A Level pathways are designed to prepare you for higher education and beyond, be it a degree, research or a wide range of careers. In year one you will study the AS specification and take exams in May/June. If successful, you will progress to year two and complete the full A-level. This course is based on two disciplines within English studies main areas of study: English literature which covers drama, prose and creative writing and English language which includes language, syntax, grammar and phonology. You will develop your own writing skills and an understanding of how language is used for different audiences. You will have the opportunity to go on a number of theatre trips. AS and A2 groups regularly go to see productions at the RSC in Stratford-Upon-Avon and The Lowry Centre in Manchester. The College also has strong links with the English department at Aston University and the students have bi-annual attendance at undergraduate lectures by the professors in residence. Teaching methods are based around group discussion and lecture centred learning. Coursework sessions are frequently run in workshop style, which enables you to gain the best possible grade for each piece of written work. You will be assessed by external exams and through an internal coursework component in the second year. Visits to local theatres are also part of the course experience. To obtain a certificate for Advanced Subsidiary GCE, you will need to have studied for and been assessed on your performance in 2 AS units. You will then have the opportunity to enter a second year of study to gain an A Level qualification. Progression into the second year of study, however, is dependent on you gaining a minimum of a grade 3 (D) in the AS component of the course. All students are required to complete a minimum of 20 hours work experience in both year one and year two. This will help develop the personal qualities and skills required by universities and employers. AS components available: Component 1: Voices in Speech and Writing (2 hour 15 minute examination, 50% of qualification) • Section A - Creation of Voice: In this section you will be required to create an original piece of writing to a specific genre inspired from a text in the Voices in Speech and Writing anthology. This anthology offers a diverse range of media texts including articles, reportage, reviews, interviews and blogs. • Section B – Comparison of Voice: In this section you will compare another text from the Voices in Speech and Writing anthology with an unseen text of a different genre. You will analyse how writers shape a clear ‘voice’ in their writing through their lexical choices, grammatical structures, literary devices and rhetorical features. Component 2: Varieties of English Language & Literature (2 hour 15 minute examination, open-book, 50% of qualification) • Section A – Prose Fiction Extract: You will read and analyse F. Scott Fitzgerald’s important social novel The Great Gatsby. You will gain insight into the social issues of 1920’s America and how Fitzgerald dramatizes the corruption of an important age in American history. • Section B – Exploring Text and Theme: You will explore social and political themes explored in William Shakespeare’s Othello, looking closely at how Shakespeare uses dramatic structure, characterisation and language to explore the presentation of identity, race and the role of women, personal honour and morality. A Level available components: Component 1: Voices in Speech and Writing (2 hour 30 minute examination, 40% of qualification) • Section A – Comparison of Voice: You will revise and be reassessed for this component, studied in detail in the AS year. • Section B – Drama Texts: You will be exploring the presentation of social themes in Tennessee Williams’ play A Streetcar Named Desire. You will study the form, structure and language of these texts and also the context in which they are written.