English

All Change

Be aware that there have been recent developments in GCE provision. English has altered significantly and interestingly. There are now needs for a greater range of reading and a new critical element rounds off the literature syllabus. Exciting!

New Curriculum - English Literature and English Literature and Language

Literature AS

Unit 1 - Aspects of Narrative
• Four demanding texts studied: two novels (one of which must have been written in the last 20 years) and two poetry texts.
Tested in a two hour open text summer exam.

Unit 2 - Dramatic Genres
• Two drama tragedies studies, one of which had to be Shakespeare
Assessment made on two pieces of written coursework, one of which might be re-creative. Each written assignment will be between 1200 and 1500 words for submission in January.

Literature A2

Unit 3 - Texts and Genres

• A minimum of 3 texts will be studied, all of which will be from either the Gothic or Pastoral tradition. One text must have been written between 1300 and 1800.
A two part, two hour closed book examination with both comparative and close focus questions will be worked towards.

Unit 4 - Further and Independent Reading

• Using a pre-release anthology of critical material (counting as one text) a minimum of three texts will be studied in readiness for tow coursework assignments.
One will be a comparative study of an aspect of two texts and will comprise between 1500 and 2000 words.
A second will involve the application of critical approach to a literary text and be between 1200 and 1500 words.

Literature and Language AS

Unit 1 - Introduction to Language and Literature Study

• An anthology (set text) will be studied
Assessment involves a 1 ½ hour exam with two questions: one related to an unseen text related to themes in the anthology; the other on the anthology itself.

Unit 2 - Themes in Language and Literature

• A two part written coursework assignment in which a set theme is discussed in connection with two related texts.
One assignment is broadly comparative with a word count of between 1200 and 1500. The second should be illuminatingly creative.

Literature and Language A2

Unit 3 - Talk in Life and Literature

• Following detailed study of how talk is used artistically and pragmatically with use of a set drama text (Shakespeare), students are assessed in a two hour, two question exam containing unseen texts.

Unit 4 - Text Transformation

• Study of two literary works from three prescribed lists. One or two transformations with associated commentaries and a maximum of 4500 words.

Existing GCE syllabi at Coombe

This will see the new year 13s through their English studies before being superseded by the updated syllabus (detailed above) in September 2009.

English Literature

Unit 4 - Texts in Time

• Close study of a pre-1900 poetry text and a pre-1770 drama text for a 2 hour, two question closed book exam. Emphasis on differing interpreations.

Unit 5 - Literary Connections

• Comparative coursework essay based on reading and elements of two substantial texts.

Unit 6 - Reading for Meaning

• A synoptic module focussing on literature issuing from the WW1 conflict.

English Language and Literature

Unit 4 - Text Transformation

• A creative and analytical coursework module which reworks a base text in an elucidatory and scholarly way.

Unit 5 - Talk in Life and Literature

• A study of how talk is used artistically and pragmatically in a Shakespeare text and real life. Assessed in a two hour, two question exam.

Unit 6 - Critical Approaches

• Developing skills in detailed and varied discourse analysis foe application on pre-release exam material and unseen material in a three hour exam.