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 - English is a well respected subject which can take you anywhere!

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.