Wen Xi
IB English Specialist

Analysis. Argument. Structure.

I specialise in IB English tutoring.Writing for IB is underpinned by a student’s ability to articulate the effects of authorial choices on meaning. While schools often excel at teaching literary devices and exploring thematic ideas, less time is dedicated to showing students how to connect the two in ways that fulfil assessment criteria. My approach focuses on bridging that gap.Rather than writing intuitively and hoping an argument emerges, my students learn how to write structurally. They learn how to move from evidence, to effect, to intention, and ultimately to meaning in a way that fulfils IB assessment criteria. In doing so, students develop the skills to read analytically, think structurally, and write with precision.Read about my approach to IB English, my background, and fees. Or get in touch.

About Me

I studied IB at Methodist Ladies' College, Kew, and graduated with an ATAR of 99.30 in 2008. During my time at MLC, I held an Academic Scholarship and was awarded the sole Principal's Scholarship for my year level. I then studied Commerce/Law at Monash University, graduating in 2014. During this time, I tutored SL and HL IB English.Since graduating, I have spent over a decade working across law, innovation, media, and most recently as a professional screenwriter in the Canadian and Australian markets.I have recently returned to university for further study, and now offer a limited number of private tutoring places in Melbourne.I hold a current Working with Children Check.Read about my approach to IB English, my fees, or get in touch.

IB English

I tutor both SL and HL students.While the HL assessments involve more volume and less choice, the underlying process is the same at both levels. Students must know how to move from evidence, to effect, to intention, and ultimately to meaning.Below is an overview of how I approach each assessment, including the optional Extended Essay.Paper 1
Paper 1s are nerve wracking because you never know what you’ll get. Some Paper 1s feel “easy”, while others feel “hard”, but you won’t know until you get into the exam. So every Paper 1 feels like a nerve-wracking game of chance.The way to make the Paper 1 manageable is by developing a repeatable process - a structure - that can be applied to any unseen text. My students learn how to approach unseen texts systematically, and to develop a plan of attack that can be relied on under exam conditions. The goal is not to predict the future, but to optimise what we can control.Paper 2
Paper 2s feel overwhelming because they seem to demand an encyclopedic knowledge of both texts. You can spend enormous time on memorising passages, but still worry that none of the prompts will suit your arguments. So you end up regurgitating what you remember, hoping that you’ve answered the question adequately.They key to approaching the Paper 2 is in making the prompt work for you. My students learn how to define the key terms to create space for strong arguments. Those arguments are then constructed to answer the prompt directly, rather than forcing a prepared response onto the question. The result is that the Paper 2 is no longer about picking the “right” prompt, but understanding how to make any prompt work for your texts.The Paper 2 is often seen as a test of memory, when it’s actually a test of interpretation and argument.IO
Write an essay. Memorise it. Recite it. That’s the default approach many take to the Individual Oral. It may your first oral presentation under exam conditions, so of course you’d want to minimise risk by learning it word-for-word. However, that’s not really what the IO rewards. It also does little to prepare you for the question-and-answer period at the end.The IO rewards students who can connect literature to the world around them. It’s somewhat of a hybrid between Paper 1 and Paper 2, but with the unique opportunity to speak to current global issues. The danger is in leaning too heavily towards either text analysis or the global issue, when success depends on moving fluently between the two.My students learn to understand an argument so deeply that they can speak to it cogently, irrespective of format. The goal is to move away from memorising and reciting, and toward delivering a confident presentation rooted in genuine understanding.HL Essay
The temptation in the HL Essay is to define a line of inquiry broadly so that it gives you a margin of safety. If the question is broad enough, then surely it will cover the many intelligent points you’ll make about your text.The opposite is often true. Broad questions tempt students into writing summaries instead of analysis. Students end up spending their word count on description, rather than argument founded in analysis. This is how marks are left on the table.Developing a clear, precise, and genuinely insightful line of inquiry is half the battle. My students learn how to define a question that is narrow enough to provide focus, while broad enough to sustain a full essay. The goal is not to say everything possible about a text, but to say one thing extremely well.EE
The Extended Essay affords freedom. You can pursue whatever you find most interesting about a text, be that character, form, construction, ideas, context, or something else. The EE gives you a degree of control not found elsewhere in the course.But that freedom can distract from what is actually being assessed.Students approach the Extended Essay as an open-ended research project, and forget that it’s still fundamentally an IB English assessment. The process - the structure - of analysis remains the same: text, effect, intention, meaning. Insights gleaned from research may support an argument, but they don’t replace analysis of text.My students learn how to sustain this structured approach across 4,000 words. The Extended Essay provides an opportunity to explore a text in great depth, but however far the discussion wanders, it must return to the text. My role is to provide the framework that allows students to explore widely without losing sight of analysis, argument, and structure.Read about my background, my fees, or get in touch.

Fees

$150 per 75 minute session.My sessions are longer than the standard 60 minute tutorial. In my experience, 60 minutes is rarely enough time t0 address a senior student's week-to-week progress, troubleshoot bottlenecks, complete a skills-based exercise, and consolidate learning. 75-minute sessions give students breathing room to deep dive into the work without constantly watching the clock.Initial session held face-to-face (optional), thereafter online.While optional, the initial face-to-face session gives students and parents the opportunity to meet me in person, ask questions, and address any concerns. I can come to you if you are within 10km of Balwyn 3103, or we can meet at a mutually convenient location within that radius. Ongoing sessions are held online in the interests of convenience and efficiency (and increasingly, students' preference).Read about my approach to IB English, my background or get in touch.

Contact Me

Send me a message via the form below and I will respond within 2 business days.