Some people say that once you learn to read and write, your language and literature studies are over, and they could not be more wrong. An extremely demanding yet equally rewarding subject, HL English explores beyond the regular English curriculum and opens your mind to endless opportunities to learn and develop.

In English language and literature, we look at a variety of literary work ranging from Tennessee Williams’ expressionist play ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ to Marjane Satrapi’s autobiographical graphic novel ‘Persepolis’, as well as different language bodies of work, such as Jordan Peele’s film ‘Get Out’. The wide range of works studied allows for everyone to find something they are interested and passionate about, even if English is not their favourite subject (which I could never understand). Though it is a very analytical and essay based class, the role of class discussions cannot be forgotten. A lot of time in class is spent talking about people’s thoughts about the text: their opinions, how they interpret it, what it really means. This is why I say that language and literature studies are universal and timeless, as meanings change and develop over time, and it is only by sharing our thoughts that we will be able to continue learning.

An example of this was when we had one of our regular practice papers, however this time, we decided to make it a little more fun and challenged our English teachers to complete the paper with us. So, armed with pens and blank pieces of paper, we set off on what would prove to be a very difficult task: giving our beloved English teachers a run for their money. After we were done, our teachers admitted to us that it was indeed a very difficult paper, and after we had a bit of a laugh, we started to dissect the essays. Seeing the different ways people approached their chosen questions only further proved how there is no one right answer, especially when even all of our teachers had different ideas! This was an eye opening moment for me, as I realised that you truly never stop learning in English class, and that there are no limits as to how much it can teach you.

From my experience, I can say that even though HL English language and literature is a very rigorous and time consuming class, with the help of the amazing English department, it feels more like an extension of myself, making me feel even more confident in my choice to study English at university.