AS Level English Combined Language & Literature

English Language and Literature is an enjoyable, challenging and a very successful course at the college.

AS Level

Unit 1 (ELLA1) will cover:

• The study of two texts from a range of prose and drama;

• Detailed analysis of one text, using a wide literary and linguistic vocabulary;

• Creative writing based on the set texts, in a range of different genres.

Unit 2 (ELLA2) will cover:

• The study of one text from a range prose and drama;

• The study of spoken features, as used in the set text;

• Detailed analysis and comparison of extracts of prepared and spontaneous speech, incorporating a wide literary and linguistic vocabulary.

A2 Level

For Unit 3 (ELLA3)students will:

• Build on the skills of detailed analysis already acquired by comparing unseen texts;

• Study two set texts (an anthology of women’s writing and a collection of travel articles) and write in different genres in production tasks based on these texts;

• Develop the ability to produce commentaries on their own writing.

For Unit 4 (ELLA4), a COURSEWORK unit, students will:

• Extend their essay writing and analytical skills through an extended 2,500-word comparison of the work of two writers, one of whom will be a poet;

• Through a drafting and editing process, aim to produce the best possible coursework.

At AS, there are two summer examinations. At A2, students submit one extended coursework unit and sit one summer examination.

How you will gain the qualification

Assessment will be by coursework and examination. Mock examinations will be held in January (AS) and February (A2).

What qualifications you need

Six full GCSEs at C or above, including both English Language and English Literature.

Where to next

English Language and Literature combined will provide you with an excellent preparation for many courses in the Humanities at degree level. These include English (Language or English Literature, or a combination course); Linguistics; Journalism; and Education. An A-level in English is a great asset in any kind of work that requires you to express yourself well and use analytical skills, so is a very useful A-level to have when applying for university degrees such as History, Law, Politics, Sociology etc.