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Case studySarah-Jane
Case study
"I chose to do English lang/lit as I enjoyed the course at GCSE. I wanted to continue to develop my knowledge of the way that things are written and their effects upon the audience. I really enjoy the course as it allows for deeper thoughts and consideration in regards to a given text."
I chose to do English lang/lit as I enjoyed the course at GCSE. I have loved the course, as it allows for deeper thoughts and consideration in regards to a given text.
English Language & Literature (A Level)
Assessment- Year 1 and 2
80% exam; 20% Non-Examined Assessment - Exam board
AQA
What Will You Learn?
Do you love reading novels, plays and poems, but also want to learn how spoken language works in real life? Do you think you would enjoy reading literature texts alongside a selection of non-fiction genres, such as travel writing, autobiographies and memoirs? Then our English Language & Literature course is for you because it allows you to continue studying both language and literature as a single A Level. We study modern literature texts, such as Khalid Hosseini’s ‘The Kite Runner,’ Margaret Atwood’s ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ and Tennessee Williams’s ‘A Streetcar Named Desire,’ which cover themes surrounding identity, relationships and power. If you enjoy creative writing, then you will particularly enjoy the unit on ‘The Kite Runner’, as we re-write sections of the novel from different characters’ perspectives in order to understand more about what writers do when they create viewpoints and characters.
Modules
Remembered Places
You will read a variety of non-fiction texts, including travel writing, autobiographies and memoirs. We’ll also look at real spoken language and learn how conversations work. We will use a linguistic and literary framework to analyse how language is used and how the writers’ and speakers’ language choices have been influenced by context.
Poetic Voices
You will study fourteen poems by the former Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy and consider how she constructs her poetic voices to present themes surrounding loss, identity, relationships and time.
Imagined Worlds
The dystopian world of Gilead is a shocking portrayal of what happens when sexist ideology becomes enshrined in law, but is Gilead so very different from our own society or the society that Atwood wrote the novel in? In this unit, we’ll consider how dystopian fiction seeks to warn its readers about the path they are going down in this nightmarish and unforgettably powerful novel.
Writing about Society
You won’t have to write a traditional English essay in this unit. Instead, you will re-write a section of the novel from a different character’s perspective. This allows us to get creative and imagine how the same event would be experienced completely differently by different characters. With this hands on approach, we will learn fascinating things about narrative perspective and how it works.
Dramatic Encounters
Using our knowledge of spoken language, we will analyse how Tennessee Williams has used his characters’ speech styles to create conflicting identities for his characters. ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ is set in mid twentieth century America and explores family tensions that rise up and threaten to change everything when a character with a hidden past arrives, in a desperate state, looking for refuge with her sister.
Non-Examined Assessment
The Non-Examined Assessment allows you to pick your own literary and non-literary text, so you will be able to choose whatever topic and genre of text most interests you. Students really enjoy the freedom of this and, in the past, have chosen topics ranging from how slang is used in Stormzy’s lyrics and a teen fiction novel to how relationships between men and women are presented in ‘Pride and Prejudice’ and ‘Take Me Out’. We will help you every step of the way, from the selection of your texts, through to analysing how their use of language compares and links to your chosen question.
Special Features
Our English Language and Literature course allows you to carry on with both Literature and Language without having to choose between the two. If you like modern literature and creative writing, then this could be the right English course for you. We study poems, plays and novels alongside non-fiction texts like travel writing, memoirs and spoken language texts.
Where Will This Lead?
A Level English Language and Literature builds your reading, writing and analytical skills, all vital skills for jobs in a wide range of careers from those in the creative industries to careers in law, business, education and politics.
