GCE A Level English Literature

Course summary

The exciting linear course is made up of three separate components: two that are for final exam (40% each) at the end of Year 13, and one coursework (20%). In Year 12, students work on one of the exam units:- Comparative and Contextual Study, and the Coursework unit: Literature post-1900. For the exam unit, students study The Gothic, comparing Bram Stoker’s Dracula and Angela Carter’s The Bloody Chamber and other stories, and also engaging in the close analysis of extracts from a wide range of Gothic literature. For the coursework, students compare A Streetcar Named Desire and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, and analyse a poem by Carol Ann Duffy. In Year 13 students work on the second exam unit: Drama and Poetry pre-1900, studying Shakespeare’s The Tempest and also comparing Webster’s The Duchess of Malfi with Milton’s Paradise Lost Bks 9 and 10. They also continue their focus on the Gothic exam unit, gradually perfecting their detailed understanding of all of the texts in preparation for the final exams at the end of Year 13. This form of study requires excellent organisational and revision skills as the final exams will include material first covered at the start of Year 12. A-Level English Literature is a facilitating subject and, as such, is regarded very highly by all higher education establishments no matter what degree course you are applying for, including the sciences unbelievably enough. This is because it shows you can analyse in great detail, express your ideas articulately, review texts critically and cope with a highly academic subject. As such, English Literature is the ultimate all-round qualification and will open doors to the widest possible range of future pathways. Possible careers: Journalism, Publishing, Teaching, Advertising, Law, Social Work, Counselling, Human Resources/Training, Public Administration, Media/Broadcasting…..actually, the list is endless.