English Literature

Course summary

Studying English Literature at A Level is a rigorous intellectual activity. The course provides the opportunity to read examples of work in all three of the major genres, written from the time of Chaucer to today. Students learn to become critical readers, and to look carefully at the language and literary forms with which writers express their ideas. Furthermore, students come to see that literature is produced within a social, intellectual and historical context. Critical works are also considered. Alongside the development of reading skills, importance is placed on the improvement of written communication. Students are required to write with clarity and cogency, marshalling critical detail within an argumentative structure.