hamster Posted May 30, 2021 Report Share Posted May 30, 2021 (edited) Hello, I am due to enter IB1 this September and I have to choose my subjects. I am Greek, relatively fluent in English. I have the Cambridge C2 Proficiency (grade B, missed grade A for four points only). I have read maybe 15 books in English (all the Harry Potter books, all Narnia books and a couple of others). Of course I couldn't understand every word, had maybe one or two words or expressions I was unsure of, per page, but I kept reading if I could infer from the context what was going on. I also routinely watch English language films (with English captions sometimes, but never with Greek captions). I am now seriously considering taking English A Language & Literature at Standard Level. I reckon I have 2 years to prepare for the exam which should give me ample time. Question is: does this go against collective wisdom? Is it generally considered a bad idea for a person to stray from his native language? I've read posts on this forum that describe it as "suicidal" (but they were talking about "Literature" and it wasn't clear whether HL or SL). I will take it in SL of course, and I am aiming for a 6. I guess I can handle a 5 too and even a 4 is not the end of the world, as I expect to have high marks on the other subjects. So to cut a long story short, is a 5 or a 6 in English A Language & Literature Standard Level feasible for a non-native speaker at the C2 level? Thanks ! Edited May 30, 2021 by hamster Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lauraaaa Posted June 2, 2021 Report Share Posted June 2, 2021 Hello! I am in the same position as you are! I am currently in Class 9 and I have to decide which subjects I am going to take on IB next year. Just for you to know, I am Brazilian and have lived in Brazil my whole life, but I study in a british school here in Brazil (since last year actually, I have studied in Brazilian schools my whole life, so to be honest with you.. I'm also struggling a lot to choose my subjects. I have talked to my teachers and my English teacher about these options, and I have decided to take English Language and Literature HL! At first, I thought this wasn't a very good idea because I entered the school at the end of last year and I am still adpting myself to all this new educational system to me. But I would advice you to take it!! My teacher said that, especially for those who want to study abroad, taking English as an IB option is very important. It is going to be registered in your CV and it might be very important if you want to apply to a university abroad!! Anyways, I strongly suggest you to choose it, I think it is important for the students who want to learn more about English. Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigcauliflower Posted June 24, 2021 Report Share Posted June 24, 2021 On 5/30/2021 at 3:10 PM, hamster said: Hello, I am due to enter IB1 this September and I have to choose my subjects. I am Greek, relatively fluent in English. I have the Cambridge C2 Proficiency (grade B, missed grade A for four points only). I have read maybe 15 books in English (all the Harry Potter books, all Narnia books and a couple of others). Of course I couldn't understand every word, had maybe one or two words or expressions I was unsure of, per page, but I kept reading if I could infer from the context what was going on. I also routinely watch English language films (with English captions sometimes, but never with Greek captions). I am now seriously considering taking English A Language & Literature at Standard Level. I reckon I have 2 years to prepare for the exam which should give me ample time. Question is: does this go against collective wisdom? Is it generally considered a bad idea for a person to stray from his native language? I've read posts on this forum that describe it as "suicidal" (but they were talking about "Literature" and it wasn't clear whether HL or SL). I will take it in SL of course, and I am aiming for a 6. I guess I can handle a 5 too and even a 4 is not the end of the world, as I expect to have high marks on the other subjects. So to cut a long story short, is a 5 or a 6 in English A Language & Literature Standard Level feasible for a non-native speaker at the C2 level? Thanks ! depending on your uni choice, English a would be preferable. to score well in eng lan lit a, you don't need to know lots of fancy English, but you should be strong at analyzing literary works Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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