English Language and Literature

Course summary

This course is about critical reading and discussion of literary and non-literary texts, including examples of spoken English, and offers the opportunity for creative writing, based on the work of writers you have studied. This course requires you to apply literary and linguistic analytical techniques to poetry, plays and novels, as well as to non-literary texts such as transcripts of conversations. As well as writing critically, you will get opportunities to write creative pieces in response to the texts you study. Some of these approaches will be familiar to you, for example studying a writer’s choice of vocabulary. Some of these, such as placing a focus on grammar and syntax or the study of pragmatics (what texts really mean in their context) will be new to you. The course places an emphasis on spoken as well as written texts. Coursework is an important element at A level only, but throughout the course, we aim to encourage and help you to develop self-discipline and eventually take responsibility for organising your own studies.