English Literature & Language A level

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This A-Level course allows students to engage creatively and analytically with traditional literature as well as spoken, written and multi-modal texts, including adverts and posters, to consider how they reflect the world of literature and the world around us. It unites fiction with non-fiction and helps students to understand these links as well as use them creatively to produce original texts of their own – a creative element that is not found in A-Level English Literature. Students can transform and re-create texts in new and exciting ways as well as explore their own creative processes.

The exams have creative and analytical tasks to complete and contain both fiction and non-fiction texts. Students will undertake research and investigation as part of this course to produce the NEA coursework unit, providing opportunities for students to pursue their own areas of interest within English.

Texts studied:

◊ The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

◊ A Streetcar Names Desire by Tennessee Williams

◊ The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

◊ Mean Time by Carol Ann Duffy ◊ Paris Anthology of non-fiction texts

Unit 1:

Telling Stories – written exam (3 hours) 40% of A-Level .

Section A – Remembered Places : One comparison question on two extracts from the ‘Paris Anthology’ (40 marks) .

Section B – Imagined Worlds : One question from a choice of two on one prose extract - ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ by Margaret Atwood (35 marks) .

Section C – Poetic Voices : One question from a choice of two from ‘Mean Time’ by Carol Ann Duffy (25 marks)

Unit 2:

Exploring Conflict – written exam (2.5 hours) 40% of A Level .

Section A – Writing about Society: One recreative writing task using one extract from ‘The Great Gatsby’ by F. Scott Fitzgerald (25 marks) . One critical commentary about your recreative writing (30 marks) .

Section B – Dramatic Encounters : One question from a choice of two on one drama extract - ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ by Tennessee Williams (45 marks).

Unit 3:

Making Connections – NEA (Non-Examined Assessment/ Coursework) 20% of A Level (50 marks).

A personal investigation exploring a technique or theme in a literary text and non-literary material (2500-3000 words).

Examples: compare the openings of a novel and an autobiography; explore real versus fictional events; compare a theme in literary and non-literary sources; explore speech in literature and real-world communication; explore new language in literature and non-literary contexts.

Breakdown: Introduction and aim (750 words); Review sources (300 500 words); Analysis (1,250 words); Conclusions (200-500 words); Appendix for extracts/sources/ references are not included in word count.

There are 2 examinations for this subject (worth 40% of the course each) and one NEA (Non-Examined Assessment) unit (worth 20%).

Grade 6 in English Literature or Language.

Contact Name: Mrs F Borrett and Mrs J Rendall –

Contact Email: f.borrett@wymcol.org and j.rendall@wymcol.org

Studying English Literature and Language will provide a secure basis for future progression into journalism, advertising, marketing, public relations, publishing, media, events management, law, education, and medicine or care professions.