English Language & Literature (A Level)  

What Will You Learn?

At OSFC we are fascinated by the way English as a spoken and written language works and we think you will
love reading novels, plays and poems, and learning how spoken language works in real life. Do you also think you would enjoy reading literature texts alongside a selection of non-fiction genres, such as travel writing, autobiographies and memoirs? Our English Language & Literature course gives you the chance to continue studying both language and literature, but in a single A Level.

We study modern literature texts, such as Khalid Hosseini’s ‘The Kite Runner,’ Margaret Atwood’s ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ and Tennessee Williams’ ‘A Streetcar Named Desire,’ which cover themes surrounding identity, relationships and power.

If you enjoy creative writing, then you will particularly enjoy the unit on ‘The Kite Runner’, as we re-write sections of the novel from different characters’ perspectives in order to understand more about what writers do when they create viewpoints and characters.

Modules

Remembered Places

You will read a variety of non-fiction texts, including travel writing, autobiographies and memoirs. We’ll also look at real spoken language and learn how conversations work.  We will use a linguistic and literary framework to analyse how language is used and how the writers’ and speakers’ language choices have been influenced by context.

Poetic Voices

You will study fourteen poems by the former Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy and consider how she constructs her poetic voices to present themes surrounding loss, identity, relationships and time.

Imagined Worlds

The dystopian world of Gilead is a shocking portrayal of what happens when sexist ideology becomes enshrined in law, but is Gilead so very different from our own society or the society that Atwood wrote the novel in? In this unit, we’ll consider how dystopian fiction seeks to warn its readers about the path they are going down in this nightmarish and unforgettably powerful novel.  

Writing about Society

You won’t have to write a traditional English essay in this unit. Instead, you will re-write a section of the novel from a different character’s perspective. This allows us to get creative and imagine how the same event would be experienced completely differently by different characters. With this hands on approach, we will learn fascinating things about narrative perspective and how it works.

Dramatic Encounters

Using our knowledge of spoken language, we will analyse how Tennessee Williams has used his characters’ speech styles to create conflicting identities for his characters. ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ is set in mid twentieth century America and explores family tensions that rise up and threaten to change everything when a character with a hidden past arrives, in a desperate state, looking for refuge with her sister.

Non-Examined Assessment 

The Non-Examined Assessment allows you to pick your own literary and non-literary text, so you will be able to choose whatever topic and genre of text most interests you. Students really enjoy the freedom of this and, in the past, have chosen topics ranging from how slang is used in Stormzy’s lyrics and a teen fiction novel to how relationships between men and women are presented in ‘Pride and Prejudice’ and ‘Take Me Out’.  We will help you every step of the way, from the selection of your texts, through to analysing how their use of language compares and links to your chosen question.

Special Features

Our English Language and Literature course allows you to carry on with both Literature and Language without having to choose between the two. If you like modern literature and creative writing, then this could be the right English course for you.

Alongside this course we run Xtras activities in Scriptwriting, Creative Writing and Journalism - take advantage of these.

Where Will This Lead?

A Level English Language and Literature builds your reading, writing and analytical skills, all vital skills for jobs in a wide range of careers from those in the creative industries to careers in law, business, education and politics.