For Schools › Self-taught Language A
FOR IB SCHOOLS · SELF-TAUGHT LANGUAGE A
IB self-taught Language A tutors for schools
A live teacher in your student’s own language.
When a student wants self-taught Language A in their mother tongue, Educifly gives them a live teacher who reads, writes and teaches in that language. We work alongside your school’s self-taught supervisor and report to your DP Coordinator every term.
15 minutes. No obligation. Tell us the language and we’ll tell you if we have the right teacher.
LANGUAGE A: LITERATURE SL · NINE WORKS
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
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Booklist agreed with your supervisor
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A reading plan with dates
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Paper 1 practice all through the course
Reading plan
4 of 9 works
✓
A live teacher, not a reading list
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Works with your supervisor
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Start any time of year
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Term reports to your coordinator
AT A GLANCE
COURSE
IB Language A: literature, school-supported self-taught (SSST), SL
FORMAT
Live online lessons, usually once a week
LANGUAGES
Any language, including German, French, Spanish, Japanese, Italian and Arabic
STUDENTS
One student is enough. No minimum
START
Any time, including January
REPORTING
Written report to the DP Coordinator every term
BILLING
One invoice per school, in your currency
CONTRACT
One term, one year, or the full two-year course
WHAT SSST IS
Self-taught doesn’t have to mean
taught by no one
What is SSST Language A?
School-supported self-taught (SSST) Language A lets an IB Diploma student study literature in their strongest language, even when the school has no teacher for it. It is Language A: literature, and it is offered at standard level (SL) only. The student reads nine works from the IB’s prescribed reading list, including some in translation. The school appoints a supervisor to guide them.
DID YOU KNOW?
It can lead to a bilingual diploma
A student can take two Language A courses in different languages instead of a Group 2 language course. If they complete both with a grade 3 or higher, they earn the IB bilingual diploma. (Source: ibo.org)
Educifly gives SSST students a live online teacher in their own language. The teacher helps build the booklist, teaches the works, practises the essays and the oral, and reports to the school each term. The school’s supervisor stays in charge of the course.
WHERE SCHOOLS GET STUCK
The self-taught student
is often the one left alone
01
“A student wants Language A in their mother tongue.”
They’re a strong reader in Korean, Dutch or Arabic. Nobody on your staff reads literature in that language. We look for a teacher who does.
02
“Our supervisor can’t read the works.”
Your supervisor can manage deadlines. They can’t judge an essay on a novel they can’t read. Our teacher can, and tells your supervisor how it’s going.
03
“The student is working alone and falling behind.”
Nine works is a lot to read alone. Without a teacher, essays and oral practice slip. Regular lessons keep the student on a plan.
04
“A transfer student needs a language we don’t teach.”
A new student wants to keep their own language as Language A. They can start with us mid-course, and we help them catch up.
Need a Group 2 language instead? See ab initio or Language B for your school.
WHO DOES WHAT
Clear roles,
so nothing falls between the gaps
SSST works best when everyone knows their part. Here’s how we split it.
Your school and supervisor
THE COURSE
Registers the student with the IB. Keeps the final say on the course and on assessment
THE BOOKLIST
Checks and agrees the final list
LESSONS
Meets the student as often as the school sets
IA AND ORAL
Keeps the final say on how internal assessment is run
PROGRESS
Reads our term report
Educifly teacher
THE COURSE
Teaches the course in the student’s language
THE BOOKLIST
Suggests works that fit the IB rules and the student
LESSONS
Teaches live lessons, usually once a week
IA AND ORAL
We work with your coordinator on IA and oral preparation
PROGRESS
Writes a report every term, with a predicted grade
The student
THE COURSE
Takes charge of their own reading
THE BOOKLIST
Reads the works and keeps notes
LESSONS
Comes prepared, does the set work
IA AND ORAL
Prepares and practises
PROGRESS
Acts on feedback
HOW IT WORKS
Three steps
to a teacher in the right language
1
A 15-minute call
Tell us the language, the student’s year, and who supervises SSST at your school. We’ll say on the call if we have the right teacher.
2
Teacher matched, then a trial lesson
We match a teacher who teaches literature in that language and fits your time zone. The student meets them in a trial lesson first.
3
Weekly lessons and term reports
The teacher and student start on the booklist and the reading plan. Each term, your DP Coordinator and supervisor get a written report.
Book a 15-min call →
No obligation. If we can’t find a teacher in that language, we’ll tell you on the call.
THE TWO-YEAR PLAN
From the booklist
to the final exams
Our teachers follow the IB’s Language A: literature guide. A typical plan looks like this.
Start of year 1
Build the booklist
The student needs nine works, some in translation. Our teacher suggests works that fit the IB’s prescribed reading list and the student’s interests. Your supervisor checks and agrees the final list.
Year 1
Read and study the works
We set a reading plan with dates. In each lesson, we talk through a work in the student’s language and practise close reading.
All through
Paper 1 practice
Paper 1 asks the student to write about a passage they haven’t seen before. We practise this often, with feedback in their language.
Year 2
Paper 2 essays
Paper 2 is an essay that compares two of the works studied. We help the student choose works that pair well, then practise timed essays.
Year 2
The individual oral
The oral links works to a global issue. We work with your coordinator on IA and oral preparation, and the student practises out loud with our teacher.
All through
The learner portfolio
Language A asks students to keep a learner portfolio of notes and reflections. We help the student keep it up to date, because it feeds every part of the exam.
YOUR OPTIONS
A live Educifly teacher
vs the other options
Live teaching
LIVE EDUCIFLY TEACHER
Yes, in the student’s language
SELF-PACED ONLINE COURSE
Little or none
HIRING LOCALLY
Yes, if you can find someone
Start mid-year
LIVE EDUCIFLY TEACHER
Yes, any time
SELF-PACED ONLINE COURSE
Usually set start dates
HIRING LOCALLY
Hard. Notice periods and visas take months
Minimum enrolment
LIVE EDUCIFLY TEACHER
None. One student is enough
SELF-PACED ONLINE COURSE
Courses can need a minimum number
HIRING LOCALLY
A salary for one student
Language choice
LIVE EDUCIFLY TEACHER
Any language. Ask us
SELF-PACED ONLINE COURSE
Only the languages on offer
HIRING LOCALLY
Rare languages are very hard to hire for
Cost
LIVE EDUCIFLY TEACHER
A school rate, quoted on a 15-min call
SELF-PACED ONLINE COURSE
A fee per student, per course
HIRING LOCALLY
Salary, plus recruiting costs
OUR TEACHERS
Teachers who teach literature
in your student’s language
Every teacher is hand-picked by our founder, Richa Jain, then vetted and background-checked. For SSST, we look for teachers who read and teach literature in the student’s language, and who know the IB Language A course.
📚
Reads literature in your student’s language
We look for a teacher who reads, writes and teaches literature in that language.
🎓
Knows the IB Language A course
They follow the IB’s Language A: literature guide, from the booklist to the oral.
🛡️
Vetted and background-checked
Every teacher is checked before they teach. Safeguarding documents are available on request.
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Fits your time zone
Lessons are matched to your school day, so your student isn’t studying at midnight.
PRICING
School rates
quoted on a 15-min call
School rates for self-taught Language A support depend on how many lessons your student needs and the length of the contract, and we quote them on a 15-minute call. Full-course packages are available for one term, one year or the full two-year course. You get one invoice per school, in your school’s currency.
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One invoice per school, in your currency
✓
One term, one year or the full two-year course
✓
No minimum number of students
Get a quote on a 15-min call →
TIME ZONES
Lessons inside
your school day
We teach IB students across Europe, the Middle East and Asia. So we can usually match timetables in cities like these.
EUROPE
London
Geneva
Zurich
Munich
Frankfurt
Paris
Amsterdam
The Hague
Madrid
Brussels
Vienna
Stockholm
MIDDLE EAST
Dubai
Abu Dhabi
ASIA
Singapore
Hong Kong
Mumbai
Delhi
ELSEWHERE
Tell us your timetable and we’ll confirm.
FAQ
Self-taught Language A:
what coordinators ask
Book a 15-min call →
What is school-supported self-taught (SSST) Language A?
SSST Language A lets an IB Diploma student study literature in their strongest language when the school has no teacher for it. It is Language A: literature at standard level (SL) only. The student reads nine works from the IB’s prescribed reading list, and the school appoints a supervisor.
Which languages can you support?
We support self-taught students in any language we can staff, including German, French, Spanish, Japanese, Italian and Arabic. Tell us the language on the call. If we can’t find the right teacher, we’ll tell you straight away.
What does your teacher do, and what does our supervisor do?
Our teacher teaches the course in the student’s language, helps build the booklist, and practises essays and the oral. Your supervisor stays in charge of the course, agrees the booklist, and keeps the final say on assessment. We send your supervisor and DP Coordinator a report every term.
Who handles the IA and the oral?
We work with your coordinator on IA and oral preparation. Our teacher helps the student plan and practise. Your school keeps the final say on how internal assessment is run.
Can SSST count towards the bilingual IB Diploma?
It can. A student can complete two Language A courses in different languages. With a grade 3 or higher in both, they earn the IB bilingual diploma. SSST is one way to take that second Language A.
Can a student start in January?
Yes. A self-taught student can start with us in January or at any point in the course. Our teacher checks how far the student has got with the booklist and reading, then builds a plan to catch up.
What time zones do you cover?
We teach IB students in Europe, the Middle East, India, Singapore and Hong Kong. So lessons can usually fit inside your school day in those time zones. For schools elsewhere, share your timetable on the call and we’ll confirm a teacher who can match it.
How do you report to us?
Our teacher sends the DP Coordinator and the SSST supervisor a written report every term. It covers attendance, reading progress, a predicted grade, and where the student is with essays and the oral.
How are your teachers vetted?
Every Educifly teacher is vetted and background-checked before they teach. For SSST, we match a teacher who reads and teaches literature in the student’s language. Safeguarding documents are available to your school on request.
How much does self-taught Language A support cost?
School rates for self-taught Language A support depend on how many lessons your student needs and the length of the contract, and we quote them on a 15-minute call. Full-course packages are available for one term, one year or the full two-year course. Each school gets one invoice, in its own currency.
Which language does
your student read best?
Tell us on a 15-minute call. We’ll tell you if we have the right teacher.
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15 minutes, on a video or phone call
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No obligation
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A clear answer on whether we can staff it
Prefer WhatsApp? +91 95993 31646
Educifly is an independent provider. We are not affiliated with, approved by or partnered with the International Baccalaureate.