IBDP English Literature

Group 1 | English Literature

What will I learn?

Students will come away with a range of skills and understandings that will both enrich their lives and prepare them well for tertiary study. Students will read and respond to a range of classic, contemporary and translated works, both literary and non-literary. These will help develop their hearts and minds. Students will develop skills in recognising and interpreting the techniques that writers use and, as a result, they will develop greater confidence in expressing their own ideas. They will also be challenged in ways of thinking and being. 

The Literature course is for students who love literature. The course develops an understanding of the techniques involved in literary criticism and promotes the ability to form independent literary judgments. In Language A: Literature, the formal analysis of texts and wide coverage of a variety of literature – both in the language of the subject and in translated texts from other parts of the world – is combined with a study of the way literary conventions shape responses to texts. Students completing this course will have a thorough knowledge of a range of texts from different times, places and genres and an understanding of the importance of having a global perspective. Students are also given free choice as to which texts they use for each assessment task. 

At Higher Level (HL) students will study 13 texts over two years. At Standard Level (SL) students will study 9 texts over two years. At both levels, the texts will include a range of genres including novels, poetry, plays, graphic novels and non-fiction literary texts. 

Why should I consider this course?

Students will come away with a range of skills and understandings that will both enrich their lives and prepare them well for tertiary study. By adopting a variety of approaches to textual criticism, students will develop an understanding of the nature of literature and the aesthetic function of language and textuality. This will help them develop an understanding of the relationship between literature and the world. They will also be challenged in ways of thinking and being. 

Assessment

What skills does this course provide?

This course will allow students to examine the ways in which their personal world and personal identities and relationships are represented in texts and how these relate to their own perspectives of the reality around them. The course will also enable students to experience representations of other realities and other people, allowing them to get acquainted with perspectives of the world that might be different from their own. Students get the opportunity to reflect more deeply on the interaction between the local and the global and foster intercultural critical thinking and consciousness.

What Pathway options does this course provide?

Successful completion of this course prepares students for tertiary study in a range of areas, including English, and can be used to meet tertiary entrance requirements.