New GCEs for 2008



GCE English Literature B (2745)

A2 outline

At A2, Unit 3 teaches candidates to develop ideas on the significance of genre. Texts will be grouped within the categories: Elements of the Gothic and Elements of the Pastoral. In Unit 4, candidates will study a wide range of texts, the different ways of reading texts and critical ideas applied with discrimination to literary texts.

The A2 specification has 2 units:

Unit 3: Texts and Genres

Topic list

Candidates will study a minimum of three texts. At least one of these texts must be taken from the groups labelled 1300-1800.

  • Elements of the Gothic
    • 1300–1800; Shakespeare, Marlowe, Webster, Milton
    • Post 1800 – Mary Shelley, Emily Bronte, Bram Stoker, Angela Carter
  • Elements of the Pastoral
    • 1300–1800; various including Shakespeare, Goldsmith and Blake
    • Post 1800 – various including Twain, Hardy, Waugh and Potter.

Assessment

Written Exam:2 hours Closed book
Weighting:60% of total A2 / 30% of total A Level marks

Minimum three texts for study including at least one 1300-1800. 2 topics for examination 2010-2013. Candidates choose one topic:

  1. Elements of the Gothic
  2. Elements of the Pastoral

Two questions to be answered; one question from Section A and one question from Section B.

  • Section A will be a text specific question. One question per text.
  • Section B will involve comparing an aspect of the chosen topic across at least three texts. Choice of two questions.

Unit 4: Further and Independent Reading

Topic list

  • a study of at least three texts, one of which will be a pre-released anthology of critical writing
  • ongoing advice for this coursework unit will be given as for AS.

Assessment

Coursework

Weighting:40% of total A2 / 20% of total A Level marks

Minimum three texts for study including one pre-released anthology of critical material.

A portfolio of two pieces of written coursework. (One may be re-creative).

  • First piece a comparative study of an aspect of two texts. 1500-2000 words.
  • Second piece an application of an aspect of critical anthology to a literary text (1200 – 1500 words).

Free choice of texts.





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