| Overview | The aims of the course are 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 analysing a breadth of texts, some in more depth than others, by close reading; at the same time, pupils 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. To get a certificate for Advanced Subsidiary GCE, you will need to have studied and been assessed on your performance in 2 AS units of assessment. To get a certificate for Advanced GCE, you will need to have studied and been assessed on your performance in 2 AS units, together with 2 A2 units of assessment. |
| Examination board | The sixth form English Literature course at Queen Elizabeth’s follows the OCR specification. Full details of the specification and additional support materials can be accessed here. |
Unit 1 - Poetry & Prose 1800-1945 (closed text examination) Examination to be taken in June of Year 12 | This is an examined unit which involves the study of three texts: one poetry text, one work of prose, and a complementary text of a literary/critical nature. Works of poetry and prose from authors such as William Wordsworth and F. Scott Fitzgerald are examined with a view to developing critical literary skills and greater understanding of the contexts in which texts are produced, together with a variety of possible interpretations. Candidates will be expected to analyse the effects of language, imagery and verse form in the Poetry component of the unit, and explore the presentation of issues, themes, language, form and structure in the Prose component. 2 hour examination: - Section A: Poetry 1800-1945
- Section B: Prose 1800-1945
|
Unit 2 - Literature post-1900 Internal assessment | This is an internally assessed coursework unit which involves the study of three texts written after 1900, at least one of which must have been first published or performed after 1990. Through this study of modern Literature, candidates learn to compare texts and gain confidence in their use of literary critical concepts and terminology. There are two tasks: - Task One: based on one text, candidates produce a close reading of a passage OR piece of re-creative writing with commentary. 1000 words maximum (15 marks).
- Task Two: an essay on two linked texts, one of which may be a work of criticism or cultural commentary. 2000 words maximum (25 marks).
|
Unit 3 - Drama & Poetry pre-1800 (closed text examination) Examination to be taken in June of Year 13 | This is an examined unit which involves the study of three texts. There are two sections to this unit: - Section A: Shakespeare (one hour)
- Section B: Drama and Poetry pre 1800 (one hour)
Section A: The study of Shakespeare is the key focus here, and candidates are required to present a sustained literary judgement of the text, as well as demonstrating critical understanding in analysing ways in which the play’s structure, form and language shape meaning and effects. Section B: This section requires candidates to explore contrasts, connections and comparisons between different literary texts of different literary genres. They are required to show understanding of the ways structure, form and language shape meaning, as well as critical understanding of the significance and influence of the contexts in which literary texts are written and understood. |
Unit 4 - Texts in Time Internal assessment | This is an internally assessed coursework unit, involving the study of three texts. Candidates are required to submit an extended essay of 3000 words in which they are required to make a comparative analysis of three texts. This unit allows candidates to fully develop research skills and synthesise their knowledge and understanding in an extended individual study of literary texts across genres. Candidates will be required to demonstrate an appreciation of the cultural and contextual influences upon readers and writers and the ways in which texts relate to literary traditions, movements and genres. |
| Course support & enrichment at QE | Students are supported in their study of English A Level by teacher guidance; specially tailored programmes of wider reading and research; essay plans, model answers and planning frames; and opportunities for drafting and re-drafting in coursework units. Students are also encouraged to discuss difficulties and work in progress in seminars and individual tutorial sessions with teachers. For Oxbridge applicants, reading programmes and interview preparation materials are provided, as well as mock interview practice. Opportunities for enrichment include visits to various theatrical productions of the set texts for study, as well as attending lectures by professors on key literary texts. |
| Progression from A-level English Literature | English is at the centre of the Arts, and English Literature can be complemented by many other subjects. History and Modern Languages are particularly suitable partners. A qualification in English Literature provides a wide range of opportunities for courses in the Arts, Humanities and Communication at degree level. As a subject which emphasises creativity, disciplined thought and communication, plus an ability to synthesise and contextualise ideas, English Literature is welcomed as a qualification for many careers. |
Recommended wider reading This is particularly relevant for those considering further study beyond A-level | - The Routledge Companion to Critical Theory (2006) Edited by Simon Maples and Paul Wake, Routledge. ISBN 0 415 332966
- Harland, Richard. Literary Theory from Plato to Barthes: An Introductory History (1999) Macmillan Press Ltd. ISBN 0 333 714229
- Lane, Richard. Fifty Key Literary Theorists (2006) Routledge. ISBN 0 415 33848 4
- Modern Literary Theory: A Reader Edited by Rice, Phillip and Waugh 1989. Routledge, Chapman and Hall
|