English Literature

A LEVEL ENGLISH LITERATURE

Who is this course for?

Firstly, studying English gives you the opportunity to immerse yourself in the worlds others create. You will explore times gone, times yet to come and times that will never be. You will climb inside the minds of some of the most memorable characters ever brought to life on the page. You will share in the sorrows and passions of great kings and slaves. But for those of you who need more tangible reasons for studying English remember that it provides you with a wealth of transferable skills. You will learn how to: • write clearly and effectively; • write creatively; • develop your spoken communication skills; • analyse complex information; • construct persuasive arguments.

Course Details

The course requires the study of the following core content:

Core Content

• Shakespeare • Drama and poetry pre-1900 • American Literature 1880-1940 • Contextual study • Literature post-1900

Assessment

COMPONENT FORMAT DURATION WEIGHTING

Component 1: Section 1: Shakespeare; study one Shakespeare, Shakespeare play (Hamlet) 2 hours 40% 30 mins

Drama and Section 2: Drama and poetry pre-1900; Poetry study one pre-1900 drama text (A Doll’s pre-1900 House) and one pre-1900 poetry text (Maud) Closed text examination Component 2: Study one topic (American Literature 2 hours 40% Comparative 1880-1940). Question 1: critical appreciation 30 mins and contextual of an unseen passage related to the chosen study topic. Question 2: comparative essay based on two whole texts (The Great Gatsby and The Grapes of Wrath) Closed text examination Component 3 Study three literary texts: one prose text, Non- 20% Literature one poetry text and one drama text examined post-1900 Task 1: Close reading OR Re-creative writing assessment with a commentary (based on one literary text) (The Homecoming) Task 2: Comparative essay (based on two literary texts) (Remembering Babylon and Leaving Fingerprints)

Career Opportunities

These skills are highly desirable at university level and this is why English is a respected choice at Sixth Form. If you study English it will help you to gain a university place and it complements future studies in the Arts, Humanities, Social Sciences and Law. Students who study English at university level go on into jobs in publishing, law, advertising, acting, human resources, management in various public and private organisations, teaching and journalism.