A Level English Language and Literature

Subject Leader:
Mr D Tovey

Exam Board: 
AQA

Entry Requirements: 
Grade 5 in GCSE English Language and English Literature.

Specification

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: 
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)

Progression and Careers linked to English.

Law, Management, The Media, Teaching, Publishing, Journalism and Writing, Acting, Administration, etc. In fact, any career!

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.