English Literature

Course summary

This specification aims to encourage learners to develop their interest in and enjoyment of literature and literary studies as they: • Read widely and independently both set texts and others that they have selected for themselves • Engage critically and creatively with a substantial body of texts and ways of responding to them • Develop and effectively apply their knowledge of literary analysis and evaluation in writing • Explore the contexts of the texts they are reading and others’ interpretations of them. The Edexcel A Level in English Literature will require learners to develop judgement and independence as they synthesise and reflect upon their knowledge and understanding of a range of literary texts and ways of reading them. It will require learners to show knowledge and understanding of: • How writers shape meanings in texts • How texts are interpreted by different readers, including over time • How texts relate to one another and literary traditions, movements and genres • The significance of cultural and contextual influences on readers and writers.