English

The English Department at Coombe offers two English A levels – English Literature and English Language and Literature (Combined). Careful consideration needs to go into your choice with regard to these two. Apart form reading the information below, in particular the first section of ‘What studying English involves’, you are strongly advised to visit the exam board website whose address is given below.

What studying English involves

The following comprises a breakdown of the new A level syllabi offered at Coombe:

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 two 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.

A range of skills are required in order to follow this subject successfully at A level.

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It is essential that all students are keen and adaptable readers as both the Literature and the Combined course demands that you read at least 12 set texts. Having said this, the best candidates will constantly be advised to stretch themselves with further independent reading.

The course also requires that students write a range of assignments. In each course offered at Coombe students will have to complete two challenging pieces of coursework, one in each year. These will test the candidates’ ability to analyse, recreate and opine about some of the texts they have studied in class. Research and wider reading are, of course, activities connected with these largely independently done tasks. It is therefore very important that students considering English are confident in their ability to express themselves with clear, sophisticated and organised writing as necessary.

Discussion is a big part of English lessons at A level. Without the variety of ideas generated by this activity broad textual understanding will be limited  which ultimately can restrict the quality of coursework and exam responses. Students will therefore be expected to offer opinions, make educated guesses and substantiate and develop their assertions from the start of the course.

The ability to study independently is essential. As the course progresses students will be urged by teachers and the syllabus devise their own approaches to – with guidance - their study and responses to texts. This enables students more easily to move onto learning at university.

How will I know if I would be successful at it?

If you feel you are a competent communicator in speaking and writing, have an interest in analysing texts (not all of which will be ones familiar or initially appealing to you) and have read a lot since primary school this could be a good choice for you.

What skills will I develop and where could studying this subject lead me?

If you begin this course with the good communication skills mentioned above, these will be enhanced and diversified. Your ability to take and assimilate notes, to research effectively, to present information in a variety of ways to groups of listeners will also be honed.

Being excellent communicators opens all kinds of doors with regard to careers and choice of university course, too. Employers need people who can crisply and concisely convey information, as well as those who can use their initiative is responding to and manipulating ideas they receive.

Important things to consider

English is not a bolt-on subject, or one that can be used as a timetable filler. It requires and develops, as indicated above, a range of skills in most cases quite different from those being worked on in other subjects. That is not to say it does not combine usefully with many subjects, but it should not be regarded as an aid to other A level choices. It is very much a key subject in its own right.

Throughout the course students will be required to purchase books specified by the syllabus – up to 12. These are acquired by the students themselves at an approximate cost of sixty pounds.

Entry Requirements

The ideal requirement for English at A level is a B or above at GCSE. However, serious students with a C will be given consideration and an opportunity to prove their eligibility.

Which other subjects does it combine well with?

For a student who genuinely enjoys reading, English can be studied with most A level subjects. However, given the creative and aesthetic aspects of this type of study, Humanities subjects are likely to be partnered best by English.

Similarities between the subject at GCSE and A level

The biggest difference in this regard is that students need to be much more autonomous in the way they approach A level English. GCSE is very directed and prescribed. The best students at A level will rapidly realise that, within the bounds of the syllabus and according to teacher guidance, setting their own agenda and parameters will give them most pleasure and reward.

Progression between AS and A2

There is a significant leap in academic expectations between the two halves of the full A level. AS is largely about introducing new analytical skills, along with subject specific terminology and concepts, with each being tested in fairly prescribed ways. In A2 students are expected to select these new skills according to need, combine them if necessary and apply them in ways they see fit; in other words students are given greater freedom to roam and experiment in their responses to texts.

 Examination Board

Coombe English Department uses the AQA examination board - Syllabus B for both the Literature and the Language and Literature courses. Visit the website for comprehensive details about our courses: aqa.org.uk