IB IB English Language and Literature 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: How many works must IB English Language and Literature HL students study in total?
- 4 works
- 6 works (Correct answer)
- 8 works
- 10 works
Correct answer: 6 works
HL students in English Language and Literature must study 6 literary works, compared to 4 works for SL students.
Question 2: What is the Higher Level Essay (HLE) in IB English Language and Literature?
- An in-class essay written under timed conditions on a prescribed topic
- A 1,200–1,500 word formal essay submitted as coursework on a literary work (Correct answer)
- An extended essay of 4,000 words written as an independent project
- A reflective journal entry submitted at the end of the course
Correct answer: A 1,200–1,500 word formal essay submitted as coursework on a literary work
The HLE is a formal 1,200–1,500 word essay completed as coursework by HL students, focusing on a literary work studied in the course.
Question 3: In IB English Language and Literature, the concept of 'authorial choice' refers to:
- The author's decision to publish a text in a particular language
- The deliberate selection of language, structure, and form by a writer to create meaning (Correct answer)
- The choice of which literary canon a work belongs to
- The publisher's decision about cover design and marketing
Correct answer: The deliberate selection of language, structure, and form by a writer to create meaning
Authorial choice encompasses all deliberate decisions a writer makes — from word selection to narrative structure — to construct meaning and achieve effects.
Question 4: Which of the following is a 'body of work' type that students may study in the non-literary strand of IB English Language and Literature?
- A single novel by one author
- A collection of advertisements from a specific brand over time (Correct answer)
- A Shakespeare play in its original folio edition
- A series of letters between two historical figures
Correct answer: A collection of advertisements from a specific brand over time
Non-literary bodies of work can include collections of advertisements, social media posts, news articles, or other non-literary texts from a single source or creator.
Question 5: Paper 2 in IB English Language and Literature tests students primarily on:
- Unseen language and literary analysis
- Knowledge and comparison of two literary works studied in the course (Correct answer)
- Writing skills in a variety of text types
- Analysis of a visual text alongside a written text
Correct answer: Knowledge and comparison of two literary works studied in the course
Paper 2 is a closed-book examination requiring students to write a comparative essay on two of their studied literary works in response to a chosen question.
Question 6: Which text type would most likely appear as the non-literary unseen text in IB English Language and Literature Paper 1?
- A chapter from a novel
- A speech transcript or opinion article (Correct answer)
- A sonnet by a Romantic poet
- A scene from a play
Correct answer: A speech transcript or opinion article
Non-literary texts in Paper 1 are typically speeches, editorials, opinion pieces, advertisements, or other language-focused texts rather than literary works.
IB IB English Language and Literature 2
How many works must IB English Language and Literature HL students study in total?