English Literature AS and A2 at Eastbury Sixth.
Why Study English Literature?
Studying English in the sixth form is very different from the English that you have been taught previously. You will be expected to widen your reading and you will look at particular genres instead of limiting yourself to certain authors. You will be learning a multitude of new skills which require you to research and to think more analytically. This is where your ideas and thoughts count and where your opinion is actually needed and valued!!!!
English Literature like all the subjects that are taught at AS and A2 level is difficult, but it is also enjoyable. You will learn and develop skills that will be of benefit to you in your future, whether that be in Higher Education or in the world of work. You will work independently as well as part of a group, you will have to express and defend your opinions in an open forum and you will need to express your views in writing using evidence to support your argument/ approach. You will also broaden your scope of knowledge, not just because you are studying a range of books, but from the very fact that you have read a wider range of books and texts.
With the changes in the curriculum requirements at AS and A2 the scope of learning has been widen. All students will have to produce coursework pieces, both for AS and for the A2. This will help you write in an academic manner and develop your ideas and opinions without the pressure of an examination hall!! There is obviously still examinations to sit and there are a mixture of closed and open text examinations, but it does allow you to experience different assessment processes.
With the changes there is also the possibility of writing your own creative piece, which can be entered for assessment. Your writing will be informed by the authors that study, but it allows you again a different method for assessment. It also allows more creativity within the English Literature syllabus.
Studying English Literature to A Level standard can offer you a wide range of opportunities for courses in the Arts, Humanities and Communication at degree level. As a subject it emphasises creativity, disciplined thought and communication, plus an ability to synthesise and contextualise ideas, English Literature is also welcomed as a qualification for many careers.
What do you need to get on to the English Literature course?
You need to have taken GCSE English and achieved or hope to achieve a Grade C or above in both English Language and English Literature. A lot of the core skills that you have gained in Key Stage 4 will be developed and honed at AS. The course emphasises, at AS, progression from GCSE and at A2 progression towards study at Higher Education.
What is expected from you in your first year?
At Eastbury we follow the syllabus that the Oxford Cambridge and RSA Examinations provide, (OCR). The aim of the course is to enable you to enjoy reading and discussing English Literature and to increase your understanding of what the study of literature involves. The emphasis is on getting to know a wide range of texts in depth, by close reading: at the same time you will be encouraged to think about the contexts in which these texts were written and about the different ways in which they were read in the past and can be read now, and how the context helps to shape meaning and understanding.
The course is split up into units, two of which are studied in your first year, AS, and two of which are studied when you progress to A2.
Assessment Objectives.
The areas that you will be assessed on are:
AO 1) Articulate creative, informed and relevant responses to literary texts, using appropriate terminology and concepts, and coherent, accurate written expression. Communication and Presentation
AO2) Demonstrate detailed critical understanding in analysing the ways in which structure, form and language shape meanings in literary texts. Demonstrate Knowledge and Understanding
AO3) Explore connections and comparisons between different literary texts, informed by interpretations of other readers. Analysis and Evaluation
AO4) Demonstrate understanding of the significance and influence of the contexts in which literary texts are written and received. Demonstrate Knowledge and Understanding.
These skills are developed in your first year and should you decide to go on to do A2 these skills are further developed and honed.
What Will I Be Studying?
As mentioned above, the course is split into 4 units, 2 studied at AS and two studied at A2. The texts can change from time to time, and this is also a new syllabus so the texts that have been outlined below give an example of the type of texts that can be studied.
The units and the texts.
AS Unit F661 – Poetry and Prose 1800- 1945. This is a 2 hour written paper and is worth 60% of the marks awarded for the AS qualification.
You answer one question on one poem. The types of poetry this could include the works of Wilfred Owen, Christina Rossetti, William Wordsworth or Robert Frost.
You also need to answer one question from a choice of two. The types of novels that you will be studying include: ‘Wuthering Heights’, ‘Frankenstein’, ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’ and ‘Mrs Dalloway’.
This is a closed text examination.
Unit F662 – Literature post 1900. This is a coursework element and is worth 40% of marks awarded.
You will be required to submit a coursework folder of a maximum of 3000 words which is made up of two tasks.
Task 1: Close reading which involved a close critical analysis of a section of the chosen text or you can produce an item of re-creative writing based on a selected passage from a chosen text or poem. A commentary also has to be provided. (15 marks)
Task 2: You would need to produce an essay where you make contrasts and comparisons across two texts. (25 marks)
A2 Programme of Study.
As in the AS year, the course comprises of 2 Units.
F663 – Drama and Poetry pre 1800. This is a two hour examination and is worth up to 60marks.
The first section is a Shakespeare paper, and this requires very close reading of one Shakespeare’s plays, which could include ‘Anthony and Cleopatra’, ‘The Tempest’, ‘King Lear’ or ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’. In the exam you are asked to respond to the play, demonstrating a clear understanding of the play, structure and form and others’ interpretation of the play. There is a choice of two questions and you only need to answer one. This is a closed text exam.
The second section of this unit is Drama and Poetry pre 1800. This could include works such as ‘Doctor Faustus’, ‘The Pardoner’s Tale’, ‘he Duchess of Malfi’ and ‘The Rape of the Lock’. In this section of the unit you are required to write an essay that is a comparative study of one drama and one poetry text.
Unit F664 – Texts in Time.
This is the coursework element of the course, and you are required to submit an extended essay. (3000 words maximum). This piece of work is worth up to 40 marks.
This extended piece of work is to be a comparative analysis of three texts. The areas that could be studied include: satire, travel writing, gothic writing, feminist perspectives, men and women, love and marriage, tragedy/comedy.
In this piece of coursework all of the assessment objectives are covered.
English Literature at A Level does require a high level of commitment as students are expected to read around the set texts. You will also be expected to research the authors, genres, critiques, etc. A real love and passion for reading is a must for this subject. A reading list for this subject will be made available in the Summer Term for those students looking to take A Level English Literature .
