Guest Posted June 26, 2014 Report Share Posted June 26, 2014 Hi everyone! I'm choosing my subjects for IB and I'm wondering... Am I capable of learning English Literature HL? I'm a reader and I love Jane Eyre and Sherlock Holmes. I've read many other classics and I think I've done that job pretty decently, if not well. Your help would be really appreciated Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hassty Posted June 26, 2014 Report Share Posted June 26, 2014 (edited) I think if you consider yourself fluent in English, you shouldn't have to worry. You seem confident in your ability, so I say go for it! Edited June 26, 2014 by Hass Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
IEAFBC812 Posted June 26, 2014 Report Share Posted June 26, 2014 I think you really schouldn't have a Problem with English Literature if you like reading. And considering you've already read classics you won't struggle with the Level of English either. Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
crimson.threads Posted June 26, 2014 Report Share Posted June 26, 2014 (edited) English Lit is an A language, meaning it's intended for native speakers. And honestly, if you've already been able to read classics like Sherlock Holmes or Jane Eyre, I think you'll have no issues with the course itself. I do think that this is worth mentioning though; English Langlit focuses as well on the language aspects of the English language- which means that unlike the other A option of English Lit, you are not limited to analysing / basing your work off books. (ok I'm biased) This can involve work analysing examples like cultural factors at play, the context of the text. (arguably, with some of that apparent in Lit too) Your exam paper may involve an 'unconventional' text, such as a newspaper article, website, comic etc instead of the conventional Lit text types of poems and / or prose. Personally, I took LangLit HL so I'm super biased towards Langlit! I chose it over lit because it was so much more interesting with the wide range of texts and broader look. So whilst your ability doesn't seem to be an issue (talk to your english teacher to make sure!) I do implore you to think if you enjoy wider analysis or more focused analysis. Both come with their benefits and downsides, so there's no one 'best' A course for everyone! But from what you've said, Lit looks like the one for you! If you want to be really sure, ask about the books you'll be studying and perhaps read through them to get a feel for what you'll be doing? This is because whilst there ARE a lot of classics on the IB book list for Lit texts, there are other more modernistic novels or plays which might be harder to understand as they differ from classics in style. Best of luck with the IB though, no matter what you pick! Edited June 26, 2014 by crimson.threads Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 30, 2014 Report Share Posted June 30, 2014 I think if you consider yourself fluent in English, you shouldn't have to worry. You seem confident in your ability, so I say go for it! I am confident, but I don't know what is in an IB English Literature A exam and course though... But thank you Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 30, 2014 Report Share Posted June 30, 2014 I think you really schouldn't have a Problem with English Literature if you like reading. And considering you've already read classics you won't struggle with the Level of English either. Aww, thank you Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 30, 2014 Report Share Posted June 30, 2014 English Lit is an A language, meaning it's intended for native speakers. And honestly, if you've already been able to read classics like Sherlock Holmes or Jane Eyre, I think you'll have no issues with the course itself. I do think that this is worth mentioning though; English Langlit focuses as well on the language aspects of the English language- which means that unlike the other A option of English Lit, you are not limited to analysing / basing your work off books. (ok I'm biased) This can involve work analysing examples like cultural factors at play, the context of the text. (arguably, with some of that apparent in Lit too) Your exam paper may involve an 'unconventional' text, such as a newspaper article, website, comic etc instead of the conventional Lit text types of poems and / or prose. Personally, I took LangLit HL so I'm super biased towards Langlit! I chose it over lit because it was so much more interesting with the wide range of texts and broader look. So whilst your ability doesn't seem to be an issue (talk to your english teacher to make sure!) I do implore you to think if you enjoy wider analysis or more focused analysis. Both come with their benefits and downsides, so there's no one 'best' A course for everyone! But from what you've said, Lit looks like the one for you! If you want to be really sure, ask about the books you'll be studying and perhaps read through them to get a feel for what you'll be doing? This is because whilst there ARE a lot of classics on the IB book list for Lit texts, there are other more modernistic novels or plays which might be harder to understand as they differ from classics in style. Best of luck with the IB though, no matter what you pick! Thank you for such a detailed answer. I'll try to find the reading list for IB English Literature and take a look at them Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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