The coverage of A level English Language and Literature is broader than that of English Literature or English Language A level since, in addition to the study of novels, poetry and plays, it includes the study of non-fiction spoken and written texts as well as providing exciting opportunities for creative writing. In the first year of the A level English Language and Literature course you study non-fiction written and spoken texts and the language of literary texts. You study both prose and poetry this year. As with the English Language A Level, you’ll get to learn and study the history of the English language as well as dialects and how our speech develops are we grow. In the second year you continue to broaden your understanding of non-fiction and spoken texts through emphasis on how language is used in context. You also continue the exploration of the language of poetry and plays.  Finally, both through an examined unit and a coursework component, you work on creative writing exercises - often the most stimulating aspect of the whole course. The texts we study typically mature in content and deal with different theories such as feminism and Marxism. The texts are as follows: Carol Ann Duffy’s Mean Time Anthology The Handmaid’s Tale, Margaret Atwood Streetcar Named Desire, Tennessee Williams The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald What sort of work is involved? A strength of the subject is in the variety of tasks the course offers in the analysis of fictional and non-fictional material. It can be challenging to develop an analytical framework for such a wide range of 'texts', but it is the very variety of this A level that makes it a compelling one. As in the case of English Lit and Lang you will be guaranteed lessons in which discussion and debate are major features. Students who enjoyed literary analysis at GCSE but are worried about the extent to which medieval writers like Chaucer and early modern writers such as Shakespeare dominate English Lit A level often feel much happier with the more modern choices of texts that feature on A level English Language and Literature. Shakespearean plays are set but they are not compulsory; on all English Lit A level syllabuses the study of a Shakespeare play is mandatory!