Literature is a great subject. It’s interesting, it’s thought provoking, and it develops thinking skills. The problem with Literature is that it can get repetitive. Studying Literature for the entirety of Middle and Upper school can seem like a monotonous six years. So, the IB offered Language and Literature as a substitute course in Groups 1 and 2 (English and another foreign language). Language and Literature is a nuanced course that incorporates elements from Literature and the Humanities subjects. WIS should offer the Language and Literature course for English A because it appreciates all forms of text and adds a fresh twist to a study that has been practiced by kids for years.
There is a difference in the way Language and Literature (Lang and Lit) and Literature (Lit) are defined. Lit is about the student’s independent literary judgments and understanding of literary techniques. Lang and Lit is about placing texts into the context of society and culture. Literature only analyzes literary texts, while only half of the Language and Literature texts are literary.
Literature is still a great subject for some. If looking at literary texts and dissecting it using techniques is interesting, then you should take that course. The problem with being given the option of either course is that some kids end up having to study Literature anyway. If one wants to pursue the humanities-related subjects (political science, history, economics, law, etc.), top US universities and almost all international universities require that student to take Lit. That is mostly because Lang and Lit is a very recent course (the first class to graduate the IBDP with Language and Literature as a course was the class of 2013) and universities are unfamiliar with it. However, recently US universities have become slightly more acceptant of the course if a student with top grades plans on pursuing the sciences. WIS does not offer Lang and Lit because they don’t want students to shoot themselves in the foot by taking the course and not getting accepted into colleges, so its important that if the school does offer it students understand the implications of taking that course.
Language and Literature is a great course for people that wish to do something outside studying literary techniques. It’s a fresh new look on concepts that students were already made aware of. Since not all the studied texts have to be literary, there have been classes that studied fan-made graphics of Harry Potter, Hillary Clinton’s 1995 speech on women’s rights, and the lyrics to ‘The Real Slim Shady’ by Eminem. The objective of studying these texts is to put them into context of society and impose a judgment on why the texts are important. For example, studying fan-made graphics of Harry Potter discusses the impact of books and magic on children. Studying Hillary Clinton’s speech raises the question of why this speech was important in terms of societal progression for gender equality. Also, it’s important to note that most people claim that Language and Literature is easier. That is only true in the sense that Language and Literature requires you to think upon society and context, two things that school has been training you to do. Therefore, the students are more prepared for analyzing any text. Also, recently Brown University has been admitting many students that take Lang and Lit. WIS should offer Lang and Lit to students that wish to pursue the sciences, but also to students who are interested in trying something different.
Studying Literature for so long can get tiring for some people. Others do not prioritize studying language. Others just want to do something new. Offering both Lit and Lang and Lit is a great alternative that has almost no downsides, as long as WIS makes the limitations to Lang and Lit clear to other students. Therefore, the school should introduce this interesting course to broaden the horizons of the school and the students.
By Erika Undeland