English Language and English Literature

Key Stage 4 Guide

English Language and Literature

English Language and English Literature, Sets 1-3

Pupils in Sets 1 to 3 follow the AQA English Language (8700) and English Literature (8702) courses.

English Language AQA 8700

The specification will enable pupils of all abilities to develop the skills they need to read, understand and analyse a wide range of different texts covering the 19th, 20th and 21st century time periods as well as to write clearly, coherently and accurately using a range of vocabulary and sentence structures.

Aims of the course:

For GCSE English Language, pupils should: • read fluently, and with good understanding, a wide range of texts from the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries, including literature and literary nonfiction as well as other writing such as reviews and journalism • read and evaluate texts critically and make comparisons between texts • summarise and synthesise information or ideas from texts

• use knowledge gained from wide reading to inform and improve their own writing • write effectively and coherently using standard

English appropriately • use grammar correctly and punctuate and spell accurately • acquire and apply a wide vocabulary, alongside a knowledge and understanding of grammatical terminology, and linguistic conventions for reading, writing and spoken language • listen to and understand spoken language and use spoken standard English effectively.

How will I be assessed? Paper 1: Explorations in Creative Reading and Writing

Section A: Reading

•one literature fiction text (unseen)

Section B: Writing

•descriptive or narrative writing

Assessment: written exam: 1 hour 45 minutes

• 50% of GCSE

The aim of this paper is to engage pupils in a creative text and inspire them to write creatively themselves by: • in section A, reading a literature fiction text in order to consider how established writers use narrative and descriptive techniques to capture the interest of readers

•in section B, writing their own creative text, inspired by the topic that they have responded to in section

A to demonstrate their narrative and descriptive skills in response to a written prompt, scenario or visual image. The paper will assess in this sequence,

AO1, AO2 and AO4 for reading, and AO5 and AO6 for writing. Section A will be allocated 40 marks, and

Section B will be allocated 40 marks to give an equal weighting to the reading and writing tasks.

Content

The source for the reading questions will be a literature fiction text. It will be drawn from either the 20th or 21st century. Its genre will be prose fiction. It will include extracts from novels and short stories and focus on openings, endings, narrative perspectives and points of view, narrative or descriptive passages, character, atmospheric descriptions and other appropriate narrative and descriptive approaches. As a stimulus for pupils’ own writing, there will be a choice of scenario, written prompt or visual image that is related to the topic of the reading text in section A.The scenario sets out a context for writing with a designated audience, purpose and form that will differ to those specified on Paper 2.

English Language (Continued)

Paper 2: Writers’ Viewpoints and Perspectives

Section A: Reading

•one non-fiction text and one literacy non-fiction text

Section B: Writing

•writing to present a viewpoint

Assessment: written exam: 1 hour 45 minutes

•50% of GCSE

The aim of this paper is to develop pupils’ insights into how writers have particular viewpoints and perspectives on issues or themes that are important to the way we think and live our lives. It will encourage students to demonstrate their skills by: • in section A, reading two linked sources from different time periods and genres in order to consider how each presents a perspective or viewpoint to influence the reader • in section B, producing a written text to a specified audience, purpose and form in which they give their own perspective on the theme that has been introduced to them in section A. The paper will assess in this sequence, AO1, AO2 and AO3 for reading, and AO5 and AO6 for writing. Section A will be allocated 40 marks, and section B will be allocated 40 marks to give an equal weighting to the reading and writing tasks.

Content

The sources for the reading questions will be nonfiction and literary non-fiction texts. They will be drawn from the 19th century, and either the 20th or 21st century depending on the time period assessed in Paper 1 in each particular series. The combination selected will always provide pupils with an opportunity to consider viewpoints and perspectives over time. Choice of genre will include high quality journalism, articles, reports, essays, travel writing, accounts, sketches, letters, diaries, autobiography and biographical passages or other appropriate nonfiction and literary non-fiction forms. In section B, there will be a single writing task related to the theme of section A. It will specify audience, purpose and form, and will use a range of opinions, statements and writing scenarios to provoke a response.

Non-examination Assessment: Spoken Language

What’s assessed?

• presenting • responding to questions and feedback • use of Standard English

Assessment

• teacher-set tasks throughout course • marked by teacher • separate endorsement (0% weighting of GCSE)

English Literature

This course will encourage pupils to: • read a wide range of classic literature fluently and with good understanding, and make connections across their reading • read in depth, critically and evaluatively, so that they are able to discuss and explain their understanding and ideas

• develop the habit of reading widely and often • appreciate the depth and power of the English literary heritage • write accurately, effectively and analytically about their reading, using Standard English • acquire and use a wide vocabulary, including the grammatical terminology and other literary and linguistic terms they need to criticise and analyse what they read.

How will I be assessed?

The qualification consists of two examination papers.

Paper 1: Shakespeare and the 19thcentury novel

Shakespeare plays: pupils will study one play from the list of six set texts. Pupils study the whole text. Teachers choose from:

• Macbeth

• Romeo and Juliet

• The Tempest • The Merchant of Venice

• Much Ado About Nothing • Julius Caesar

19th-century novel: pupils will study one novel from the seven options. Pupils study the whole text. Teachers choose from:

• Robert Louis Stevenson, ‘The Strange Case of Dr

Jekyll and Mr Hyde’ • Charles Dickens, ‘A Christmas Carol’

• Charles Dickens, ‘Great Expectations’ • Charlotte Brontë, ‘Jane Eyre’ • Mary Shelley, ‘Frankenstein’ • Jane Austen, ‘Pride and Prejudice’ • Arthur Conan Doyle, ‘The Sign of Four’ Key Stage 4 Guide

AQA 8702

Written exam: 1 hour 45 minutes. 2 tasks.

40% of GCSE

Paper 2: Modern texts and poetry

• Modern texts: pupils will study one from a choice of 12 set texts, which include post-1914 prose fiction and drama. This year, the studied text has been J.B.

Priestley’s ‘An Inspector Calls’. • AQA poetry anthology: pupils will study one cluster of poems taken from the AQA poetry anthology,

Poems Past and Present. There is a choice of two clusters, each containing 15 poems. The poems in each cluster are thematically linked and were written between 1789 and the present day. The titles of the two clusters are:

◦ Love and relationships ◦ Power and conflict.

• Pupils will study all 15 poems in their chosen cluster and will be prepared to write about any of them in the examination.

• Unseen poetry: in preparing for the unseen poetry section of the examination pupils will experience a wide range of poetry in order to develop their ability to closely analyse unseen poems. They will be able to analyse and compare key features such as their content, theme, structure and use of language.

Written exam: 2 hours 15 minutes. 3 tasks

60% of GCSE

English Language, Set 4 Edexcel 4EA1

Set 4 will follow the new Pearson Edexcel International GCSE in English Language, Specification A (4EA1), which enables pupils to: • develop their understanding of the spoken word and the capacity to participate effectively in a variety of speaking and listening activities • develop the ability to read, understand and respond to material from a variety of sources, and to recognise and appreciate themes and attitudes and the ways in which writers achieve their effects • develop the ability to construct and convey meaning in written language, matching style to audience and purpose. The Edexcel International GCSE in English Language (Specification A) (4EA1) has the option of two assessment routes: pupils sit Paper 1, and either Paper 2 or Paper 3. We sit Paper 1 and Paper 3.

Details of Papers 1 and 3: Paper 1: Non-fiction Texts and Transactional Writing

60% of the total International GCSE

Content summary:

• The contemporary non-fiction texts from Part 1 of the Pearson Edexcel International GCSE English

Anthology include: ◦ From ‘The Danger of a Single Story’ by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie ◦ From ‘A Passage to Africa’ by George Alagiah ◦ From ‘The Explorer’s Daughter’ by Kari Herbert ◦ ‘Explorers, or boys messing about?’ by Steven Morris

◦ From ‘127 Hours: Between a Rock and a Hard

Place’ by Aron Ralston ◦ ‘Young and Dyslexic’ by Benjamin Zephaniah ◦ From ‘A Game of Polo with a Headless Goat’ by

Emma Levine

◦ From ‘Beyond the Sky and Earth’ by Jamie Zeppa ◦ From ‘H is for Hawk’ by Helen Macdonald ◦ From ‘Chinese Cinderella’ by Adeline Yen Mah

Aims:

• Develop skills to analyse how writers use linguistic and structural devices to achieve their effects. • Explore links and connections between writers’ ideas and perspectives. • Develop transactional writing skills for a variety of purposes and audiences. • Use spelling, punctuation and grammar accurately.

Assessment:

• Section A: Reading – a mixture of short- and longanswer questions related to a nonfiction text from

Part 1 of the Pearson Edexcel International GCSE

English Anthology (see list of possibilities above) and one previously unseen extract. Total of 45 marks. • Section B: Transactional Writing – one 45-mark writing task, from a choice of two involving a given audience, form or purpose. • The total number of marks available is 90.

• The assessment duration is 2 hours 15 minutes.

• Pupils will be provided with the anthology text in the examination.

Paper 3: Poetry and Prose Texts and Imaginative Writing

40% of the total International GCSE

Content summary:

• The poetry and prose texts from Part 2 of the

Pearson Edexcel International GCSE English

Anthology. These include:

◦ ‘Disabled’ by Wilfred Owen ◦ ‘Out, Out–‘ by Robert Frost ◦ ‘An Unknown Girl’ by Moniza Alvi ◦ ‘The Bright Lights of Sarajevo’ by Tony Harrison ◦ ‘Still I Rise’ by Maya Angelou ◦ ‘The Story of an Hour’ by Kate Chopin ◦ ‘The Necklace’ by Guy de Maupassant ◦ ‘Significant Cigarettes’ (from ‘The Road Home’) by Rose Tremain ◦ ‘Whistle and I’ll Come to You’ (from ‘The Woman in Black’) by Susan Hill ◦ ‘Night’ by Alice Munro • Develop skills to analyse how writers use linguistic and structural devices to achieve their effects.

• Develop imaginative writing skills to engage the reader.

Key Stage 4 Guide

• Use spelling, punctuation and grammar accurately.

Assessment

• Assignment A: Poetry and prose texts – one 30mark essay question based on any two poetry or prose texts from Part 2 of the Pearson Edexcel

International GCSE English Anthology (see above), including a 6-mark commentary on why these texts were selected.

• Assignment B: Imaginative writing – one 30-mark imaginative writing task. Pupils may also be entered for the optional spoken language endorsement (worth 0% of the IGCSE) which is endorsed separately and does not count towards the overall qualification.

Summary:

The spoken language presentation may take a variety of forms, including: a) a speech or talk by a pupil, followed by questions from the audience. b) a formal debate or dialogue, such as an interview where the pupil is able to prepare extended responses to questions or prompts, which have been shared in advance, followed by questions from the audience. In all cases, the presentation should be prepared and last no longer than 10 minutes.