United Kingdom · National Curriculum Attainment Targets
Year 13 English
A comprehensive A Level course focusing on the deep interrogation of canonical and contemporary texts alongside sophisticated linguistic study. Students develop critical autonomy by synthesizing complex literary theories and evaluating the evolution of the English language across diverse contexts.
Tragedy and the Human Condition
Exploration of the generic conventions of tragedy from Shakespearean drama to modern domestic realism.
Examining how the concept of the protagonist has shifted from high-born figures to the common man.
Analyzing the psychological and emotional effects of tragic resolutions on the spectator.
Investigating how tragic narratives reflect or challenge the power structures of their era.
Linguistic Diversity and Change
An investigation into how English evolves over time and varies across social and geographical boundaries.
Analyzing how sociolects and ethnolects function as markers of group belonging and exclusion.
Evaluating how technology has accelerated linguistic change and created new modes of interaction.
Exploring the spread of English and the development of localized varieties across the world.
Critical Theory and Literary Criticism
Applying diverse theoretical lenses to texts to uncover hidden meanings and ideological assumptions.
Deconstructing gender roles and heteronormative structures within canonical literature.
Examining the relationship between the colonizer and the colonized through a literary lens.
Analyzing how economic conditions and class struggles are represented and mediated in fiction.
The Art of Persuasion and Rhetoric
Mastering the craft of non-fiction writing and analyzing the mechanics of influential discourse.
Deconstructing the rhetorical strategies used by leaders to mobilize and manipulate audiences.
Crafting compelling arguments for specific audiences through editorial and feature writing.
Analyzing the linguistic and visual semiotics used in marketing to influence consumer behavior.
Poetic Innovation and Form
A deep dive into how poets manipulate structure, rhythm, and imagery to create meaning.
Tracing the development of the sonnet from Petrarch to contemporary experimental poets.
Investigating how 20th-century poets abandoned traditional meter and rhyme to reflect a fragmented world.
Exploring the oral traditions and rhythmic innovations of contemporary performance-based poetry.
Independent Research and Synthesis
Culminating project where students conduct an in-depth investigation into a chosen literary or linguistic topic.
Developing a narrow and sophisticated focus for an independent academic investigation.
Selecting and applying appropriate analytical frameworks to primary and secondary sources.
Presenting research findings and responding to critical questioning in an academic forum.