English Literature

Course summary

Are you interested in how stories reflect - or demand - political or social change? Do you want to understand more about how methods chosen by writers are used to persuade readers and to tell stories about the human condition? Do you want to know more about the origins and outcomes of tragedy in Literature? Through genre studies and critical theory, this course will enable you to explore a range of contemporary and classic texts with the aim of deepening understanding of the world around us. The variety of assessment styles used, such as passage-based questions, unseen material, single text questions, multiple text questions, open and closed-book approaches enables you to develop a wide range of skills desirable for degree level studies, such as the ability to read critically, to analyse, evaluate and to undertake independent research. This course is also regarded as a facilitating subject by top universities, which gives it high global academic status. English Literature combines particularly well with History, Drama, and Sociology, but can also provide a balance to Science subjects. If you are interested in any Higher Education courses and careers such as journalism, teaching, consultancy, law, publishing, Media Studies and Communication, you will find A-Level English Literature useful. It is a particularly useful 4th A level if you are intending to study competitive courses such as Law or Medicine.