Technology makes communication faster, but speed does not guarantee understanding. A class platform can help learners revisit instructions and ask questions after a lesson. Yet messages may be missed when several channels are used, and short posts can remove the context a reader needs.
Schools should therefore choose a small number of reliable channels and explain when each one is used. They should also consider access: not every family has the same device, connectivity or language confidence. Technology can widen participation when it is paired with clear routines and alternatives. It is the quality of the communication system, rather than the number of tools, that matters.
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IB English B
Does technology improve communication?
Essay · SL + HL writing pack
SL/HL: sustain a focused argument, develop counterpoints and link each paragraph to the question.
Read like a writer · SL + HL
Model for teacher or academic reader
Task: SL/HL: sustain a focused argument, develop counterpoints and link each paragraph to the question.
1Orient the reader
2Develop the key point
3Close with purpose
Purposeful lexis
Yet · therefore · They should also · when · rather than
Grammar and register
Balanced claim, concession, consequence, comparison, cautious modal
Teach the lesson
Notice, rehearse, write and review
Try it tomorrow
SL/HL: sustain a focused argument, develop counterpoints and link each paragraph to the question.
- Students mark who will read the text and what that reader needs.
- They select two useful linkers from the model and explain their job.
- They write a new response with original details, then use the checklist to revise.
Success criteria
- Purpose and audience are clear from the opening.
- Each requested point is developed with a specific example or reason.
- Linkers express a real relationship between ideas.
- The ending suits the text type and reader.
Teacher language
Useful language choices
Yet · therefore · They should also · when · rather than
Questions that draw out detail
- What does your reader need to know first?
- Which example makes this point convincing?
- What relationship does this linker show: contrast, cause, sequence or addition?
- Does the register fit the reader and purpose?
Feedback focus
Give one response on task coverage, one on organisation and one on a language choice that the learner can use again. Avoid treating a memorised phrase as evidence of control.
Adapt it by level
More support
Rehearse the ideas orally, use a three-box planning frame and offer two optional sentence openings. Keep the model visible while the learner plans.
Greater independence
Remove the frame, change the audience or purpose and ask learners to justify their choices of structure and register.
Course fit
SL and HL adaptations with model, register, purposeful lexis and transfer practice. Follow the current course task, audience, word guidance and assessment criteria. This teaching model is not an official examination response or awarded grade.
Check transfer
Use a fresh prompt and look for the same purposeful decisions expressed in the learner’s own words.