Liam Jin
English Literary Studies
Course Overview​​
In English Literary Studies, students read texts in depth, like stories, novels, poems, and plays, and watch films too. They dig into and understand the deep meaning and the complexities. They also learn about history and culture. The course encourages students to listen to different opinions on what they read, develop and swap thoughts, support their personal views with proof, build clear and strong arguments, and consider multiple ways experts see those works.
English literature teaches them critical thinking, because they learn to form and support their own interpretations of texts. It also builds their writing and communication skills, because they have to clearly express their ideas in writing and discussions in class. Students who like reading, writing, and thinking deeply and creatively usually enjoy this subject. It is recommended for students who want to share their views or improve the ability to express themselves.
Poetry analysis
English Literary Studies classroom
Big Ideas
The exploration of text and story deepens our understanding of diverse, complex ideas about identity, others, and the world.
People understand text differently depending on their worldviews and perspectives.
Texts are socially, culturally, geographically, and historically constructed.
Language shapes ideas and influences others.
Questioning what we hear, read, and view contributes to our ability to be educated and engaged citizens.
Types of English Literature​​
These are the four types of English literature: poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and drama. Besides the general literature genres, there are many subgeneres too. Some common subgenres are mystery, fantasy, horror, romance, historical fiction, science fiction, folk lore, and fairy tales.
Poetry
Students are going to create poetry and verses. It is used to invoke feeling and emotion into text and stir the creator's imagination with the rhythmic metaphors. Poetry literature prioritizes the structure form, rhythm, sound, figurative language, emotional and negative impact, and distinction from prose. Poetry structures can vary, and the format could either be very strict or be able to freeform it. Poetries that require strict formatting are usually sonnet, villanelle, haiku, and sestina. ​​
Fiction
Students will explore human experience by using their imagination. The point of this is to let students learn to imagine and visualize. Fiction prioritizes style of writing, characters, theme and diving into the complexities of human behaviour.
Nonfiction
Students will learn how to express and present some real information. They will study real and authentic information and write stories about it. Nonfiction prioritizes vivid imagery, character development, compelling narratives, and factually accurate stories. Nonfiction is used to immerse the readers and to enhance the reader's perspective as if they were experiencing the story themselves.
Drama
Students improve the skills of expressing by acting. It prioritizes performance on stage through dialogue, script form, and stage directions. It is performance orientated, so in scripts, forms of emotions, actions, or setting are often highlighted in italics or parentheses. Drama literature is often categorized into various types. Some of the major drama types are comedy, typically prioritizing humour and engagement. Tragedy sequencing tragic events, a serious play, and typically having an unhappy ending. Famous literary drama examples are Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, and Macbeth.
History of English Literature
English literature was produced from the 7th century to today. The major literatures written in English outside the British Isles are treated separately under American literature, Australian literature, Canadian literature, and New Zealand literature.
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Although English literature was isolated from the outside world, it showed a rich influence globally. The Celtic fringes and other parts of the world also enriched it. From the Anglo-Saxon era to the present day, English literature has kept on developing and evolving in the cultural, social, and political changes not only in England but around the world.
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Influential writers, such as William Shakespeare and Jane Austen, made English literature historically rich.​ The English language has significantly shaped the landscape of literature in England. Between 1350 and 1550, English competed with Latin and Anglo-Norman French, especially among the literate minority, and faced challenges due to its dialectal diversity.
​A literary and linguistic revolution occurred between 1350 and 1400, establishing English as a literary language. The Elizabethan era saw a golden age of English literature, with William Shakespeare's plays achieving timeless depth and richness. The King James Version of the Bible in 1611 further enriched the language and spread literacy.
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In 17th and 18th centuries, religious and political conflicts influenced poetry from John Donne to John Milton. The dichotomy of Classicism and Romanticism dominated the 18th century, featuring writers like Alexander Pope, William Blake, and Jane Austen.
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In 19th and 20th centuries, English literature addressed social concerns, with regional influences from writers like the Brontë sisters and Charles Dickens. The 20th century saw writers such as Virginia Woolf, T.S. Eliot, and Salman Rushdie.
Teacher Interview (Ms Morit)
What is the most fun thing about English?
The most fun thing about English is that you get to discuss a lot. You get to talk about different ideas, books, movies, and so many interesting topics.
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What is the hardest thing about English?
The hardest thing about English is probably grammar, knowing if you made a mistake and how to fix it. Writing essays can also be challenging.
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What is the easiest thing about English?
If you just talk a lot, and you love to talk, and like the sound of your own voice, then it's probably going to be a pretty easy course.
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What does a typical English lesson in your room look like?
​A typical lesson looks like learning about techniques or some sort of common things you see in stories and poetry, and then kind of looking at examples of that.
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What novels do you recommend?
For high school, I would probably recommend reading a lot of classic books like Animal Farm, maybe even Shakespeare. I love Shakespeare. But for newer books, I would say The New Yorker is really good, and there are a lot of good dystopian novels.
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​Why is English such an important subject?
It's important because you use it every day, even after you graduate high school, even if you think you are never going to use it. For example, when you are going to trades, you still have to know how to write in English. You need it to respond to emails and to communicate clearly with others. Even though English involves a lot of reading, it requires a lot of writing too.
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​Why is English taught in so many foreign countries as a secondary language?
That's a great question. I don't know how much time to unpack colonial history with you, plus the fact that England is probably one of the most strongest countries at the moment. So that's probably my best guess.
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What benefits does learning English have compared to other languages?
​There are millions and millions of people across the world who speak it. The standard language is English. And so even if you speak another language, English tends to be, in many cases, the standard.
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What disadvantages does learning English have compared to other languages?
If you are learning English for a second language or a third language, it's probably one of the hardest languages to learn. It doesn't have a lot of rules. Many languages like Spanish, French, and Japanese have rules. Once you know the rules, it's really easy to learn. When it comes to English, it never really follows its own rules. That's a huge difficulty, at least at learning English.
There are not a lot of disadvantages, I would say. Learning a language is always something that's good for you.
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What is the most boring thing about English?
Reading is really boring. I tell my students all the time, you get to choose what you read, find something you love to read. People say they don't read. That's not true. You read every day. You just don't read things you like to read.
Conclusion
English Literary Studies is a subject where students read or watch various literary works like stories, novels, poems, plays, and films. Instead of just reading, they dig into layers behind words through different kinds of writing, including poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and drama. English literature has a long and rich history, produced from the 7th century. Learning English matters because we use it every day to communicate with others and handle messages and emails. A lot of people worldwide use it, no matter their country. This course helps students think deeper when getting better at talking and putting words on paper. If you want to develop these skills, or you like reading and discussing your ideas and opinions, studying English literature is definitely a good choice.