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English Language & Literature Extended Essay Guide
A guide to writing a focused, high-scoring IB Extended Essay in English Language & Literature.
What is a English Language & Literature Extended Essay?
The English Language & Literature Extended Essay (EE) is one of the most challenging and rewarding parts of the IB Diploma. Below you will find everything you need to choose a strong topic, design your methodology, and write a high-scoring EE in English Language & Literature.
Word Count
3,500 – 4,000 words
Excluding bibliography, abstract, and appendices. Budget every section carefully before you start writing.
Assessment
Graded A–E
Combined with the TOK essay for up to 3 bonus IB Diploma points. A strong EE and TOK = maximum bonus.
Timeline
12–18 months
From initial topic to final submission. Most students underestimate this. Start early and plan backwards from your deadline.
Supervision
3 required meetings
Initial, interim, and final (viva voce). Each requires an RPPF reflection. Your supervisor approves your RQ.
Strong English Language & Literature EE Topic Ideas
| Topic Idea | Why It Works | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|
| How does political speech use metaphor to construct national identity? A comparison of Trump and Biden inaugural addresses | Linguistic analysis, clear comparison structure | Medium |
| How does gender bias manifest in the language of UK tabloid headlines reporting on female politicians? | Corpus-style analysis, feminist linguistic framework | Medium |
| To what extent does the language of climate change reporting differ between broadsheets and tabloids? | Media language, discourse analysis | Easy |
| How does advertising language construct ideals of masculinity in men’s grooming products (2015–2023)? | Multimodal analysis, gender studies | Medium |
| How does the language of mental health social media discourse differ from clinical discourse? | Contemporary, linguistic register analysis | Hard |
| How does code-switching function in Junot Díaz’s The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao? | Literary language analysis, identity | Hard |
Subject-Specific Advice
Text Variety
Literary or non-literary texts
This subject allows both. If using non-literary texts (media, speeches), ensure you have a clear linguistic framework (discourse analysis, critical linguistics, etc.).
Corpus Size
Keep your corpus manageable
If analysing multiple texts (e.g. headlines), select 10–20 specific examples to analyse deeply rather than 100 examples analysed superficially.
Theory
Name your analytical framework
State explicitly which framework you use: Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), Systemic Functional Linguistics, Register Theory. This signals academic rigour.
Context
Connect language to culture
Always connect your linguistic findings back to social, cultural, or political context. Language does not exist in a vacuum.
Assessment & Common Mistakes
Assessed on: knowledge of language concepts, quality of analysis, use of theory, and strength of argument. Pure description of language features without analysis of their function earns low marks.
⚠ Common Pitfall
Students often describe language features without explaining what they DO — what power relationship they reinforce, what ideology they construct, what emotional effect they create. Name the feature, then analyse its function and significance.
English Language & Literature EE Checklist
- ✓ My RQ involves a specific linguistic question — not a general topic like “language and identity”
- ✓ I have a defined text corpus (specific texts, time period, source)
- ✓ I have named my analytical framework (CDA, register theory, etc.)
- ✓ I analyse the function and significance of language features — not just identify them
- ✓ I connect linguistic observations to broader cultural/social context
- ✓ My conclusion states what my analysis reveals about the relationship between language and meaning/power/identity
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