English A Language and Literature (IB Diploma Programme) [Paperback]

The Course Companion tells me I am a "social animal," so therefore, I feel obligated to share my views with the general public. Yes, I am about to perform a "communicative act."I sincerely hope that my readers do not have an inaccurate "horizon of expectations" before reading this review, so I tried to make my title as accurate as possible. I certainly had a horizon of expectations before reading the Course Companion.

When I first opened the Course Companion, (after absorbing the vivid color choices), I was intrigued. For 27 pages, I learned about how "language is dynamic." After I finished reading, I tried to look for some sort of knowledge to justify my waste of time, but the conclusion of the chapter assured me that the purpose of the last 27 pages was to show me that language "continues to evolve." 27 pages. Then, I thought, maybe this was just the typical sensationalist introduction that any course guide needs. Maybe, there will be some actual content in the next chapter. Once again, my "horizon of expectations" were crushed. For the next 16 pages, I learned that "language is intentional," and "men and women shop differently," because "men were once efficient hunters," while women sat at home and tried not to "poison the family." After that enlightening crash course on the history of anthropology, I read that "language is inherent," because Charles Darwin and Noam Chomsky say so. Suddenly I had a epiphany! Since supposedly humans are "social animals," it would only make reasonable sense that "language is inherent!" Just when I thought I couldn't handle anymore intellectual stimulation, the course companion threw in "a useful definition" for me, how thoughtful! I never knew that society was "made up of individuals!" After 2 chapters of reading the Course Companion, I realized that the content was not going to get any more interesting. While IB tries to assert that this course is meant to make us "more critical readers," I am skeptical of how reading verbose filler expands my reading ability. However, the writers could have least attempted to write in an engaging way, or maybe proofread their work for grammatical mistakes.

This course companion prides itself upon being different from the average textbook. Sometimes I feel like the course companion is trying to reach out to me, like its a lonely kid in a lunchroom trying to be my friend. Its desperate attempts to engage the audience can be seen through its continual use of second person. The more the course companion tries to relate to my life, the more awkward and uncomfortable I feel. It tries to relate to me by using slang words, and this just makes me feel more awkward. When the course companion isn't trying to relate to me, it likes to use redundant, non-sensical syntax. After turning randomly to a page, it took me no time at all to find some examples:
-"What this simply means for going about your work in this course is a focus on active engagement rather than passive encounter." (confusing)
-"We will talk about this more later" (who is this mysterious "we" that the course companion keeps referencing?"
-"Similarly, our considerations of what kind of text may be recognized as literature will also recognize that this is a long and complex debate that involves a multiplicity of practices across different countries and cultures, and changes in the approaches to literature in the classroom over time." (I dare you to read this once and tell me what it means)
-"While the following represents only a very basic and incomplete overview, some awareness of the changes over time can be useful" (it basically tells readers not to read the section because it is that bad) (also, way to use conditional voice to defer responsibility!)
-"The fact of the matter is"-my seventh grade english teacher told me to stop using phrases like these
-"Quite early in school we are taught to be wary of media bias" (YOU ARE EXACTLY RIGHT. SO WHAT THEN, IS THE POINT OF THIS COURSE)
-"Almost every possible political message ranging from a speech to a small crowd to a mass emailing is an attempt at mass communication and these communicative acts are invariably communicated through a wide variety of media" (The way the entire book is written--Long, drawn out, sentences)

At the beginning of this book, IB very craftily gave an example of the "IB learner profile." I did honestly try to read the course companion being "open-minded," but now it seems that I have been forced to "reflect" upon my wasted time. Simply put, do not try to assert that a course is beyond "content level," and then try to write a content level course companion describing it.

This textbook is a must-read for any student in the IB Program. The knowledge it contains is incredibly useful and has taught me so much about language in "new" media. This book taught me such gems as "English has been a part of your educational curriculum and has formed a significant part of your learning." Man, I just didn't know that until I read this book. But now that I think about it, ENGLISH HAS BEEN A PART OF MY EDUCATIONAL CURRICULUM. Man, it was so obvious, I can't believe I missed it. It also told me that I "read text messages from friends, emails, website content, or search engine results." Isn't that crazy? Man, I would never have realized this sort of stuff without this English A Course Companion. As an IB high-schooler, I have absolutely no idea how the "internet" works, and used to think it was a series of tubes developed by Al Gore. However, this book set me straight. Hell, now I know all about how my dog is secretly surfing the internet when it thinks I'm asleep. SPOT, IF YOU READ THIS, I KNOW THAT YOU'VE BEEN RAISING MY INTERNET BILL!

The things this book teaches you are incredible. "Language changes from time and place" and "broadcast media refers to those technologies of images and sound over long distances to a wide audience."

The exercises it imposes are thoughtful and interesting, like asking me to classify the genres of five films I've seen recently. While these might seem pointless and stupid to some, they really shine to someone like me. As an IB student, I have no understanding of basic social interaction, and this book helped me to understand this "internet" everyone keeps talking about.

Looking at these other reviews, I see them talking about how the book "explains the obvious." That's absolutely ridiculous. I mean, what's obvious about telling me that legal language often has strategic aims. I never knew that! Also, did you guys know one of the oldest forms of media was the book? I didn't know until this course companion so gracefully explained it to me.

However, a few slight issues prevent me from giving this my full five stars. First, the book didn't teach me how to speak other languages. Second, I felt like it could have done a better job explaining to me what advertising is, because I just don't get it. Maybe I'll drink a nice Coca-Cola and I'll feel better. Finally, this book just felt like it was trying to insult my intelligence. I mean, it was great it taught me all this, but really, it sort of tries to teach me things I've never heard of before. Who do they think I am, Einstein? Who else is supposed to understand that girls speak differently than boys? I mean, WHUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU! This confused me, and should have been saved for English B: Language and Literature.

Overall, I'd recommend this book for someone like me: A person with absolutely no understanding of the online world and how it works, let alone language. If you liked this review, leave a comment on this web-zone. Thank you.

I take one main point of offense at this so-called "Course Companion." As an admittedly proud member of the International Baccalaureate program, I feel that it is my duty to write essays in a method that is most conducive to using up as little time as possible (i.e. writing in such a way that my sentences are long, obtusely-worded, and generally serve little purpose other than to fulfill what is undoubtedly an utterly arbitrary and rubbish word count not befitting an essay of mine). With this taken into account, however, I did not expect the "Course Companion" to mooch off my strategy. It is honestly the most frivolous piece of ambiguous, pointless, and obvious drivel that I have had the misfortune of having happened upon within the scope of recent memory.
I mean, let's be honest here. A textbook (or "Course Companion," if you will) is meant to inform in a concise way, or at least to "develop inquiring, knowledgeable, and caring young people." This book has abjectly failed in its pursuit of the communication of any vital knowledge whatsoever. And even if there were some delicious morsels of vital information or inspiration within the book, it would be impossible to find given the grandiose scope of the obfuscation and gimmickry that runs rampant throughout the text. The layout, for starters, doesn't help in the least. It seems as if the "Course Companion" was going for a glitzy web page vibe, with lots of panes and images scattered around the text. Not only is this distracting and wholly inappropriate for maintaining even a semblance of organization, but it leaves instead the vibe of cheezy 80's technicolor. If a drunk 5-year-old were to be given a series of articles and fact points and told to arrange them as he saw fit in a book, it most likely would look remarkably similar to the Course Companion as presented in its final form. Further complicating matters is the syntax and general structure employed by the author. I've seen information presented more concisely in a John Kerry speech. The Course Companion presents information the way a nun bartends: tepidly and with a twinge of regret. For example, take this gem: "Similarly, our considerations of what kind of text may be recognized as literature will also recognize that this is a long and complex debate that involves a multiplicity of practices across different countries and cultures, and changes in the approaches to literature in the classroom over time." Not even Moses could part that sea of serpentine syntax. The mildly unfortunate consumer of this title ought to appreciate the fact that this work almost entirely consists of this drivel.
Should a wary soul find himself braving his way through an onslaught of needlessly long sentences and jargon that collapses into a swamp of confusing text, the information presented is not up to par. Like Ke$ha on a Friday night, the text finds itself stumbling around and unable to find a good place to settle down. It either cannot get to the point (often saying things along the lines of "we will come back to this later") or obstinately refuses to go beyond the confines of a British assimilation course for former members of a nudist colony sealed off from all society ("In sport, these poles are frequently recognized and institutionalized int he role of analyst and colour commentator. An analyst is responsible for technical description of movement and strategy. Most commonly, analysts are former coaches or athletes with substantial insight and knowledge. A colour commentator, on the other hand, is responsible for providing the human interest side."). I've gotten bigger revelations from turning the page of a calendar.
The efficacy of this boils down to its ability to communicate. However, the ironic part is that it cannot adequately communicate anything. There is not much information presented, and the layout does little other than to obstruct matters even further. To be honest, I've seen better text on a broken pager. I gleaned neither knowledge nor inspiration from the book. I also found little truth in the title of "Course Companion." Despite my purchase of this product, I nevertheless find myself sad, lonely, and lacking companionship. This beguiles me greatly.