mistakes we see most often.

What are IB global issues?

An IB global issue is a specific, real-world problem that a student explores in the English A individual oral by analysing how two texts present it.

The individual oral is the internal assessment for both IB English A courses: Language and Literature, and Literature. It is 15 minutes long. The student speaks for 10 minutes, then the teacher asks questions for 5 minutes. Every student answers the same prompt:

"Examine the ways in which the global issue of your choice is presented through the content and form of one of the works and one of the texts that you have studied."

The IB's Language A guides say a global issue has three properties:

1. It has significance on a wide or large scale.

2. It is transnational, meaning it crosses borders.

3. Its impact is felt in everyday local contexts.

All three must be true. "The 2008 financial crisis in Iceland" fails test two. "Climate change" passes all three but is too broad, which we fix later. "The way social media filters change how teenage girls see their own bodies" passes all three and is narrow enough to analyse in 10 minutes. That is the sweet spot.

One more rule matters. The global issue must be clearly visible in the two extracts you choose. You bring one extract from each text, each no longer than 40 lines, with no notes on them. If a reader could not see your global issue in those lines, you have picked the wrong extracts or the wrong issue.

The 5 IB fields of inquiry

The five fields of inquiry are starting points the IB gives students for finding a global issue; they are broad areas, not issues in themselves.

The IB lists them in the Language A guides and says they are "not exhaustive". You can pick a global issue that does not fit neatly into any of the five. Most students, though, find it easier to start with a field and narrow down. Here is what each field covers, in the IB's own terms.

Notice the fields overlap. "Censorship" could sit in politics or in art. That is fine. Examiners do not mark you on which field you chose. They mark you on how well you analyse the issue in your texts.

How to write a global issue that is specific enough

A usable global issue names a group of people, a problem, and the way the problem plays out; a category name on its own is never enough.

The most common mistake in the IO is picking a field of inquiry and calling it a global issue. "Politics, power and justice" is a field. "Gender" is a theme. Neither is a global issue. The IB guide itself uses gender as the example: gender alone is "unsuitably broad", but "how gender bias manifests itself in different contexts" works.

Use this simple formula:

[Who is affected] + [what the problem is] + [how or where it shows up]

Here is the formula applied to five broad ideas.

Every issue in the right-hand column can be analysed in 10 minutes. Every issue in the left-hand column would need an hour.

A second test: can you phrase it as a problem? A global issue is something that hurts people or creates conflict. "Migration" is a topic. "The loss of language and identity that migrants' children experience" is a problem. Examiners reward the second kind because it forces you to take a position on what the texts are saying.

50 IB global issues by field of inquiry

Below are 50 IB global issues, 10 in each field of inquiry, each written as a specific statement that passes the IB's three tests.

For each one we note the kinds of texts it tends to work with. "Literary" means novels, plays, poems, short stories and graphic novels. "Non-literary" means the text types studied in Language and Literature: advertisements, speeches, news articles, opinion columns, photographs, cartoons, songs, films, blogs, memoirs, public service posters and social media.

Do not copy these word for word. Adjust the wording so it matches what your two texts actually show. The issue should grow out of your texts, not be forced onto them.

Global issues 1 to 10: Culture, identity and community

This field is about who we are, who we belong to, and what happens when identity is questioned, lost or attacked.

• 1. The pressure on women to fit narrow ideas of beauty, and the cost to their self-worth. Works with: poetry about the female body, beauty and fashion advertising, magazine covers, social media posts.

• 2. The way migrants' children lose their family language and culture as they try to fit in. Works with: memoirs, migration novels, personal essays, documentary photography.

• 3. How societies expect men to hide emotion, and the damage that silence does. Works with: plays with male protagonists, war poetry, men's mental health campaigns, sports advertising.

• 4. The stereotyping of ethnic minorities in news and entertainment media. Works with: novels by writers of colour, news photography, film posters, satirical cartoons.

• 5. The way colonial rule reshaped the identity of colonised peoples, and how that legacy continues today. Works with: post-colonial novels, speeches by independence leaders, museum exhibition texts, travel writing.

• 6. The exclusion that LGBTQ+ people face inside their own families and communities. Works with: coming-of-age fiction, memoirs, Pride campaign posters, opinion columns.

• 7. How social class decides which doors open for a young person and which stay shut. Works with: realist novels, plays about family, political speeches, documentary photography.

• 8. The way nationalism turns "us and them" thinking into hostility toward outsiders. Works with: dystopian fiction, political speeches, propaganda posters, editorial cartoons.

• 9. The tension between individual freedom and family duty in traditional cultures. Works with: novels about arranged marriage, plays about inheritance, personal essays, advertising aimed at families.

• 10. How religion can both unite a community and be used to exclude those who do not belong. Works with: novels set in religious communities, sermons, news features, photo essays.

Global issues 11 to 20: Beliefs, values and education

This field is about what people believe, how those beliefs are passed on, and what happens when they clash.

• 11. Unequal access to good education, and how it locks poverty in place across generations. Works with: novels about growing up poor, charity campaign advertising, speeches on education, infographics.

• 12. The way propaganda and misinformation shape what whole populations believe. Works with: dystopian novels, historical propaganda posters, fact-check articles, social media screenshots.

• 13. How schools reward obedience and memorising over creativity and independent thought. Works with: school-set novels, education opinion columns, TED talk transcripts, satirical cartoons.

• 14. The conflict between scientific evidence and personal or religious belief. Works with: plays about scientists, opinion columns on vaccines or evolution, public health posters.

• 15. The way consumer culture teaches people that buying things equals happiness. Works with: satirical fiction, luxury advertising, Black Friday campaigns, poetry about materialism.

• 16. How families pass down trauma, prejudice and fear from one generation to the next. Works with: family sagas, memoirs, documentary interviews, photography.

• 17. The moral cost of staying silent when you see something wrong. Works with: plays about complicity, Holocaust literature, whistle-blower news coverage, speeches.

• 18. The way honour and shame codes control women's behaviour in some cultures. Works with: novels set in traditional societies, news features, campaign posters against honour violence.

• 19. How extremist ideas spread among young people who feel they do not belong. Works with: novels about radicalisation, news investigations, counter-extremism campaigns, online forum posts.

• 20. The pressure on students to succeed academically, and the harm it does to their wellbeing. Works with: young adult fiction, school advertising, opinion columns on exam stress, mental health campaigns.

Global issues 21 to 30: Politics, power and justice

This field is about who holds power, how they use it, and who pays the price.

• 21. The abuse of state power to silence journalists, protesters and critics. Works with: dystopian novels, press freedom campaigns, political speeches, protest photography.

• 22. The way wealth inequality gives the rich more say in law and politics than everyone else. Works with: satirical novels, opinion columns, political cartoons, campaign advertising.

• 23. The human cost of war for civilians, especially children. Works with: war novels and poetry, photojournalism, humanitarian appeal advertising, refugee testimonies.

• 24. How racism built into legal and police systems leads to unequal treatment under the law. Works with: novels about the justice system, protest speeches, news investigations, documentary stills.

• 25. The failure of governments to protect refugees, and the way refugees are talked about in the media. Works with: refugee memoirs and fiction, tabloid front pages, charity campaigns, political speeches.

• 26. The way surveillance by states and companies erodes privacy and freedom. Works with: dystopian fiction, technology opinion columns, privacy campaign posters, data policy articles.

• 27. The exploitation of workers in global supply chains that make cheap goods for rich countries. Works with: social realist fiction, investigative journalism, fast fashion advertising, campaign videos.

• 28. How corruption in public office steals resources from the people who need them most. Works with: political novels, satirical cartoons, investigative reports, anti-corruption campaign posters.

• 29. The gap between the promise of human rights and the reality for the world's poorest people. Works with: post-colonial fiction, United Nations speeches, NGO advertising, documentary photography.

• 30. The way political leaders use fear of outsiders to win and keep power. Works with: dystopian and historical fiction, election speeches, campaign posters, editorial cartoons.

Global issues 31 to 40: Art, creativity and the imagination

This field is about what art does in society, who controls it, and what happens when it is silenced or sold.

• 31. The censorship of artists and writers by governments that fear what they say. Works with: banned novels, poems written in prison, news coverage of censorship, protest art.

• 32. The way commercial pressure turns art into a product and pushes out honest expression. Works with: novels about artists, music industry journalism, streaming platform advertising, satirical cartoons.

• 33. Who gets to tell a community's story, and the harm done when outsiders tell it for them. Works with: indigenous and diaspora fiction, film reviews, museum controversies in the news, photo essays.

• 34. How art gives a voice to people that society ignores or silences. Works with: protest poetry, graphic novels, street art photography, spoken-word performance transcripts.

• 35. The way beauty standards in art and media exclude bodies that do not fit the ideal. Works with: poetry about the body, fashion photography, body-positivity campaigns, magazine covers.

• 36. The pressure on creative people to produce constantly for social media, and what it does to their work and wellbeing. Works with: contemporary fiction about artists, opinion columns, influencer advertising, blog posts.

• 37. The use of art and imagery as propaganda to glorify power and hide abuse. Works with: historical fiction, propaganda posters, monument photography, political speeches.

• 38. The way stereotypes in film, television and advertising shape how whole groups are seen. Works with: satirical novels, film posters and trailers, advertising, opinion columns.

• 39. The debate over whether artificial intelligence can create real art, and what that means for human artists. Works with: science fiction, technology journalism, AI art examples, opinion columns.

• 40. How stories and myths shape a nation's memory and can be used to rewrite its past. Works with: historical novels, national anthems and speeches, textbook extracts, memorial photography.

Global issues 41 to 50: Science, technology and the environment

This field is about our relationship with the natural world and with the machines we build.

• 41. The way social media rewards outrage and pushes people into more extreme views. Works with: contemporary fiction, technology journalism, screenshots of viral posts, satirical cartoons.

• 42. The damage that climate change does first and worst to the people least responsible for it. Works with: climate fiction, speeches by activists, environmental campaign advertising, photojournalism.

• 43. The way technology promises connection but leaves many people lonelier than before. Works with: short stories, poetry, smartphone advertising, opinion columns.

• 44. The loss of the natural world to farming, mining and cities, and what that loss means for people. Works with: nature poetry, environmental journalism, conservation campaigns, nature photography.

• 45. How companies collect and sell personal data, and the loss of control people have over their own lives. Works with: dystopian fiction, technology reporting, privacy policy extracts, campaign posters.

• 46. The ethics of genetic engineering and who gets to decide what a "better" human is. Works with: science fiction, bioethics opinion columns, medical advertising, documentary transcripts.

• 47. The way fast fashion and throwaway culture damage the planet and the people who make the products. Works with: social realist fiction, fashion advertising, investigative journalism, campaign videos.

• 48. The spread of health misinformation online and the real harm it causes. Works with: satirical fiction, public health posters, fact-check articles, social media posts.

• 49. How automation and artificial intelligence threaten the jobs and dignity of working people. Works with: science fiction, economic journalism, corporate advertising, political speeches.

• 50. The way technology addiction, designed on purpose by companies, takes over young people's attention and sleep. Works with: young adult fiction, app advertising, opinion columns, public health campaigns.

How to pick the global issue that fits both your texts

Choose the global issue after you know your texts well, not before, because the issue must be clearly present in one extract from each.

The order matters. Students who pick an issue first and then hunt for texts usually end up with one strong extract and one weak one. Examiners notice. Criterion C rewards an oral that gives balanced treatment to both texts.

The two English A courses pair texts differently.

A good way to test a pairing is to write one sentence for each text: "In [text], the author presents [global issue] through [two specific techniques]." If you cannot name two techniques for each text, the issue is not visible enough in that extract.

Remember that you must also talk about the wider work, not only the extract. If your extract is one poem from a collection, you discuss the collection. If it is one advert from a campaign, you discuss the campaign. So the global issue needs to run through the whole work, not just 40 lines of it.

Which text types suit which global issues

Some non-literary text types carry certain global issues far better than others, so match the issue to the text type before you commit.

For the literary text, the choice is usually already made by your teacher's reading list. Your job is to find which of your studied works speaks most clearly to an issue you can also find in a non-literary text.

Global issues that are too broad (and how to fix them)

A global issue that could be the title of a school subject is too broad; a global issue that could be the headline of a news feature is about right.

Here are seven broad ideas students bring to us, and the narrowed version that scored well.

If your teacher says your issue is "too broad", this table is the fix. Add a who, a what and a how.

How the individual oral is marked

The individual oral is marked out of 40 across four criteria worth 10 marks each, and it counts for 30% of the final grade at standard level (SL) and 20% at higher level (HL).

The teacher marks it. The IB then moderates a sample from each school, so marks can go up or down. Here is what each criterion asks for.

The weighting difference between levels is worth knowing if you are still choosing between them; our guide to IB HL vs SL explains how each component shifts. At SL the IO is the single largest component. At HL the higher level essay takes some of that weight, but the IO still carries 20% of the grade.

Notice that "global issue" appears in criteria A and B directly, and shapes criterion C. A poorly chosen issue costs marks in three criteria out of four. That is why the choice matters so much.

A checklist before you commit to your global issue

Run your chosen global issue through these eight checks before you start writing your outline.

1. It matters on a large scale, crosses borders, and shows up in everyday life (the IB's three tests).

2. It is a problem, not a topic. You can say who is harmed and how.

3. It has a who, a what and a how in the wording.

4. It is clearly visible in one extract of 40 lines or fewer from each text.

5. It runs through the whole of both works, not just the extracts.

6. You can name at least two authorial or stylistic techniques in each extract that present it.

7. Both texts give you roughly equal material, so your oral can be balanced.

8. You care about it enough to talk about it for 10 minutes and answer questions for 5.

If any check fails, adjust the wording or swap an extract before you go further. Fixing the issue now takes 20 minutes. Fixing it after you have written the whole oral takes days.

The IO is one of several internal assessments in the diploma. If the format still feels unfamiliar, our explainer on what internal assessment means in the IB covers how IAs are marked and moderated across subjects.

Where students lose marks on the global issue

Students most often lose marks by choosing an issue that is too broad, by summarising the texts instead of analysing them, and by treating the global issue as a label rather than the spine of the argument.

From coaching orals at Educifly, these are the patterns we see most.

• The issue is named once and then forgotten. The student introduces "gender inequality" and then gives a general commentary on the extracts. Every paragraph should return to the issue.

• The issue is a field of inquiry. "My global issue is politics, power and justice." That is a category. The examiner marks it down under criterion A.

• The two texts talk about different issues. The novel is about class; the advert is about beauty. The student stretches a vague issue like "inequality" over both. Criterion C suffers.

• Plot summary instead of technique. "This shows that the character is sad" is not analysis. "The short, fragmented sentences mirror the character's inability to process the loss" is.

• No wider work. The student analyses the 40 lines and never mentions the rest of the novel or the campaign. Criterion A asks for both.

• The issue is not really global. A very local problem, or a historical one with no present-day impact, fails the IB's own tests.

If your child is struggling with any of these, focused IB IA coaching on the oral usually fixes them in a few sessions, because the problems are about structure and choice, not about ability.

Frequently asked questions about IB global issues

What is a global issue in IB English?

A global issue in IB English is a specific real-world problem that a student chooses as the focus of the individual oral. The IB says it must have significance on a large scale, be transnational, and have an impact felt in everyday local contexts. The student analyses how one literary work and one other text present that issue.

What are the 5 fields of inquiry in IB English?

The five fields of inquiry are: culture, identity and community; beliefs, values and education; politics, power and justice; art, creativity and the imagination; and science, technology and the environment. They are broad areas the IB gives students as starting points for finding a global issue. They are not global issues themselves.

Does my global issue have to fit one of the five fields of inquiry?

No. The IB describes the fields as helpful starting points and says they are not exhaustive. You can choose an issue that sits across two fields or outside all five. What matters is that the issue passes the IB's three tests and is clearly present in both of your texts.

What are some examples of IB global issues?

Strong examples include: the pressure on women to fit narrow ideas of beauty; the way propaganda shapes what populations believe; the abuse of state power to silence journalists; the censorship of artists by governments; and the way social media rewards outrage and pushes people into extreme views. Each one names who is affected, what the problem is, and how it shows up. The list above gives 50 of them.

How specific should my global issue be?

Specific enough to analyse fully in 10 minutes. A good test is the formula "who is affected, what the problem is, how it shows up". "Racism" is too broad. "The everyday racism people of colour face in workplaces and schools" is about right. If your issue could be the name of a school subject, narrow it.

Can my global issue be the same as another student's?

Yes. There is no rule against two students in the same class choosing similar issues. What must be your own is the analysis, the choice of extracts, and the argument. Two students could both explore the stereotyping of migrants in the media and give completely different orals.

How long is the IB individual oral?

The individual oral is 15 minutes in total: 10 minutes of prepared presentation by the student, followed by 5 minutes of questions from the teacher. It is marked out of 40 and is worth 30% of the final grade at SL and 20% at HL.

How many texts do I need for the individual oral?

Two. In Language and Literature, you use one literary work and one non-literary text from a body of work. In Literature, you use one work originally written in the language studied and one work studied in translation. You bring one extract from each, no longer than 40 lines, with no annotations.

Can I choose a global issue that is not on any list?

Yes, and often you should. The best global issues come from the texts you have actually studied, not from a list. Use lists like this one to see what a well-worded issue looks like, then write your own so that it fits your two texts exactly.

What is the difference between a theme and a global issue?

A theme is a subject a text explores, such as love, power or identity. A global issue is a specific problem in the real world that the text presents, such as the way family pressure controls who people are allowed to love. Themes are broad and neutral. Global issues are narrow and involve harm or conflict. The IO needs the second kind.

Is the global issue the same in Language and Literature and in Literature?

The definition and the three tests are the same in both courses. The difference is the texts. Language and Literature pairs a literary work with a non-literary text; Literature pairs two literary works, one in translation. Issues that appear in both fiction and the media suit the first course; issues that cross cultures suit the second.

When should I choose my global issue?

Ideally once you have studied most of your texts and kept notes in your learner portfolio, which the IB expects you to use for exactly this purpose. Most schools hold the oral in the second year of the diploma. Choosing at least two months before the oral gives you time to test the issue against your extracts, adjust the wording and practise the full 10 minutes several times.

Choosing the right global issue is the single biggest decision in the individual oral. If you would like an IB English specialist to help your child test their issue, pick extracts and rehearse the oral, you can book a free trial class with Educifly.