IB ENGLISH: How to Annotate (Plus Academic Writing Practice)

Summary

In this video, Andrew and Dave, the IB English Guys, guide students through the process of close reading and annotation using a passage from Trevor Noah's memoir, *Born a Crime*. They discuss the importance of identifying key narrative elements like voice, symbolism, and sentence structure, emphasizing how these techniques contribute to conveying messages about identity, exclusion, and political change. The video also highlights the role of humor, personal reflection, and figurative language in engaging storytelling. Through a detailed breakdown, they show how to analyze, annotate, and write about these elements to craft strong academic responses.

Takeaways

• 😀 Close reading and annotation are essential skills for understanding and analyzing texts, particularly in an academic setting like IB English.
• 😀 The passage from Trevor Noah's *Born a Crime* explores themes of racial identity, alienation, and the effects of apartheid on individuals of different racial groups.
• 😀 Voice is a key convention in memoirs, and readers should pay attention to how the author's voice impacts the narrative.
• 😀 Descriptive settings, vivid imagery, and concrete nouns help build the atmosphere and establish a strong sense of place in memoirs.
• 😀 The relationships between people, especially in the context of apartheid, reveal deeper emotional and social dynamics in the story.
• 😀 Sentence structure and syntax should be carefully analyzed to understand how an author conveys meaning and emphasizes key themes.
• 😀 Figurative language, including metaphors, symbols, and powerful verbs, plays a significant role in creating impact and meaning in the narrative.
• 😀 In the passage, Trevor Noah uses humor and narrative techniques like analogies, personification, and dialogue to address serious topics, including the complexities of racial identity and segregation.
• 😀 The passage emphasizes the destructive effects of apartheid by showing how individuals were pitted against one another based on their race and identity.
• 😀 A structured approach to annotation includes identifying rich ideas, marking textual references, and analyzing literary techniques to deepen understanding of the text.
• 😀 In academic writing, a clear thesis supported by detailed evidence from the text, including literary features and narrative conventions, forms the backbone of a strong analysis.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the video in terms of literary analysis?

The video primarily focuses on close reading and annotation techniques, emphasizing how to analyze and understand a passage from Trevor Noah's *Born a Crime*.

What are some of the key conventions of memoir writing discussed in the video?

The key conventions include voice, vivid imagery, emotional reflection, descriptive settings, relationships, dialogue, sentence structure, figurative language, and the use of powerful verbs.

How do the instructors suggest annotating a passage during close reading?

The instructors suggest writing Rich ideas down the left-hand margin and assigning specific literary techniques to textual references on the right-hand margin.

What is the 'Guiding Question' for the analysis of the passage from *Born a Crime*?

The Guiding Question is: 'How does Trevor Noah use narrative elements to communicate a message?'

How do the instructors describe the metaphor of the 'club' in the passage?

The 'club' metaphor represents the concept of exclusion and inclusion in apartheid South Africa, where people of color were kept out based on arbitrary divisions.

What does the passage reveal about racial identity and self-worth?

The passage discusses how individuals, especially biracial people, struggle with self-identity and self-worth due to the internalized belief that their blood is 'tainted' under apartheid.

Why do the instructors recommend listening to the audiobook of *Born a Crime*?

The instructors recommend the audiobook because Trevor Noah reads it himself, adding an emotional layer to the storytelling, especially when discussing sensitive topics.

What is the significance of the phrase 'black is in charge, black is beautiful, black is powerful' in the passage?

This phrase highlights the shift in power after apartheid, using parallel sentence structure to emphasize the reversal of societal norms and the empowerment of black people in South Africa.

How does the passage incorporate humor alongside serious themes?

Humor is used to discuss sensitive topics, such as racial divisions, in a way that makes the message more relatable and impactful, while still communicating the gravity of the situation.

What role does figurative language play in the passage from *Born a Crime*?

Figurative language, such as metaphors and allusions, enhances the emotional depth of the narrative, conveying complex societal issues in a more vivid and thought-provoking manner.