Individual A-level subject pages

A Level English Language: Philip Carr, English Language tutor at MPW London, gives a personal insight into the subject.

A Level English Language has become a popular subject that has grown significantly in terms of student uptake. It is quite an “academic” A level. I recall a colleague referring to it as “up there with Further Maths”. As a pathway to university study, a good grade in English Language A level indicates a high level of academic achievement as the subject requires an understanding of abstractions such as the “pragmatic implicature” of texts, meaning the messages sent by texts or transcripts which are hidden beneath the semantic surface (basic meaning) of the words.

Students also get the chance to be creative, as there is a coursework component which gives students the chance to do their own writing in a chosen genre. However, this has to be accompanied by an account of how and why they wrote what they did. Of late there has been a surge in the number of students enrolling for separate and combined English Language/Linguistics degrees, for which the A level is an excellent preparation.

Article written by Philip Carr, English Language Tutor, at MPW London

What’s A Level Drama and Theatre about?

 A level Drama and Theatre (which used to be known as ‘Theatre Studies’) assesses your engagement with play texts and your practical skills as an actor, designer or director. You are expected to become committed to the experience of live theatre. This will hopefully lead to a life-long interest in theatre-going as well as making the two year course a memorable one. The theoretical and practical elements of A level Drama and Theatre make it both a challenging and a very rewarding subject. It is by no means a soft option.

In the first year you undertake a practical exploration and a theatrical interpretation of passages taken from play texts you and your class chose with your teacher’s help, and suiting the tastes and make-up of the group. You can contribute as either a performer, designer or director, and you learn how to write about the performance, as preparation for the second year portfolio.

You study two play texts which you will revisit in the second year thus creating a continuity between the two years of A level study. In the second year of the course, you deepen your engagement with the two play texts, re-thinking the plays in line with the emphasis of the A level paper.

The practical element of the A level Drama and Theatre requires you and your class collaboratively to create a devised theatrical piece and to undertake a practical exploration and interpretation of three extracts taken from different plays. You will be assessed by a visiting examiner on the performance. You can contribute as actor, designer or director and you produce a portfolio to accompany the practical work, providing evidence of how you analysed,  interpreted and evaluated the performance. For more information visit the Drama and Theatre pages of the AQA website.

What sort of work is involved?

A level Drama and Theatre requires skills in two different areas: practical and theoretical. Not only do you need to enjoy reading, and be able to write essays, but you also need a commitment to live theatre and a capacity to work collaboratively, with your class-mates, on the  practical elements of the course.

Practical work accounts for 60% of A level Drama and Theatre, so this might not be the right A level subject for you if you are mostly interested in reading plays rather than performing in them. If your main interest is practical, do be aware of the importance of producing a portfolio in which you write, in an evaluative and self-reflecting way, about the practical work.

This is the only A level in which teamwork is such a feature and you really do need to enjoy working with others. For many students this is the most rewarding aspect of the course and after all, working with others is a life skill better acquired sooner than later! And you don’t need to study pre 20th century texts.

What background do I need?

A Drama GCSE gives a starting point but is not necessary. An interest in live theatre is however a vital requirement: you need to feel happy about the prospect of spending evenings during the course of year 12 and 13 on regular theatre trips.

A grade 7 or better in English GCSEs is a good foundation for A level Drama and Theatre: you will have studied drama texts from a literary perspective and have developed essay writing skills. Opportunities for theatre and costume design in the practical component of the course might well be a real plus is you have done well in Art at GCSE.

 Where can it lead?

If you are aiming at drama school A level Drama and Theatre is incredibly useful, and it is good preparation for  Drama at university, and for Creative Writing courses. Learners considering joint courses in English and Drama should certainly consider studying both these subjects at A level.

Science students might well view this A level a very attractive option as a fourth subject to be jettisoned or indeed retained into the second year of A level studies. It provides breadth when it comes to university applications and offers variety to an A level programme.

One year course?

The practical demands of this course do not make it especially attractive as a one-year option. You would need A level experience in this subject or one which provides a similar skill set.

Assessment

A level Drama and Theatre (on AQA syllabus 7262) is assessed through a theory component and two practical ones. The theory paper is three hours long and accounts for 40% of the total award. It covers your knowledge and understanding of drama and theatre, the two set plays, and your analysis and evaluation of the work of live theatre makers.

In Component 2 (‘Creating Original Drama’) you are assessed on the process of creating devised drama and its performance and in Component 3 you undertake a practical exploration and interpretation of three extracts, each taken from a different play. The third extract will be assessed by a visiting examiner. Components two and three account for 30% each of the total award.

OCR’s syllabus is comparable to AQA’s and Pearson offers a course with a more practical emphasis. Drama and Theatre is also available as an AS level, generally taken after study in the first year of the sixth form.

This article was written by Richard Martin of MPW College, London

What is A Level Geography?

“The future of the natural world, on which we all depend, is in our hands.” – Sir David Attenborough

Article written by Vicki Kipling, Geography department, at The Worthgate School

What’s A Level English Language and Literature about?

The coverage of A level English Language and Literature is broader than that of English Literature 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.

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.

Re-visiting texts you have studied previously is a very satisfying aspect of the course giving you a real sense of how far you have traveled intellectually over the course of two years and enabling you to write with genuine authority.

The study of non-fiction and spoken texts from across different time periods and contexts in the second year requires responses that are comparative and contextual; there is also an unseen element to second year A level study.

What sort of work is involved?

As in the case of its more straightforward English Literature counterpart, this is an essay-based subject. Unlike English Lit, A level English Language and Literature has a creative element that you will either find very  attractive or potentially off-putting.

The other 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 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!

What background do I need?

Students who have studied, enjoyed and done well in English Language and English Literature GCSE are natural candidates for this A level. With  GCSE grade 6 or above you should certainly cope.

You do need to appreciate that the skills being tested in the language components of this A level are somewhat different from those tested at GCSE. Nonetheless, A level English Language and Literature holds obvious attractions for those who enjoyed the creative aspects of English Language GCSE and the opportunities it afforded to consider non-literary forms of writing.

Creative writing and engagement with non-fictional texts form no part of any current English Lit A level and for some students this a lack only to be remedied by opting for this particular A level. Those equally daunted by the linguistic demands of the English Language A level or troubled by the purely literary emphasis of the English Literature syllabus should regard this A level as an excellent compromise!

You cannot take A level English Language and Literature alongside English Literature or English Language A levels.

Where can it lead?

It is quite possible to study this subject and end up reading English Literature at degree level (but do check university entrance requirements). On the other hand, A level English Language and Literature is perfect preparation for degree courses in English Language or Linguistics. A science-based student might well be attracted to this A level as a fourth subject option to be retained or jettisoned at the end of year 12. The subject leads naturally into all degree courses in the Humanities and is a particularly attractive option for those interested in Journalism or Creative Writing courses.

One year course?

A one year course in this subject is entirely feasible though any student contemplating this accelerated option needs to have A level experience in this or other A levels. It might well suit a student who had not enjoyed their year 12 studying English Literature but has an analytical skills base they wish redeploy in a more varied programme of study.

Assessment

The OCR A level syllabus (H474) comprises four units, the first three of which are assessed through written exams.

• ‘Exploring non-fiction and spoken texts’ is a closed text paper. Its duration is an hour and it worth 16% of the total award.
• The second unit, ‘The language of poetry and plays’ is also a closed text examination and is two hours in duration. It is worth 32% of the total award.
• The third and final examined unit is ‘Reading as a writer, writing as a reader’. This is an open text paper; its duration is 2 hours and it is worth 32% of the total award.

Finally, the fourth unit, ‘Independent study: analysing and producing texts’ is an assessed coursework unit, worth 20% of the total award.

Pearson and AQA offer comparable syllabuses in which the same combination of creative, linguistic and literary skills are developed and tested.

This article was written by Richard Martin of MPW College, London

What are A levels in Modern Languages about?

‘Modern Languages’ refers to a range of individual language A levels, from the most widely available ones (A level French, A level German and A level Spanish) to language A levels taken by a much smaller number of people, for instance Russian, Italian, and Chinese. All of these A levels follow a similar pattern. The EDEXCEL exam board offers A levels in the widest range of modern languages.

Languages reveal fascinating things about the people that use them, as cultures are both shaped by the language they speak while actively shaping that language in turn. This means that if you are interested in humanity, its history and the challenges facing the modern world, then you will find an A level in Modern Languages to be a rewarding and worthwhile choice. An A level in a modern language will also help you become more sensitive in general to language and culture, making you a better communicator.

As you would expect you will learn to develop a good command of vocabulary and grammar, to be able to translate into and out of the language, and to speak it confidently. However, there is a lot more to A level Modern Languages than that.

They all include studying social issues and trends in relation to any country that speaks that language as a first language. For example if you study French A level you could look at the development of ‘cyber-society’ in France or in Canada or in Algeria.  If you choose A level Spanish or A level Italian, you will find yourself exploring some of the key elements of Spanish and South American society and culture or Italian and Swiss culture. An A level in German will encompass both Germany and Austria and could also involve looking at the German-speaking part of Switzerland.

You will also study political and artistic culture and look in detail at literature and films written in your chosen language. There is a wide selection of texts that you can choose from, and you are generally able to choose whether you would prefer to look at one literary text or one film or two literary texts. A level French students often choose to read Camus’ l’Etranger or Joseph Joffo Un Sac de Billes. Common films include La Haine and Entre Les Murs.  Popular choices for Spanish students include Esquivel’s Como Agua Para Chocolate and Gabriel García Márquez Crónica de una meurte anunciada and the film Volver.  Studying literature and film really brings the language to life and also consolidates your understanding of culture and society that is so important for other topics you study.

Underpinning all of those topics is work in advanced grammar and the vocabulary which will increase your fluency and ability to communicate in that language.

What sort of work is involved?

An A level in a modern language will involve reading and listening to a wide variety of media texts – news and magazine articles and broadcasts, as well as interviews. You will also be able to develop your skills in speaking and writing through class-based discussion and through using the language to produce different types of written text. You will write essays and shorter pieces such as summaries and have the opportunity to practice translation from your first language to your chosen language and from your chosen language to your first language. You will also have the opportunity to develop independent research skills in that language and present your findings to your teacher and classmates.  In many ways the A level course equips you to be able to function in your chosen language independently, while also laying the foundation for further study.

What background do I need?

It would be challenging to take an A level in a language without any prior knowledge of the language – so a GCSE or equivalent level is recommend before you begin (and if you only got a 4 or 5, take advice – you may find the A level very difficult). If you have learnt to speak a language while living abroad that helps, but be prepared to polish up grammar and for the work on cultural aspects. The study of modern languages is helped by having some knowledge of ancient languages (though this is not essential), History, Geography and English and English literature.

Where can it lead?

Universities value students who have taken a modern language at A level. An A level in a modern language provides a particularly good foundation for a degree in History, English, Politics, or Law and also opens the door to doing a joint honours degree (for example English and Spanish or Law and French).

Having an additional language can enhance your employability in a world which increasingly depends on global relationships.

One year course? 

It is possible to do an A level in a modern language in one year as long as you have a very good level in the language when you begin (ideally an A or A* at GCSE), and are prepared to work hard.

Assessment

All exams will take place at the end of the course. An example of a typical final assessment (EDEXCEL French A level) is given below:

Paper 1 Listening, reading and target language to English translation

Paper 2 Written response to works (texts and/or films) and translation into target language

Paper 3 Involves speaking live on three tasks: discussion on a theme (chosen from 2 on a given stimulus card);  independent research presentation; discussion on independent research

Article written by Catherine Weston of Oxford Tutorial College