The topic of my post today may seem funny…and quite unnecessary. You’ll probably ask me why this question should be at all discussed. My reason is this- this question regularly appears in all the FB MEG Groups, every year, just before registration time.
In the Second year of our Masters study in English, from IGNOU, we have to make a choice of 4 papers, just as we did in the first year, with the difference that unlike the first year these 4 are not compulsory except for MEG-05; the other three are optional, to be chosen from a list of several offered papers. We can study Australian, Canadian, Indian or American English Literary works, or New Literature, which is a combination of works selected from different post-colonial countries and sub-continents.
Quite a few times I have suggested to students who want to be very thorough in their study, to take up American Literature (MEG-06) and American Novel (MEG-07) as two of these 3 optional papers. Two subject papers, more or less related, each kind of supplementary to the reading of the other- this I feel is a great way to study. American English anyway, in today’s date, demands quite a lot of attention, not next to but on parallel grounds as British English. Similarly, being Indian, if you want to know closely the Indian English Literary works- that too seems very legitimate demand. Indian English Literature (MEG-07) and English Studies in India (MEG-10) can be taken up, two related paper that make your task a bit easier.
However, I must also point out that none of the papers that are offered in second year are less in importance, so if a student refuses to give up the privilege to study Australian (MEG-09), Canadian (MEG-12) and New Literature/American Literature all at the same time- I don’t see why he/she should not. In this case I propose, you take up New Literature as one paper, and combine it with Australian/Canadian/American/Indian- any two of these four.
My young friends sometimes ask me, whether the choice of any paper to study should not be based on the availability of study materials. My answer to this is, that the IGNOU Block study material are self-sufficient – follow them up with some library work, the reference books mentioned in each block can be helpful, and also online material. That is adequate- and there is no need to select your papers based on the study help that you can find in the market.
Study English Masters 