Head of Department: Miss G.S. Lee Board: OCR The study of English Literature, particularly at A-Level, directly develops key skills sought by employers in a wide range of professions: the ability to read texts and situations critically and analytically, the capacity to reflect upon what one has read and to make informed and considered choices, and the facility to communicate one’s point of view clearly and convincingly (whether verbally or in writing). Moreover, these skills are not only essential for professional success—they are vital for making the choices that will lead to a life of sustainable personal well-being in a rapidly changing world. Pursuing studies in English Literature also readies students for citizenship in the global community. An understanding of how literature works, as art and as communication, is crucial for living a life in which one is critically engaged with one’s culture—with the questions and issues of the day and also with the eternal questions, the ongoing concerns of human civilization.
English Literature is one of the most popular degree programmes pursued by undergraduate students in British universities, with over 30 000 students currently enrolled in the field. The study of English Literature has diversified considerably in recent years, with many universities offering specialised programmes such as English and American (or Canadian) Studies, English and Cultural Studies, English and Critical Theory, or English and Film Studies. Graduates of university degree programmes in English Literature are now employed in a wide range of professions—in fact, less than 20% of English Literature graduates work as teachers or lecturers, choosing instead careers in such diverse areas as business, law, marketing or media.
The two-year A-Level programme in English Literature at Monmouth School includes a central coursework unit that runs through the AS and A2 years. In this unit, students will study the evolution of Modern and Postmodern literature, with a particular focus on how narrative has evolved in the past 100 years. At AS-Level, students will write two 1500-word coursework papers: one is a close reading of an excerpt from a key Modern or Postmodern text, and the other is a study of two linked texts informed by interpretations of other readers. At A2-Level, students will write a 3000-word extended paper of their own design based on three texts; this project offers considerable scope for original enquiry and requires considerable theoretical sophistication.
In addition, students prepare for two one-hour exam questions at AS-Level and two further one-hour exam questions at A2-Level. In the AS year, one question is on a key poet from 1800-1945, and the other is on a key text of prose fiction from the same period. In the A2 year, one question is on a play by Shakespeare, and the other is based on two pre-1800 texts (one poetry and one drama).
English Literature is a subject that requires considerable time, effort and discipline for success, and should only be undertaken by students who have attained a high standing in GCSE English and who are fully committed to putting in the necessary hard work and long hours that the subject demands.