What kind of student would enjoy this course?
The A-Level course will appeal to students with a love of reading. They will be challenged to analyse, engage and form personal and informed opinions on a range of texts through lively debate, research and discussion.
What will I study?
You will study literature from the past and present, from both this country and beyond including:
- prose, poetry and drama
- complementary literary critical text
The AS exam has been ‘decoupled’ from the A-Level, so AS units will no longer form part of the A-Level but as a department we will offer the AS and the A-Level to all students studying the course. There is an exam for the AS but assessment for the A-Level is through both coursework and examination. A minimum of eight texts will be studied including:
Exam 1: Shakespeare – Measure for Measure
Exam 2: Comparative and contextual study:
- American Literature 1880–1940
- F. Scott Fitzgerald – The Great Gatsby
- John Steinbeck – The Grapes of Wrath
Section 2: Drama and Poetry pre-1900
- Drama: Ibsen – A Doll’s House
- Poetry: Rossetti – Selected Poems
Post-1900 texts at AS Level:
- Drama: Alan Bennett – The History Boys
- Prose: F. Scott Fitzgerald – The Great Gatsby
What skills will I learn?
Your powers of communication will be enhanced by a study of English at this level. You will learn to express informed and independent opinions on a wide range of literary texts, to write in a variety of styles and to work collaboratively with others.
What could I do at the end of my course?
English Literature can be studied as a single subject in Higher Education or combined with others. An A-Level or degree in English Literature is highly valued and could lead to careers in journalism, media or law.