A Level English Literature

English Literature at A Level is engaging and challenging. Students will be encouraged to think critically and analytically about their reading and will become immersed in the worlds of a wide range of texts, from classic to contemporary. Students who choose this course should be very interested in literature: drama, poetry, novels and short stories.  The course aims to enable you to discuss and analyse major texts of both contemporary and past literature. You will also consider how texts have been interpreted by different readers at different times, and look at the context in which writers produce their work.  You should be ready for a good deal of independent reading and note-taking.  There are twelve texts overall, though not all are directly tested. The course gives students an insight into key literary influences on our culture and society, and is well considered by colleges and universities, as the course requires that students develop as skillful, reflective readers and concise exploratory writers. These skills are highly prized in all kinds of further studies and careers.

The activities you will be engaged in will be

Presentations

Class discussions and debates

Research

Independent Study

Coursework writing

Exams (80%)

Drama (30%) Section A: Shakespeare (Othello) / Section B: Modern Play (A Streetcar Named Desire)

Students will study aspects of the form of drama via two plays. The central focus of the drama study is the literary text. Students will need to explore the use of literary and dramatic devices and the shaping of meanings in their chosen plays. Students study a tragedy or comedy drama by Shakespeare and another tragedy or comedy drama. Teaching and wider reading should address the significance and influence of contextual factors and engage with different interpretations of the chosen Shakespeare play. Students’ study of Shakespeare should be enhanced by engagement with critical writing.

Prose (20%) Comparative Essay (Frankenstein & The Handmaid’s Tale)

Students will study aspects of prose via two thematically linked texts, at least one of which must be pre-1900. Literary study of both texts selected for this component should incorporate the links and connections between them, and the contexts in which they were written and received.

Poetry (30%) Section A: Poems of the Decade / Section B: Christina Rossetti

Students will study a selection of poems from two published poetry texts. They will consider the concerns and choices of modern-day poets in a selection of contemporary poems. Students will apply their knowledge of poetic form, content and meaning, and develop their skills in comparing an unseen poem with an example of studied poetry. Students will also develop depth of knowledge about poetic style by studying a selection from the work of a single named poet, or a selection from within a literary period or movement. Literary study of the chosen set poems should be enhanced by study of the contexts in which they were written and received.

Coursework (20%)

3000 word comparison of two texts of your choice.

The selected texts may be linked by theme, movement, author or period. Literary study of both texts should be enhanced by study of the links and connections between them, different interpretations and the contexts in which they were written and received. Students will apply their literary reading skills to two chosen texts. They will engage in wider reading, use independent reading skills and apply research and study skills to their chosen literature. Teachers and students are offered a free choice of two texts which should ideally reflect interests and preferences that have arisen as a result of the prescribed course and wider independent reading.

Five GCSEs grade 4 or above, including grade 7 in English literature