ENGLISH LITERATURE
Examination Board: CCEA
Specification: AS & A LEVEL ENGLISH LITERATURE
Why study English Literature?
This course will deepen your interest, understanding and enjoyment of literature and encourage you to become an accomplished, discerning reader. This course builds on skills developed in GCSE English Literature and English Language. Enjoyment of reading and discussing literature, along with a willingness to study independently, are essential for success in this subject.
Students who study English Literature at A Level will develop skills in written and spoken communication, working independently and thinking critically, which are highly valued by employers. The students will develop the ability to articulate creative, informed and relevant responses to questions on literary texts using the appropriate terminology.
What will I learn about?
You will study prose, poetry and drama ranging from the eighteenth century to the present day. Students who have a keen interest in reading and a curiosity about the individual in society over the course of history will reap real enjoyment from the study of this subject at this level.
AS students will study nineteenth century prose and twentieth century poetry and drama. At A2 level, pupils will have the opportunity to study and explore a Shakespearean play and then study nineteenth century poetry. Controlled Assessment provides the opportunity for students to explore themes in comparative works of twentieth century and contemporary fiction. This module provides the opportunity for independent research and writing which will help prepare pupils for study at third level education.
AS 1: The Study of Poetry 1900-Present and Drama 1900-Present
Section A: The Study of Poetry 1900- Present:
Students will respond to a range of poetry by two poets they have studied. Students will study one pair from a list of prescribed poets including Robert Frost/ Seamus Heaney or Ted Hughes/Sylvia Plath or Elizabeth Jennings and Philip Larkin or Eavan Boland and Jean Bleakney.
Section B: The Study of Drama 1900-Present
Students will communicate their understanding of a play by a modern dramatist, choosing from Brian Friel (‘Translations’), Samuel Beckett (‘Waiting for Godot’), Tennessee Williams (‘A Streetcar named Desire’), Arthur Miller (‘The Crucible’), Ena Lamont Stewart (‘Men Should Weep’) or Robert Bolt (‘A Man for All Seasons’).
Course Content for Unit AS 2
In this unit, students communicate their knowledge and understanding of a novel. They can choose from a choice of six texts including Emily Bronte’s ‘Wuthering Heights’ and Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula’.
Unit A2 1: Shakespearean Genres (Written Examination)
In this unit, students will analyse a single play from a chosen Shakespearean genre (for example, Tragedy, Comedy, Problem Plays or Last Plays). Each question will offer an extract as a basis for answering the question on the play as a whole.
Unit A2 2: The Study of Poetry Pre 1900 and Unseen Poetry (Written Examination)
Section A: Students will respond to a range of poetry by a poet they have studied, drawing on the skills developed in their AS study of poetry. Students can choose from a prescribed list of poets including Geoffrey Chaucer, John Donne, William Blake, John Keats, Emily Dickinson or Elizabeth Barret Browning.
Section B: Students will demonstrate critical skill and personal engagement in response to an unseen poem, examining how poets shape meaning. Students will experience poems from different time periods and poems with various themes, forms and poetic styles.
Unit A2 3: Internal Assessment
Students will engage in a detailed study of two novels, one of which must be a 21st century novel. They will explore theme and analyse how authors shape meaning. They also explore the contexts in which each novel was written and analyse connections across the texts. Possible themes could include Irish Life, Family, Dystopia and African Culture.
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