English Language and Literature
Course Overview
From September 2022 we will begin our new AQA A-Level Literature and Language course. Students follow the straight A Level course for 2 years (no AS offering) and your final grade will be determined by your performance in two exams, both worth 40%, and a final non-exam assessment (NEA) worth 20%.
The underlying principles of the A Level English Literature and Language course draw on the academic fields of stylistics, linguistics, narratology and creative writing through the study of a range of literary and non-literary discourses and texts. You will need to love language and all its features and nuances. The course gives you the opportunity to explore point of view and genre in prose fiction, voice and identity in poetry as well as interaction and conflict in drama. You will also be required to study the representation of place in an anthology of non-literary texts (including spoken language, media texts and new technologies.
Course Content
The course is made up of 3 main components: Telling Stories, Exploring Conflict and Making Connections.
Component 1: ‘Telling Stories’
You will study a wide range of non-fiction from the AQA Paris Anthology, Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale as well as a collection of poetry by Carol Ann Duffy.
Component 2: ‘Exploring Conflict’
You will study F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby and Tennessee Williams' A Street Car Named Desire.
The exams are made up or a range of reading and writing components and are a mixture of open and closed book.
Component 3: ‘Making Connections’
You will be assessed through the NEA.
The Non-Examined Assessment (NEA) is designed to allow you to read widely to conduct a personal investigation that explores how a specific theme or technique is explored in both literary and non-literary discourse.
Course Entry Requirements
Grade 5 or above in English Language or English Literature
Course Specification
AQA English Language and Literature
AQA English Language & Literature Specification Link
Homework
At A Level, students are expected to complete a minimum of 5 hours of study a week on top of their allocated lesson time.