English Literature

Course Overview

A-Level English Literature will encourage you to develop your interest in, and enjoyment of, literary study through reading widely and critically.

You will consider poetry, drama and fiction texts based on the subject of 'Love through the Ages' in year one and 'Modern Literature from 1945 to Present Day' in year two.

You will, by the end, be able to appraise different views of the texts and appreciate the significant of historical and cultural influences upon readers and writers. For any English A-Level, a love of writing and a commitment to undertake extensive, independent, challenging reading is imperative.

What will I study?

Seevic Syllabus

• 'Love through the Ages', comprising Shakespeare's ‘Othello’, a selection of pre-1900 poems and ‘The Great Gatsby’ by F.Scott Fitzgerald (there are specified editions to buy. We shall inform you of these at the start of the course).
• Modern Literature from 1945 to Present Day' and a coursework essay comparing two literary texts.

You will be reading and discussing the set texts and then analysing them for their literary content. All assessments are open book, so texts will be available in all exams. Assessment is by regular internal assessments, a coursework draft and a mock exam in year one, and then, in year two, by the final submission of your coursework and two external exams.

Palmer's Syllabus

• Drama:  One Shakespeare play and one other drama from the literary genre tragedy. A collection of critical essays related to the Shakespeare play. (William Shakespeare’s Othello and Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire).
• Prose:  Two prose texts which share a common theme including one pre-1900 text. (Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale).
• Poetry:  A selection of post-2000 poetry and a range of poetry from a literary period (either pre or post- 1900), or a named poet from within a literary period. (Poems of the Decade and Christina Rossetti’s Selected Poems).
• Coursework:  A comparison of two literary texts. (Cormac McCarthy’s The Road and a list of prescribed texts).

You will be reading and discussing the set texts and then analysing them for their literary content. All assessments are open book, so texts will be available in all exams. Assessment is by regular internal assessments, a coursework draft and a mock exam in year one, and then, in year two, by the final submission of your coursework and two external exams.

Entry requirements

• Five GCSEs at grade 4 or above including Maths.
• Grade 5 or above in GCSE English Language.
• Grade 5 or above in a GCSE written subject eg. History, Geography, Humanities, English Literature, Business, Media Studies, Religious Studies (full course), Drama or Film.

Why should I choose USP College?

• Wide range of the theatre, museum and cultural enrichment trips throughout the year.
• Highly experienced tutors who are passionate about their subject.

Additional costs

• Course costs might include buying set texts and texts for your own wider reading.
• Trips to the theatre or museum visits.

What could I do next?

As the most ‘traditional’ of the English A-Level courses, English Literature is particularly prized by leading universities. It will prove an asset if you are applying to study any degree course in the humanities or social sciences, all of which place a premium on your powers of written expression. English can also be combined with a wide range of other courses at university. The coursework unit, in particular, equips you with the independent research skills that are vital to success in Higher Education.

Former students have gone on to study degree subjects at university including: English, Journalism, Drama, Creative Writing plus many other academic subjects.

This course provides an excellent foundation for careers that demand a command of both spoken and written English, such as law, journalism, publishing, teaching and the media.

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