UPPER SCHOOL AND BEYOND
Why Studying English Literature A Level Will Enhance Your Child’s Employability
Deciding on A Level options is arguably one of the most important decisions your child will have to make in their lives. We want to choose courses for them that will set them up with the skills to tackle many different responsibilities head on and provide them with a way to collaborate and communicate with other professionals in their field. These criteria highlight English Literature A Level as a great course choice, one that will make any students’ applications for studying in the UK and other institutions abroad stronger. The study of English Literature aims to provide a varied understanding of the world around us. Through it, students learn of past and present events, and of different people and places all over the world. In this sense, English Literature goes hand in hand with, or can provide an even more in-depth understanding of, subjects such as History, Law, Art, Politics, Marketing, Philosophy, and Theoretical Science. The many ways that English Literature A Level allows students to understand society is very valuable for careers associated with the subjects mentioned above. English Literature is the second most chosen A Level
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in the United Kingdom because it provides students with skills that are not found in other courses. Unlike teaching methods in Mathematics and Sciences, English Literature students are encouraged to learn and interact with the course in a way that is more realistic and useful in a professional environment. In English Literature lessons, students learn how to express their ideas convincingly both verbally and in writing; a skill needed for university papers and exams, as well as writing-based professions. This is where many without this experience, and who haven’t studied English are unsuccessful. English Literature teaches students how to structure arguments, how to explain and give evidence to their work as well as other important parts of work-based communication. These are very important for business deals and negotiations, job interviews, speaking at conferences, giving presentations and more. By studying English Literature, students’ English speaking skills will improve; leading to higher IELTS scores and more of a chance of gaining entrance to top universities and companies throughout the English speaking world. Maths and Science are incredibly important, we all know this, but you must ask yourself as a parent: how can I expect my child to succeed in the career they choose, in the world’s largest economies, if they cannot write, speak nor understand the language which these places use, to a professional level? Tyla Arabas Head of English
