Sixth Form Transition PackSubject: AQA A Level English Language and

Literature

In order to be fully prepared for your studies in sixth form, please complete the research tasks and reading set in this booklet.

Please place the completed work in a plastic wallet, clearly labelled with your name and bring it with you when you enrol on results day:

Thursday 22nd August.

If you require any support or have any questions, the contact detail for subject staff are as below:

lewisa@astn.uk

carneyd@astn.uk

Subject Overview Career / further study opportunitiesThe course is split over six modules:

Remembered Places Imagined Worlds Poetic Voices Writing about Society Dramatic Encounters Making Connections

Studying English opens up a vast selection of career opportunities, including:

Lawyer, Author, Social Media Manager, Technical Writer, Teacher, Journalist, Marketing, Researcher…

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IntroductionWith A Level English Language and Literature, you have chosen to study a course that will not only build on the skills you already have, but also encourage you to think critically and prepare you for whatever your next steps happen to be.

This course is not two separate A Levels, nor should it be treated as different subjects. A Level English and Language combines language analysis skills with some of the most fascinating and exciting texts of Literature. If you love reading, analysing texts and exploring the works of some of the most notorious and captivating authors of all time- this is the course for you.

This booklet is broken down into two key sections covering the key aspects of the course that you might like to investigate and think about. We have also included reading recommendations, possible research questions and some activities to help you make a strong start in September.

Prepare to think a little differently about the world!

Transitioning from GCSE to A Level- Our Advice: Although every college is different, the shift from GCSE to A Level is often based upon the idea of independence. In English Language and Literature, we expect you to take responsibility for your learning. We will encourage developing your own unique opinions and perspectives on the texts, characters and society. We promote you sharing these opinions in debates, class discussions, short presentations and seminars, then using this to embed them within your essays. Unlike GCSE, there is less focus on teacher led activities and more focus on independence, especially outside the classroom. These are skills that are essential for further study, university and the workplace.

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Set texts Below are the texts you will be core texts you will be studying throughout your two years of study. Having an understanding of the author, genre and concepts of the texts will be a great start in your transition to A Level.

Paris Anthology

This is an AQA set text which goes alongside your Remembered Places module. It features non-fiction pieces documenting the different experiences writers have of Paris. The anthology includes accounts, descriptions and transcripts of people visiting this magnificent city. This text will test your language analysis skills and build on your cultural references and viewpoints about society and culture.

Below are some digital texts to give you an insight into Paris:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCyQo6rVrOI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XYUHJ13KHM&list=WL5wn1A-

9gTepQNHh-ZABDkQ https://www.britishpathe.com/video/paris-riots/query/panic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NMmiMvGcWc&index=6&list=WL5wn1A-

9gTepQNHh-ZABDkQ

Making ConnectionsOver the two year course, you will be helped to write your own investigation into how language is use in different types of text. This is called your NEA.

The module is called 'Making Connections’ because it requires you to make active connections between a novel and additional material.

You will be guided by us throughout this process, helped along the way at every stage of writing. What this truly lets you do is present your own thoughts and feelings about an area of English that really interests you!

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The Handmaid’s TaleThe Handmaid’s Tale, one of Mr Lewis’s favourite texts, is a dystopian novel set in the United States of America in an unspecified near future. As part of your Imagined Worlds modules, the ‘tale’ of the title is an account by a woman whose real name is never disclosed (though it can perhaps be deduced). Throughout the novel she is known as Offred - ‘of Fred’. In Gilead women are entirely subservient and some, the Handmaids, are slaves to their masters – each is known by her master’s name and is expected to produce his children. Gilead has a dire shortage of children because of toxic pollution of the atmosphere leading to the malformation and death of foetuses, and also because of the easy accessibility of abortions in times past - a practice now punishable in Gilead by death.

Through her writing in The Handmaid’s Tale Atwood presents us with a series of challenges about our own society and also a series of moral dilemmas.

There is also a TV series of the text, however we suggest reading the text first!

The Kite RunnerIn your Writing about Society module, we look at the classic, unforgettable, heartbreaking story of the unlikely friendship between a wealthy boy and the son of his father’s servant, The Kite Runner is a beautifully crafted novel set in a country that is in the process of being destroyed. It is about the power of reading, the price of betrayal, and the possibility of redemption; and an exploration of the power of fathers over sons—their love, their sacrifices, their lies.

A sweeping story of family, love, and friendship told against the devastating backdrop of the history of Afghanistan over the last thirty years, The Kite Runner is an unusual and powerful novel that has become a beloved, one-of-a-kind classic. During the course, we use the text as a catalyst to inspire creative writing about characters, society and concepts, as well as reflecting on the writing process. Perfect for budding authors

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A Streetcar Named Desire This play, to be studied alongside your Dramatic Encounters module, is a three act play by Tennessee Williams first produced in 1947. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize of that year, it is one of the most admired plays of the time. Themes tackled include complex issues such as mental and moral anguish, amongst the somewhat dated social norms of strict gender roles and mid-century chastity.Through our study of the play we will learn how the writer uses language to explore how characters interact, claim power and express identity.As with all plays, they are written to be produced on stage, so check out social media for films, theatre performances and recordings of this classic (and if course, read the play!)

Poetry from Seamus HeaneySeamus Heaney is widely recognised as one of the major poets of the 20th century. A native of Northern Ireland, Heaney was raised in County Derry, and later lived for many years in Dublin. He was the author of over 20 volumes of poetry and criticism, and edited several widely used anthologies. He won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1995 "for works of lyrical beauty and ethical depth, which exalt everyday miracles and the living past."Heaney will be the focus point for the Poetic Voices module you will study on your course. We will explore and analyse how Heaney presents time, place and relationships in each of the fifteen selected poems in the anthology.

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Suggested Reading ListThe world of English Language and Literature introduces you to the wide array of amazing authors and texts. There is so much Literature that it can be bewildering to begin with. Instead of providing a specific wider reading list, we have listed below some of our favourites to give you an introduction to the great works of Literature.

However, there is much more out there. If you want to seek out more, the good news is that it is very easy to do so. Simply do an online search for anything like ‘English Language and Literature A Level reading list’ and there will be hundreds (if not thousands) of books suggested. For now, here are a few pointers:

Read the books listed on your course:AQA’s Paris AnthologyThe Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret AtwoodThe Kite Runner by Khalid HosseiniA Streetcar Names Desire by Tennessee WilliamsNew Selected Poems 1966-1987 by Seamus Heaney

Read other books by the same authors as the ones that you will be studying:

These include Alias Grace, The Blind Assassin and the sequel to The Handmaids Tale, The Testaments from Margaret Atwood, A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khalid Hosseini – Mr Lewis’ favourite novel.

Read other books within the same genre(s) that you will be studying:

Specifically, dystopian literature, travel writing, plays and poetry.

Read about the author, find out about what their lives were like, their inspirations for writing and their reasons for creating the novels, plays and poetry that they did.

Alongside the classics, take some time to listen to language rich texts:

For example, Radio 4’s ‘Word of Mouth’ programme on the BBC iPlayer.

Podcasts, TV programmes and research driven videos are also a fantastic place for sources, for such as Ted Talks:https://www.ted.com/playlists/228/how_language_changes_over_time

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Great Reads

Bellow is a list of wider reading novels that make for exciting wider reading for our course : Author Book Achebe, Chinua Things Fall Apart

Atwood, Margaret The Handmaid’s Tale

Austen, Jane Pride and Prejudice

Banks, Iain The Wasp Factory

Barker, Pat Regeneration

Brontë, Charlotte Jane Eyre

Burgess, Anthony A Clockwork Orange

Carter, Angela The Bloody Chamber

Conrad, Joseph Heart of Darkness

Dickens, Charles Great Expectations

Faulks, Sebastian Birdsong

Fitzgerald, F. Scott The Great Gatsby

Hardy, Thomas Tess of the D’Urbervilles

Heller, Joseph Catch 22

Ishiguro, Kazuo The Remains of the Day

Kesey, Ken One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

McCarthy, Cormac The Road

McEwan, Ian Atonement

Mitchell, David Cloud Atlas

Morrison, Toni Beloved

Orwell, George 1984

Plath, Sylvia The Bell Jar

Smith, Zadie White Teeth

Stoker, Bram Dracula

Tartt, Donna The Secret History

Wilde, Oscar The Picture of Dorian Gray

What have Previous Students Advised?

Reading

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First and foremost, this subject is a reading subject. English students are expected to read independently, and often your teacher will ask you to read a selection of chapters, critical essay or watch a video before a lesson. Be prepared to keep up with the demands of reading regularly.

Essay Writing One of the biggest fears that many students have is the first assignment or essay that they get. Whilst this is a daunting experience, be assured that you are on a course which will be guiding you on how to improve your writing. No-one is expecting you to write perfectly from day one. Here are a few pointers to help with this:

• Make sure that you have checked exactly what is required of you for the essay itself – details such as if there is a word-count requirement and specifics such as what areas of the text you are focusing on.

• Speak to your teachers – they are there to help and will be able to guide you. • Plan and prepare – you must give yourself plenty of time to think and to write.

Plan out your time and do not leave it until the last minute. • Review and edit – once you have finished writing you must always give

yourself a good amount of time to check through your response for both aspects such as SPAG checking but also checking that you have covered the question properly.

• Invest in your stationary – previous English student’s advice to invest in the stationary you bring to school – those coloured highlighters, sticky notes and pens with cushion pads make the world of difference.

Terminology

The most challenging aspect of A Level English Language and Literature is getting to grips with the huge amount of terminology that you will be expected to know and use accurately. Start by creating a working glossary document so that you can collect all the key terms you learn in one place, making it easier to revise in the future. All of the exam boards offer glossaries of key terms to support you. We are studying AQA, a link to the key terminology can be found here:

http://filestore.aqa.org.uk/resources/english/AQA - 7701 - 7702 - GLOSSARY.PDF

Transition TasksDuring the College’s closure, it is vital that you are preparing for the academic expectations of A Level English Language and Literature. Below are a series of tasks we would like completing before your arrival to college. You can either do this on a

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computer, or write on paper. It is imperative you save this work, as it will be expected before your arrive at college. In the meantime, you are more than welcome to email us for help and advice.

1) Download this short story, ‘Then’, written by Barbara Bleiman found https://www.englishandmedia.co.uk/competitions/competition1-turned 

She wrote it long before the coronavirus crisis hit the world but it has a surprising relevance to our current situation of lock-down, self-isolation and social distancing.

Respond to it in whatever way you choose (within the word limits set out below). We are keen to see fresh and imaginative responses to the story, whether creative or critical.Here are some options:

Write a story, or personal reflection, or piece of life writing, or comment piece (maximum 500 words)

Write a poem (maximum 30 lines) Write a play script, radio script or film script (maximum 500 words) Write a critical response to the story, offering your thoughts about what it’s

about and how it works as a short story (maximum 500 words) Create a text using words and images, such as a graphic novel opening

(maximum 2 sides of A4).

2) Read a play, novel, poem of piece of non-fiction writing linked to one of the set texts set (see above).

3) Write a book review of your chosen text, outlining what language techniques you have noticed and what impact they have

4) Write a short piece of creative writing from the perspective of a minor character – this can be in any style.

5) Create a 3-5 minute PowerPoint presentation on this text, sharing your opinions on it and your inspiration for your writing.

6) Research the dystopian genre. Track the dramatic turn of events in a dystopian TV programme of film – what happens to the character? How are they impacted by the genre?

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