ENGLISH LITERATURE (AQA)

Cottingham, Hessle and Wolfreton Sixth Form College

Who is the course aimed at?     

English literature is attractive to students who:

• Have a passion for reading across a variety of genres
• Have been successful in the subject at GCSE level
• Enjoy critical debate
• Are interested in any career that involves English literature, such as journalism, law, teaching and more

What will you learn?     

Aside from the content of the course, you will develop a range of transferrable skills, which are highly valued both by universities and the world of work.

You will:

• Read a diverse range of texts with a critical eye
• Develop the ability to appraise the ways in which writers use language, structure and form to create specific effects
• Understand how writers and texts are related to their social, political and cultural contexts
• Gain an understanding of the variety of ways in which texts can be interpreted and evaluate the effectiveness of those interpretations
• Develop the ability to write critically and academically, constructing fluent and cogent arguments
• Extend your own thinking and understanding through group discussion and collaborative learning

How will you be assessed?         

Paper 1: Literary Genres (Aspects of Tragedy)

The study of three texts - one Shakespeare text; a second drama text and one further text written pre-1900

• 2 hour 30 minute written exam
• 40% of A Level

Paper 2: Texts and Genres (Elements of Crime Writing)

The study of three texts - one post-2000 prose text; one poetry and one further text written pre-1900

• 3 hour written exam
• 40% of A Level

Theory and Independence (Coursework)

The study of two texts - one poetry and one prose text, informed by study of the Critical Anthology

• Two internally assessed essays of 1250 - 1500 words
• 20% of A Level

How will you learn?       

The course gives you the opportunity to develop skills, knowledge and understanding relevant to the study of the English literary cannon.

You will learn a lot through collaboration and group work. You will find that lessons are often focused around group discussion and you may be asked to work in pairs to lead a learning session or prepare a presentation for the class.

You will also work independently and complete lots of research. Your teachers will be available to support your independent work and the completion of your coursework portfolio.

Enrichment activities and independent learning?           

We attend a variety of workshops and study days to enhance and extend classroom learning.

Where possible, there are also theatre trips in order for students to experience texts in performance.

To prepare students for their examinations in the summer, we run revision sessions with AQA examiners.

What or where next?    

Future opportunities to follow English related degree courses at university or college include English literature, journalism, teacher training and joint English.

Future opportunities for work in the field of English literature include publishing, media, law, speech therapy, teaching, journalism and more.

More information          

For more information about this course please see the specification below or contact the sixth form team.