A Level English Language and Literature
Subject Leader:
Mr D Tovey
Exam Board:Â
AQA
Entry Requirements:Â
Grade 5 in GCSE English Language and English Literature.
Why choose A Level English?
As well as being interesting in its own right, English Language and Literature is widely accepted as an excellent qualification for going on to a variety of further education courses or straight into employment. The variety of assessment styles used, such as re-creative writing, commentary writing, discursive essays and research-based investigative writing, allow you to develop a wide range of analytical and written skills.
What you will study in A Level English.
- English Language & Literature at A Level is a course which combines the study of linguistics and literature. A full range of genres are explored through a stylistic lens.
- At A Level you will be exploring how The Handmaid’s Tale fulfils the purpose of the dystopian genre, how Carol Ann Duffy creates poetic voice, and examining an anthology of non-fiction (spoken and written texts united by the theme of Paris). You will explore the idea of conflict in The Kite Runner and A Streetcar Named Desire. You will also transform texts into other written genres/forms and produce commentaries on the choices you make as the writer.
- In Year 13 you will also produce a 2500-3000 word investigation of the connections between literary and non-literary texts (for example ‘A comparison of openings in a novel and an autobiography’ or ‘An exploration of speech features in literature and in real-world communication’).
How you will be assessed in A Level English.
Paper 1:Â
Telling Stories (40% of A Level, Exam)
Paper 2:
Exploring Conflict (40% of A Level, Exam)
Paper 3:
Making Connections Investigation (20% of A Level) Non-examined assessment (coursework)
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Progression and Careers linked to English.
Law, Management, The Media, Teaching, Publishing, Journalism and Writing, Acting, Administration, etc. In fact, any career!
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Additional Information
English Language and Literature is your chance to study words and how they are used in a wide variety of contexts … and words are at the heart of everything we do as human beings!
Not only is it a wonderful course that will make your brain bigger, but it also combines the best of English Language and English Literature courses. It is a great qualification whether you want to go straight to employment or to college or to university. It will teach you to think analytically, and to organise, assess and support arguments; it will develop your written and spoken communication skills.