From the IB Subject Specific Guide:
A Group 1 Extended Essay in studies in language and literature gives students an opportunity to undertake independent research into a topic of special interest to them within the subject. It is intended to promote advanced research and writing skills, intellectual discovery and creativity.
The essay is open to students who are writing in a language that they would be capable of offering as a language A.
It must be written in the language for which it is registered.
Students must not submit a Group 1 EE in their Group 2 language. Studies in language and literature EEs are divided into three categories:
Category 1: Studies of one or more literary works originally written in the language in which the essay is presented.
Category 2: Studies of a literary work or works originally written in the language of the essay compared with one or more literary works originally written in another language. (The work originally written in another language may be studied in translation.)
Category 3: Studies in language based on one or more texts originally produced in the language in which the essay is presented. Texts can be compared with a translated text originally written in another language. Where a comparative approach is taken, and at least one of the text types is non-literary and/or multimodal, the essay would be a category 3.
At the point of submission, the category of Language A essay must be identified
An EE in categories 1 and 2 gives students an opportunity to:
Students must place their analysis of their chosen text(s) in the wider context of the discipline. This may include other literary texts, or particular critical perspectives or insights. However, this wider discussion should not detract from the main focus of their chosen text(s).
A category 3 studies in language and literature EE gives students the opportunity to:
IB Language and Literature Subject Specific Guide - Use tabs on the left under Language and Literature: Subject Specific Guide for more information.