English Literature

English Literature – A-Level Qualification

Examining Body:

Edexcel

Entry Criteria:

Ideally Grades 6 / 6 GCSE English Language/ English Literature

Course Leader:

Mrs J Shoote

Why? :

This course is suited to students who love reading and want to develop their ability to read texts critically. Students read a wide range of texts on this course, and must be willing to read these outside of lessons. Students should be ready to explore ideas through writing and discussion.

Course Structure:

Component 1: Drama (30% of A Level): Assessment is through a 2 hour and 15 minute examination. Students study one Shakespearean tragedy, exploring plot, character and themes. They will also study an anthology of critical material relating to the play and explore the text in the light of these critical views. In addition, students will study ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ by Tennessee Williams. Students will answer an exam question on each play studied. Component 2: Prose (20% of A Level): Assessment is through a 1 hour 15 minutes examination. Students study two novels, which are linked by a theme. These are likely to be ‘Dracula’ and ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’. Students will explore the plot, themes, characters and structure of the texts as well as relating them to their genre and contexts. This unit develops students’ comparative skills, as the exam requires an essay comparing the two texts. Component 3: Poetry (30% of A Level): Assessment is through a 2 hour and 15 minute examination. Students will study a range of modern poetry, learning the skills of poetry analysis. The exam will require them to compare one of these poems to an unseen poem. Students will also study a collection of poetry linked by poet or era, and will respond to an exam question based on one of these poems. Component 4: Coursework (20% of A Level): This coursework unit will allow students to read two texts that are linked by a theme, movement, author or genre. Students will select their own texts from a list, and will write a comparative essay exploring an aspect of the two texts. This unit is designed to develop students’ ability to work more independently and to develop their own readings of texts.

Extended Learning:

Students will be required to read texts as a key part of extended learning. They will also be required to complete tasks such as reading critical essays about texts, identifying key quotations, producing exam style written responses and researching the background to their texts.